Strategic Acts of Kindness

Last week was “Random Acts of Kindness Week,” a time to encourage people to make life more pleasant for everyone. Organizers at randomactsofkindness.org encouraged actions like leaving positive notes around town and feeding meters for strangers. I would never argue with that notion. The world needs more kindness! But now that the week for random acts is over, I think it’s time to also embrace “strategic acts of kindness.”

Random acts of hatred have risen dramatically in the United States. Our country has seen repeated damage to Jewish cemeteries and bomb threats to Jewish community centers. The highest office of the U.S. has issued unconstitutional travel bans targeting Muslims. People of all kinds of skin tones other than the old Crayola crayon "flesh" color are shouted at to "Go home!" when they've lived in the U.S. their whole lives. Racism, sexism, and xenophobia are becoming increasingly normalized in political discussions and in everyday conversations. 

In the face of such a disturbing reality, we must take powerful actions to protect those who suffer disproportionately in this world because of religion, race, gender, or any number of factors. People of every political stripe are waking up and wanting to have a voice in the direction our country is heading. However, many regular folks don’t have the first idea about how to reach our nation’s decision makers.

That’s where strategic acts of kindness come in. In my former career as an engineer, I found random actions led to random results. Intentional strategy is needed to combat random acts of hatred or – even worse – systematic acts of oppression in our country and around the world.

Bread for the World volunteers handwrite letters to Congress
at church after a Sunday worship service.

What could this sort of organized love look like? Setting aside time each day to call members of Congress to voice your opinion. Holding a meeting with friends to write letters to elected officials. Submitting a letter to the editor. Sitting down with a senator or representative face to face to voice your opinion with respect. In fact, these are the very actions that U.S. representatives and senators consistently report as the most influential ways a constituent can sway their opinion.

If you don’t know how to do these things right now, that’s not a problem. Before I learned how to raise my voice, I was a stay-at-home mom who didn’t even know the names of my senators. I only knew that my community and my world allowed babies in poverty to suffer from poor health and I wanted to help. By getting involved with reputable advocacy organizations like RESULTS, I was able to receive training, support, and inspiration to become a skilled advocate. In time, I learned to effectively advise policy makers, guiding them towards decisions that improve access to education, health, and economic opportunity.

Richard Smiley and I meet with Senator Durbin about
microfinance to help the poorest families of the world.

What could we accomplish together if we could channel outrage and dissent into deliberate actions to change the future in positive ways? The possibilities are endless. Look at the massive problem of global poverty, widely regarded as unsolvable. Years of coordinated volunteer advocacy have pressured the U.S. to partner with other countries on global health, nutrition, and education programs. Since 1990, the number of people living in extreme poverty worldwide has been cut by more than half! With enough engaged citizens creating the political will to stand up for ourselves and people in need, there is no limit to the good we could do.

It is critical that we empower ourselves with the skills needed to speak out to the presidential administration and our members of Congress. Compassionate civic engagement is what our situation demands of us today. Together, we can navigate the combative ugliness of our time by rising above it. It’s time to move beyond the random. We can shape the future by committing to strategic acts of kindness.

This is What Democracy Looks Like

There is a simple and catchy chant haunting my waking thoughts. I heard it echo down Market Street and into Luther Ely Smith Square on the voices of thousands the day after Inauguration Day. One female voice would begin to shout, then women and men alike picked up the call and response chant over and over: “This is what democracy looks like!”

The Women’s March in Washington D.C., here in St. Louis, and in every major American city had the remarkable effect of propelling millions of women out from behind computer screens in their homes and into the streets to look each other in the eyes with common cause. Marchers, media, and members of Congress are now all asking the same questions: “What comes next? What will democracy look like for this group moving forward?”

As Former-President Obama urged in his Farewell Address, “If something needs fixing, lace up your shoes and do some organizing.” In order for a new women’s movement to gain traction and start changing the world, the next step participants will have to take is to march back to their computers armed with newfound inspiration and local networks. Now is the time to do the next scary thing and learn new skills that lie firmly outside of most personal comfort zones. Now is the time to learn how to effectively advocate for all the things worth shouting about.

