Global Weekly Update June 13, 2011

Victory at GAVI Alliance Pledging Conference

Here are some remarks from RESULTS Executive Director Joanne Carter, written on June 13.

Dear All,

A huge congratulations and profound thanks to all of you who helped push for a U.S. $450 million, three-year pledge to GAVI. At today’s pledging conference in London, the U.S. did indeed make that $450 million pledge! And USAID Administrator Raj Shah also committed to hosting a high level conference on GAVI next year-this will be a chance to assess progress and fulfillment of donor commitments. Please see my statement attached.

Each of the calls you made to House and Senate offices and the meetings you had with members of Congress, every letter you wrote, every call to the media and every letter to the editor, op-ed and editorial played a meaningful part in achieving this outcome in a very short time and in a difficult budget environment. Your media was shared globally, as well. This work exemplifies the best of who we are and what we can make happen.

The pledging conference actually exceeded its targets which means we have the resources pledged to save more than four million children’s lives by 2015, and protect tens of millions more children from illness and stunting.

Our work, of course, is not over. We need to make sure the U.S. resources are now delivered by Congress-by sharing the opportunity and the impact these dollars will have. And we can use this pledge to GAVI to help create the greater context for Congressional budget decisions-the transformational impact our investments can make, and priorities that must be protected.

Please share the attached statement with local media contacts that you’ve been working with, and use this as an opportunity for a letter to the editor or op-ed or editorial. And please thank your members of Congress for the part they played in making this happen.

I also want to acknowledge the brilliant work that our international partners did in the UK, Australia, France, Japan, Canada and elsewhere to make the GAVI pledging conference a success.

With deep thanks and appreciation,

Joanne Carter, Executive Director

Now, Let’s Build on the Success at the GAVI Pledging Conference!

The success of the GAVI Alliance pledging conference is a clear testament to the effectiveness of our power, persistence, and passion in our advocacy for the end of poverty. Thanks to the robust pledging that the world brought forward this week, millions on children have a renewed chance at life.

However, as we know through experience, we can rarely let off the gas in this race. John Fawcett, our Legislative Director, stated, “[m]aking sure that this funding is actually appropriated by Congress over the next three years will be a top priority.” We also know without a doubt that actions like thanking your member of Congress if you know he/she spoke up for GAVI, continuing to speak to Congress about the pledge, and writing a letter to the editor applauding the United States for its commitment will both keep the conversation and pressure going as we move through the congressional appropriations process and see to it that promised money becomes realized funding.

RESULTS International Conference: Be Part of the Action Wherever You Are

RESULTS activists will storm DC on June 19–21 for the RESULTS International Conference. Whether or not you’re able to attend, there’s plenty to be done!

If you are going:

• Use the materials on the International Conference webpage to prepare, particularly the conference checklist.
• Be sure to request face-to-face meetings with your senators and representative. Use our activist milestone to guide you. Let us know about your meeting online so we can support you.
• Represent your community by gathering stories from those affected by our issues, gathering letters to hand carry, and making arrangements to have people join your meetings by conference call.
• Invite your members of Congress and their foreign policy aides to our reception, where you can speak with them and they can learn more about RESULTS as an organization.
• Assemble media you and/or your group has generated to share with your members of Congress.
• Read through the legislative background materials.

If you are back in your home district:

• Help your group or state delegates gather stories to tell your members of Congress.
• Write letters to be taken to Washington.
• Help make arrangements to be in the room by phone when others are meeting face-to-face with your members of Congress.
• Help organize an outreach activity for the July conference call so that people can hear about the conference.
• If your legislator is not able to meet with RESULTS advocates face-to-face in Washington, schedule a face-to-face meeting back in your home district for later this summer.
• Follow the conference on Twitter (#RESULTSConf).

We’re all working together, and we are saving lives. Thank you for the part you are playing!

Welcome, RESULTS Triad!

On Saturday, June 11, RESULTS grew a new chapter in North Carolina. We would like to officially welcome RESULTS Triad (to reference the cities of Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High Point), to the fold.

In terms of expansion, we are still looking to grow in some very specific places. Right now we are focusing on an expansion swing through New England that will hopefully happen at the end of the summer. Do you know anyone in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire or Delaware? Would these people be a good fit for RESULTS? If so either email Mary Peterson, Global Grassroots Associate for Expansion or find her at the International Conference to talk about our progress in these states and where we need your help! 

We really need you. RESULTS is one of the great nonprofit organizations in the country. And pound for pound, I think they’re one of the best.

— Ambassador Tony Hall, speaking on the RESULTS Joint Grassroots National Conference Call on June 11, 2011

June 19–21: RESULTS International Conference

June 27–July 5: House recess

July 4–10: Senate recess

July 9: Global Conference Call. 2:00 pm ET. (888) 409-6709.

July 18–24: House recess

August 8-September 5: Congressional recess (a great time for an in-district face-to-face meeting with your senator or representative!)