http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/index.php en mpeterson@globalaidsalliance.org Copyright 2008 2008-05-05T19:31:00-05:00 http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/index.php/site/aprops_lowey/ http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/index.php/site/aprops_lowey/#When:19:31:00Z Ask your legislator to contact Representative Nita Lowey in support of fully funding global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria programs.Ask your legislator to contact Representative Nita Lowey in support of fully funding global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria programs.Issue:                                   HIV/AIDS funding has been making the news lately, because Congress is on course to authorize $50 billion for AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria programs over the next five years. These programs include provisions to help orphaned children and strengthen essential health systems. President Bush recently said that he supports this legislation. Of the $50 billion total, about $37 billion would go to AIDS programs, which is crucial to reach the international goal of universal access to all HIV/AIDS services.HOWEVER, the $50 billion "authorization" provides no actual funding, and, in fact, a second legislative step-known as "appropriations"-is required to actually get the money.  That's where Representative Lowey (D-NY) is crucial. Representative Lowey chairs the House appropriations subcommittee that will decide how much money to spend on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in 2009. The timing matters because the decision will be made sometime this month.  We need your help right away to make sure Rep. Lowey hears that her colleagues want to see full funding for these programs for 2009.  This is no time to slow down the fight against global disease.  Countries in Africa are using US assistance to save millions of lives and expand desperately needed services, including care and support for children. People are counting on America to keep its promise of effective aid, so please do your part by letting your Representative know we are all counting on Congress to do this!Take Action:Contact your Representative today and ask that he or she contact Rep. Lowey in support of fully funding global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria programs by providing $10.4 billion for 2009. You can reach your Representative by calling the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and asking for the office of your Representative. Don't know who your Representative is? Click here to find out!Remember, you don't need to be an expert to make these calls.  Just speak from the heart!For extra credit:Fax your Representative a short letter.  Contact grassroots@globalaidsalliance.org for a sample letter. Attend a meeting with your Representative or a member of his staff. What to Say:My name is [ ] and I am a constituent of Representative [ ]. I am calling to urge that Representative [ ] contact Representative Lowey in support of full funding for programs to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.  I am delighted that President Bush is now supporting an authorization of $50 billion for these programs over the five years.  But I would like to request that Representative [ ] call or write Representative Lowey to urge that she approve the first installment of this $50 billion, which should be $10.4 billion for 2009.   She needs to hear that this is a priority for her colleagues in the House.  We also need to emphasize that the US should provide no less than $2 billion for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, since this will then leverage other countries to increase their giving to the Fund.  Would Rep. [ ] be willing to contact Rep. Lowey about this?Please email grassroots@globalaidsalliance.org to let us know you called!PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY! 2008-05-05T19:31:00-05:00 http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/index.php/site/support_the_global_campaign_for_education_and_take_part_in_the_worlds_large/ http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/index.php/site/support_the_global_campaign_for_education_and_take_part_in_the_worlds_large/#When:19:25:00Z Every year the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) organizes Global Action Week to raise awareness of the plight of the 72 million children and 226 million young people worldwide who are denied a quality basic or secondary education. Children who don’t attend school miss out on countless opportunities to lead more productive and fulfilled lives. Find out how you can participate!Every year the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) organizes Global Action Week to raise awareness of the plight of the 72 million children and 226 million young people worldwide who are denied a quality basic or secondary education. Children who don’t attend school miss out on countless opportunities to lead more productive and fulfilled lives. The US Chapter of the Global Campaign for Education is a broad-based coalition of more than 30 nonprofit organizations, teachers unions, foundations, and child advocacy groups that promote universal basic education in the world’s poorest nations. This year the GCE is organizing a global lesson about the need to ensure a quality education for all children—and in doing so, beat the Guinness World Record for the World's Largest Simultaneous lesson on April 23 at 11:00 am EST (10:00 am CST, 9:00 am MST, or 8:00 am PST). This activity will attempt to break the previous Guinness World Record set by the GCE in 2003. Global Action Week is also an exciting opportunity to advocate for the education of the world’s poorest children by connecting with other young people worldwide, including 5 million young people planning on taking part in Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Pacific, and Europe. Projected participants include 100,000 students in the UK, one-quarter of the children in Denmark, and an amazing one million young people in Bangladesh. The US Chapter of GCE would like the US to match this high level of participation and raise awareness about the importance of the Education for All Act of 2007. Being part of the World’s Biggest Lesson is easy—and will only take 30 minutes. To register for the event, download your lesson plan and other materials, and to learn more about the issue of education for all, please check out the GCE-US website at www.campaignforeducationusa.org/actionweek! Free Basic Education 2008-04-09T19:25:00-05:00 