Late night organizing in a Washington D.C.
hotel. Super glamorous, yeah?

Truly effective advocacy work is hard and unglamorous. It requires making commitments and carving out time from already busy schedules. It means joining groups with people who probably don’t feel exactly the way you do about all things in life. Listening to them, learning from them, and making compromises is necessary to form strong and lasting teams. Organizing with respect and persistence is difficult, but ultimately so much more effective and satisfying than shouting into a cyber abyss alone. New organizers and advocates will need to remember the exhilaration from the march to sustain energy in the rigorous work of organizing and taking actions.

My own dream is for us – no matter where we stand politically – to capture the energy of this moment and transform it into actions that defend human rights and empower women to break the cycle of poverty for themselves and for their children. If we can launch an unprecedented movement of citizen advocacy and hard work to change policies, then it will be a true success for years to come.

My advice to activists is this: Keep in touch with your social media connections and commit to working together in real life. Find people working on the same issues that you are passionate about. Meet face-to-face with each other and connect with a reputable advocacy group to teach you the skills you need. Support each other to overcome inhibitions and get up to speed quickly, so you can train others on how to call Congress and write letters. Learn how to write letters to the editor. And then, finally, take that leap to sit down face to face with your members of Congress and their aides. Unlock your power as a citizen and inspire Congress to work together to change the world. Because this is what democracy looks like.

A meeting of constituents with U.S. Representative Jan Schakowksy

Congress must pass a Child Nutrition bill before it expires in September!

Who is upset that the Child Nutrition Reauthorization (Known as the Health, Hunger-Free Kids Act) is paid for by cuts to SNAP (commonly known as food stamp) benefits? I am. Are you? Then, take action!

This action comes from the Greater Chicago Food Depository, but anyone in any state can send a letter like this to their elected officials using the sample letter as a guide.
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Congress must pass a Child Nutrition bill before it expires in September!

With nearly one in four children at-risk of hunger, it is more critical than ever that Congress works quickly to pass a fully funded Child Nutrition Reauthorization before the current law expires in September. This reauthorization provides an opportunity to improve and strengthen these programs so they better meet the needs of our nation’s children and provide food to children when they need it the most – in the summer, after school and on weekends when children do not have access to school meals.

In early August, the Senate passed its version of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. While the Food Depository is pleased the Senate is moving forward, the Senate-passed bill does not make as robust of an investment in child nutrition programs as the originally introduced House bill makes. The Senate bill is also paid for by cuts to SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamp) benefits, nearly half of which provide food to children. This is not an acceptable child nutrition bill for the House to approve. Anti-hunger advocates across the nation, including the Greater Chicago Food Depository, are urging the House to pass its version of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization that includes substantial funding for child nutrition programs and does not include cuts to SNAP.

Please take action TODAY by urging your House members to pass its version of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization (HR 5504) before the current law expires in September!
Click here to go to the Advocacy Center

Tell Congress: No Woman Should Die During Childbirth

From Amnesty International:


The Improvements in Global Maternal and newborn health Outcomes while Maximizing Successes Act or the "Global MOMS Act" will support activities that help expand access to better quality maternal health services, remove barriers to such services, and ensure that they meet international human rights standards.

Hundreds of thousands of women die each year from pregnancy-related complications. The vast majority of these deaths are unnecessary and preventable, caused by a lack of access to timely, quality health care. These preventable deaths represent violations of essential human rights, including the right to the highest attainable standard of health and the right to freedom from discrimination based on such factors as gender, race, ethnicity, immigration status, Indigenous status or income level.

The Global MOMS Act will make a difference. In some countries, it truly could mean the difference between life and death for a woman. Please urge your Member of Congress to cosponsor this important piece of legislation - and support it when it comes to the floor of the House!


Here is a sample letter you can alter for your own handwritten letter:

Co-sponsor the Global MOMS Act!

