Global Weekly Update January 18, 2011

Top Action: Set Up Meetings with Members of Congress

The most important action you can take now is to schedule meetings with your representatives (and senators, if possible). Why? The House is a whole new world in 2011 with new leadership, many new representatives, and new priorities. There is also much concern about budget deficits that will make it easy for those who don’t know better to cut life-saving foreign aid programs. We need to educate our representatives and make both a moral and practical case for funding global education, health, and economic opportunity.

• To set up your meeting, call your representative’s DC office and ask to speak to the scheduler. See this sample laser talk dialogue with a scheduler for guidance on how to have this conversation.
• The scheduler will likely ask you send your request in writing. See Activist Milestone #7 for Working with Congress and the December 2010 Action Sheet for guidance on setting up your meeting and a link to a sample letter that you can modify and send. Remember, you don’t need to tell the scheduler what your specific requests are, only that you are a constituent group working on global poverty issues that would like to speak to the Representative about child vaccines and other global health issues, education, and economic opportunity.

There are several Congressional recesses in January and February, and there is one late in March. Make it a top priority to meet with your representative before the end of March.

How Can We Know Where We Are Going Without a Plan?

Our mission is to create the political will to end the worst aspects of poverty and to empower individuals to have breakthroughs in exercising our personal and political power. But how many of us would really take on breakthrough challenges in 2011 without some deliberate thinking and planning? How many of our groups could really figure out how to create greater political will to end the worst aspects of poverty without making a plan?

We ask all groups and activists to take time to plan at the beginning of the year to prepare ourselves to do ever-greater advocacy on behalf of those without a voice. And the voiceless need us more than ever as global food prices rise and a budget-cutting mentality takes over Congress. Find a time to plan in January or early February. These plans will guide you and give your Regional Coordinators and staff a way to support you. We have great group planning materials to support you including:

• Planning documents
• A recorded training on Powermapping
• A New Activist Orientation taking place on Feb. 2 and 16, March 2 and 16 (four sessions total) at 9 pm. Contact Lisa Marchal to sign up new activists.

Urge Congress to Support GAVI

Take action this month and urge Congress to support funding for the GAVI Alliance. GAVI helps to bundle supply and demand for childhood vaccines and assure that those in poor nations have access. We have a particularly important opportunity to make sure that GAVI has the resources to get new pneumonia and rotavirus to developing nations. This effort could save 4 million children’s lives by 2015!

Here are some resources:

• JanuaryAction Sheetexplaining GAVI, the new opportunity, and the request to Congress
• January Laser Talkon making the GAVI request to members of Congress and aides
• January conference call recordingwith special guest from GAVI who clearly explains the opportunity and funding need
• Background on the GAVI Alliance’s Evidence-based Vaccine Approach
• Washington Post op-ed by Michael Gerson on the power of GAVI and the need for child vaccination support.
• Living Proof Project:photos and videos on vaccines, including rotavirus

2011 is Going to be a Year of Great Growth at RESULTS

However, we need your help to make it so.

Think about when you joined RESULTS. It was likely at the invitation of someone. A friend, colleague, or a family member found this fantastic organization, got excited, and wanted to share the experience with you. Can you return that favor? Can you think of a friend who wants to make change happen in the world but doesn’t know how? Do you know a colleague who is passionate about fixing the injustices of the world?

Chances are that there is someone in your social circle who is just waiting to be invited to give RESULTS a try. It doesn’t matter if a local RESULTS group is nearby or not. Tell them about RESULTS, tell them why our work is important, and tell them why they are needed in this amazing group of people. If we all invited one person to get involved, we could double the voice and power of RESULTS. Take a moment and e-mail someone about how you changed the world today. Invite them to do the same.

Right now, we are looking for people in Black Falls (Wisconsin), Corvallis (Oregon), Ashland/Medford (Oregon), and Winston-Salem (North Carolina). Are you in or around these areas and interested in forming a RESULTS group? Do you know someone near these areas who would make a dynamite RESULTS partner? If so, please e-mail Mary Peterson to get connected with our exciting expansion work.

Have you witnessed an extraordinary act of advocacy by a fellow RESULTS grassroots partner? Let us know! Share the story with Lisa Marchal. We’d love to spread the word and celebrate.

January 31 to February 4: Congressional recess

February 2: State of the Union Address

February 2 and 16, March 2 and 16: New Activist Orientation 4-session series. 9 pm ET. Call (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262. To RSVP or to get more information, contact Lisa Marchal ([email protected]). Join us for the series and get better acquainted with RESULTS!

February 12: Global Conference Call. 2:00 pm ET. (888) 409-6709

February 21 to 25: Congressional Recess

March 8: International Women’s Day

March 12: Global Conference Call. 2:00 pm ET. (888) 409-6709

March 21 to 25: Congressional Recess

Other Dates

June 19 to 21: RESULTS International Conference in Washington, D.C., Four Points Sheraton