http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/index.php/site/action110807/ http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/index.php/site/action110807/#When:15:29:00Z Contact your Representative and Senators and urge them to support new legislation to reduce violence against women and girls—a serious human rights violation and key driver of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.Contact your Representative and Senators and urge them to support new legislation to reduce violence against women and girls—a serious human rights violation and key driver of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.The Issue Take Action!What to SayAdditional Talking PointsBackgroundTHE ISSUE: Violence against women is a human rights violation that includes rape, domestic violence, acid burning, dowry deaths, so-called honor killings, female genital cutting and other harmful traditional practices, and human trafficking. It is also a leading risk factor for HIV infection. Sadly, violence against women and girls is at epidemic proportions. Indeed, experts report that one out of every three women globally will be beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime, with rates as high as 70% in some countries. This must stop! For more background, check out the Global AIDS Alliance's report, Zero Tolerance: Stop the Violence Against Women and Children, Stop HIV/AIDS Update. Click here to download a PDF version of the report.  Click here to download an MS Word version of the report. Legislation has been introduced in the US House and Senate to address the epidemic of violence against women. Working through international assistance that the US already provides, the new International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) will provide essential resources to support programs that have proven effective in reducing and responding to violence against women and girls. This legislation incorporates urgently needed training, protection, and services for women in a range of situations, including schools, health clinics, court systems, workplaces, and refugee camps. We have the global resources to stop violence. Why aren't we using them? TAKE ACTION!Contact your Representative and Senators today, and tell them that you want them to sign on as co-sponsors of I-VAWA. It's simple: Call 202-224-3121, and ask for the office of your Representative and each of your Senators. If you don't know who they are, click here to find your Senators and click here to find your Representative. Or, click here to email a message to your Representative and Senators right now. WHAT TO SAY:My name is __________, and I am a constituent of _________. I am calling to urge him/her to co-sponsor the International Violence Against Women Act. At least one out of every three women worldwide will be beaten, raped, or otherwise abused in her lifetime, and the US must take a leadership position on this critically important issue. In addition to improving the lives of women and girls, this legislation will help eliminate one of the primary risk factors for HIV infection. Please co-sponsor the International Violence Against Women Act, and help the US lead the way in protecting women and girls worldwide. Remember, you don't need to be an expert to make these calls. Speak from the heart, and know you are making the world a better place. After you've made your call, please send a quick email to grassroots@globalaidsalliance.org to let us know! ADDITIONAL TALKING POINTS:•  Women are at least twice as likely to acquire HIV from men during sex as vice versa because of biological factors. •  One in five women will survive rape or attempted rape. •  102 countries have no law against domestic violence. BACKGROUND: The International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) mandates a comprehensive US response to address violence against women and girls globally. There are now approximately 18 million women worldwide living with HIV/AIDS, a significant percentage of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. An estimated 2.3 million children under the age of 15 are living with HIV/AIDS, and one of them dies each minute. As the international community attempts to grapple with these staggering numbers and spends billions of dollars on essential HIV/AIDS programs, comparatively little attention is being paid to the urgent need to scale up programs that address violence against women and girls. Establishing zero tolerance for violence is a matter of basic respect for human rights, particularly those of women, including sexual and reproductive rights. Unless the epidemic of violence is addressed with a holistic view of risk factors and consequences, the multi-billion-dollar response to global HIV/AIDS is bound to fail. I-VAWA requires the US government to integrate efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls into its foreign assistance programs, including health, education, economic development, legal reform, humanitarian assistance, and foreign security force training activities. It also expands US financial support for foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working to end violence against women and girls. Overall, I-VAWA is a historic and unprecedented effort by the US government to address the links between violence against women and girls and some of our greatest development and human rights challenges, including poverty, HIV/AIDS, and other global health issues, and war and conflict. Addressing violence against women and girls will also encourage economic growth and foster increased social and political stability. 2007-11-08T15:29:00-05:00 http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/index.php/site/action071307_africa_health_capacity/ http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/index.php/site/action071307_africa_health_capacity/#When:15:54:00Z Contact your Representative today, and urge them to co-sponsor legislation to help overcome one of the greatest obstacles to overcoming HIV/AIDS.Strong infrastructure is essential to expanding access to health care and meeting global targets for responding to HIV/AIDS and other diseases. In particular, the critical lack of health care workers is one of the biggest obstacles to getting more people on HIV/AIDS treatment. The African Health Capacity Investment Act presents a tremendous opportunity to expand US leadership and commitment to global health. Contact your Senators and Representatives today and urge them to co-sponsor this bill! The Issue Take Action! What to Say More Information THE ISSUE: The Institute of Medicine has defined the greatest obstacle to overcoming HIV/AIDS as the shortage of medical professionals. In particular, Africa—the epicenter of the epidemic—faces major challenges in improving its health care infrastructure and hiring and retaining health care workers. Three out of four countries in sub-Saharan Africa have less than 20 doctors per 100,000 people, while 13 countries have fewer than five doctors per 100,000 people. This lack of health care workers and inadequate infrastructure is seriously undermining the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. TAKE ACTION: Call your Representatives and ask them to contact Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) about joining her in supporting the African Health Capacity Act of 2007.Or, you can write to your Representative by clicking here.To reach your Representative, just call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121, and ask to speak to his or her office. Then ask to speak to the legislative aide who handles issues related to Africa.WHAT TO SAY: To Representatives: My name is [ ] and I am a constituent of Representative [ ]. I am calling to urge him/her to contact Representative Barbara Lee’s (D-CA) office about co-sponsoring the African Health Capacity Investment Act of 2007. There is a severe shortage of health workers in sub-Saharan Africa, and this means that people are dying unnecessarily. As a global leader in fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the US must also take the lead in helping African countries strengthen their health care infrastructure and address the health worker shortage. We need leadership on this bill, and I am looking to Representative [ ] to take a strong stand on this issue.If your Representative is already co-sponsoring the African Health Capacity Investment Act, please give a call to say thanks! Again, just call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121, ask to be connected to your Representative's office, and then ask for the legislative staffer who handles issues related to Africa.Remember—you don't need to be an expert to make these calls. Speak from the heart and know you could be saving someone's life.MORE INFORMATION: The African Health Capacity Investment Act of 2007 includes provisions to:• Provide $100 million that would support 2,300 new doctors or over 5,000 new nurses• Create better and safer working conditions that will help prevent the emigration of 20,000 African health care workers each year• Establish better systems to curb corruption and mismanagementEndorsing Representatives (as of November 1, 2007):Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA-28)  Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr (D-GA-2)Rep. Julia Carson (D-IN-7)Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-9)Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL-7) Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA-17) Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA-2) Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-7) Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY-22) Rep. Michael Honda (D-CA-15) Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr (D-IL-2)Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA-2)Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH-10) Rep. John Lewis (D-GA-5)Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-4)Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA-7)Rep. James McGovern (D-MA-3)Rep. Gwen Moore, Gwen (D-WI-4)Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ-10)Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL-1)Rep. Janice Schakowsky (D-IL-9)Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY-16)Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA-9)Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA-30)Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL-19)Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA-6) Strengthen Health Systems 2007-07-16T15:54:00-05:00 http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/index.php/site/action061207/ http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/index.php/site/action061207/#When:20:50:00Z Contact the candidates today, and let them know that you expect the next President to ensure that the US commits its fair share to fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.Contact the candidates today, and let them know that you expect the next US President to ensure that the United States commits its fair share to address the global epidemics of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. The Issue Take Action! What to Say More Information THE ISSUE: The G8 leaders promised an increase in investment in programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, but the $60 billion total will still be only one-third of what the UN says is needed over the next five years. Together, these diseases kill about 16,000 people each day. Last week President Bush flatlined the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) by proposing funding that would only provide an additional 500,000 people with essential AIDS treatment over the next five years—far less than what's needed. The US can and must do better for our global neighbors. We have to speak up and let the next generation of leaders know this is unacceptable. Please take a minute to contact the presidential candidate(s) of choice, and let them know you expect more! TAKE ACTION: Call or email the presidential candidates! To call, use one of the numbers listed below, and ask to speak to the policy department. Just remember you might not get a live person, so be sure to leave a voicemail message. Many candidates operate on the "five contact rule." In other words, if they receive five communications from five voters, it can help influence their policy. To email, use the links provided below to contact the candidates main offices. Feel free to use the below script but be sure you personalize it. In all communications use your heart, head and passions to make the message truly from you! WHAT TO SAY: Hi, my name is _____ and I'm calling from _____. At their recent summit, the G8 leaders promised an increase in investment in programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, but the $60 billion they committed is still only one-third of what the United Nations says is needed over the next five years. Together, these diseases kill about 16,000 people each day. The next President of the United States needs to address these issues and make sure that the US and the G8 keep their promises to the rest of the world. In addition, last week, President Bush announced he's going to put the brakes on his global AIDS plan, by only increasing the number of people receiving AIDS treatment by 500,000 during the second five years of the program. In reality, we need to double the number of people on treatment worldwide to 4 million by 2013. President Bush should not be able to set the global health agenda for the next President. A broad-based coalition is calling for $50 billion over the next five years to scale up an effective response to AIDS, tuberulosis, and malaria worldwide. What is candidate ____________'s plan to achieve this goal? Please email grassroots@globalaidsalliance.org to let us know what happens! MORE INFORMATION: Click here for more information on the coalitional call for $50 billion over the next five years. Click here to find out about the AIDSVote project of the Campaign to End AIDS (C2EA).Click here for more information on the G8 summit. Click here for more information on President Bush's recent announcement regarding PEPFAR. Democratic Candidate Contact Information:JOE BIDEN(302) 574-2008 info@JoeBiden.comHILLARY RODHAM CLINTON(212) 213-3717 http://www.hillaryclinton.com/help/contact/CHRIS DODD(202) 737-3633 http://www.chrisdodd.com/contactJOHN EDWARDS(919) 636-3131 http://johnedwards.com/about/contact/form/MIKE GRAVEL(703) 652-4698 info@gravel2008.usDENNIS KUCINICHhttp://kucinich.us/contactBARACK OBAMA(603) 668-2008 http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/contact2BILL RICHARDSON(505) 828-2455 research@richardsonforpresident.comRepublican Candidate Contact Information:SAM BROWNBACKhttp://www.brownback.com/s/Contact/tabid/108/Default.aspxJIM GILMORE(703) 942-8110 info@gilmoreforpresident.comRUDY GIULIANIwebteam@joinrudy2008.comMIKE HUCKABEE(501) 324-2008 information@explorehuckabee.comDUNCAN HUNTER(619)463-3896 bre@gohunter08.comJOHN McCAIN(703) 418-2008 http://www.johnmccain.com/Contact/RON PAUL(703) 248-9115 mail@ronpaul2008.comMITT ROMNEY(857) 288-6400 info@mittromney.comTOM TANCREDO(703) 255-9898TOMMY THOMPSON(515) 4225100 info@tommy2008.com End Poverty, c4, Free Basic Education, Fund the Fight, Protect the Children, Stop HIV: ABC and Beyond, Stop the Violence, Strengthen Health Systems, Treat the People 2007-06-12T20:50:00-05:00 http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/index.php/site/action032807/ http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/index.php/site/action032807/#When:15:50:00Z Worldwide, women and girls are at disproportionate risk of HIV. Contact your Representative today and urge them to co-sponsor the Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth (PATHWAY) Act of 2007.Contact your Representative today and demand that he or she co-sponsor the Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth (PATHWAY) Act of 2007. The Issue Take Action! What to Say Talking Points Background THE ISSUE: For four years now, the US global AIDS program has been required to spend a minimum of one-third of all funding for the prevention of HIV on abstinence-until-marriage programs that have been overwhelmingly rejected by the international public health community as ineffective. This requirement means that rather than funding comprehensive prevention programs that enable all people to make safe choices that reflect the reality of their lives, the US is funding ideologically driven programs that leave people at risk of HIV. These programs fail to address the critical factors—such as early marriage, violence against women and children, and lack of access to information, skills and tools to practice safer sex—that drive extremely high rates of infection among married women and adolescent girls throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The PATHWAY Act would both remove the one-third abstinence-until-marriage spending requirement (known as the "abstinence earmark") and require the US government to develop a comprehensive and integrated HIV prevention strategy that addresses the vulnerabilities of women and girls. Your Representative needs to hear from you about the PATHWAY Act today! TAKE ACTION! Call your Representatives today and ask him or her to co-sponsor House Resolution 1713, the PATHWAY Act of 2007. To reach your members of Congress, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to speak to your Representative’s office. (If you don't know who your Representative is, you can find out here). Or click here to write your Represenatatives.WHAT TO SAY: My name is [ ] and I am a constituent of Representative [ ]. I am calling to urge him/her to co-sponsor House Resolution 1713 the Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth Act, known as the PATHWAY Act. While the US has significantly increased its funding for international HIV programs over the past few years, our prevention policies still don't meet the needs of those most at risk, especially women and girls. The PATHWAY Act, which is co-sponsored by Representatives Barbara Lee and Chris Shays, will go a long way in addressing the HIV prevention needs of women and girls by removing the one-third abstinence-until-marriage earmark. I hope you will take this opportunity to help address the disproportionate impact of HIV on women and girls and co-sponsor this important bill. Remember, you don't need to be an expert to make these calls. Speak from the heart, and know you are making the world a better place. After you've made your call, please email grassroots@globalaidsalliance.org to let us know! TALKING POINTS: • Current US policies do not adequately or effectively address the factors such as violence against women, early marriage, and lack of economic opportunities that leave women at risk of HIV infection. • New infections among women and adolescent girls are rising rapidly and women now make up half of all people infected globally and 60% of those living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. • The PATHWAY Act will remove dangerous ideological restrictions on effective prevention efforts and ensure that all individuals at risk of HIV have access to the skills, information, and tools they need to protect themselves from infection. BACKGROUND: In April 2006, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report about the impacts of the abstinence earmark on the work of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and on country teams receiving PEPFAR funds. Their findings show that the abstinence earmark is hindering the ability of hard-hit countries to respond to local prevention needs. Click here to read a summary of the GAO report or download the full report. PEPFAR, Stop HIV: ABC and Beyond, Stop the Violence 2007-03-28T15:50:00-05:00