Dear Representative,

I am writing to urge you to co-sponsor the Improvements in Global Maternal and newborn health Outcomes while Maximizing Successes Act, or the “Global MOMS Act”. Hundreds of thousands of women die each year from pregnancy-related complications. The vast majority of these deaths are unnecessary and preventable, caused by a lack of access to timely, quality health care. These preventable deaths represent violations of essential human rights, including the right to the highest attainable standard of health and the right to freedom from discrimination based on such factors as gender, race, ethnicity, immigration status, Indigenous status or income level. The Global MOMS Act will support activities that help expand access to better quality maternal health services, remove barriers to such services, and ensure that they meet international human rights standards.

As your constituent, I am asking you to co-sponsor the Global MOMS Act and support it once it comes to the House floor.

Women dying in pregnancy and childbirth is not just a public health emergency, it is also a human rights crisis. Amnesty International has identified obstacles to lifesaving treatment faced by pregnant women around the world. In Peru, poor, rural and indigenous women face language barriers and too few accessible clinics. In Burkina Faso, women die because they cannot reach a health facility capable of treating them or because they arrive too late. In Sierra Leone, pregnant mothers are dying because they are too poor to pay for the treatment they require to save their lives. The United States has an important role to play in supporting developing countries in developing and implementing plans to reduce maternal deaths.

The Global MOMS Act will make a difference. It supports:

-The development of a strategy as part of the Global Health Initiative to reduce mortality and improve maternal and newborn health;

-Improved coordination among U.S. government agencies and existing programs that are currently working to reduce maternal and newborn mortality; and

-Authorization of assistance in proven interventions including family planning, access to skilled care at birth and training professionals in emergency obstetric care.

Two years ago, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution affirming “commitment to promoting maternal health and child survival both at home and abroad through greater international investment and participation” (H.Res.1022 in the 110th Congress). This new bill is an opportunity to match commitment with action. Please make a difference in the lives of millions of pregnant women and co-sponsor the Global MOMS Act.

[Your name]

Call-in Action for Child Hunger

An action about Child Hunger from Bread for the World
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URGENT: Call 1-800-826-368 Today to tell your U.S. representative to support an additional $1 billion per year for child nutrition reauthorization.

Dear Friend,

We urgently need your help this week to convince your U.S. representative to allocate $1 billion a year in new investments for nutrition programs for our children.

So far, the Senate Agriculture Committee passed their version of the Child Nutrition Bill at $450 million annually. We now have to convince the House Education and Labor Committee, which is drafting its version of the Child Nutrition Bill, to find the full $1 billion requested by President Obama.

Today, nearly one in four children in the United States is at risk of hunger, while one in three is obese and overweight. We need adequate funding from Congress—at least $1 billion annually in the next five years—to reverse these trends.

The Child Nutrition Bill will strengthen programs such as school lunches, school breakfasts, summer feeding programs, and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. These are critical in protecting children from hunger and in improving their nutrition. Under current funding, far too many eligible children are not being served. Of the 19.4 million low-income children receiving lunch assistance each school day, only 46 percent receive breakfast assistance and just 11 percent have access to summer food programs.

Representatives James P. McGovern (D-3/MA) and Jo Ann Emerson (R-8/MO) are circulating a letter to their colleagues to show Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-7/CA) that a majority of the House supports a strong child nutrition reauthorization. As of last week, we have 116 signatures but we need at least 218. We only have until noon on Friday, April 30, to get 100 more signatures. Can you make a quick call to help us reach our goal?

Message and Key Points:

Please call your U.S. representative at 1-800-826-3688 by noon, Friday, April 30.

Tell your representative: Please sign onto the Dear Colleague letter being circulated by Reps. McGovern and Emerson in support of an additional $1 billion per year for child nutrition reauthorization.

You can explain your message by adding any or all of these points:

The House Education and Labor Committee will write a child nutrition bill soon. I want you to make sure that at least $1 billion in new funding is provided to strengthen child nutrition programs.
With nearly a quarter of America’s children struggling against hunger and one-third obese or overweight, the time for strong action is now. At least $1 billion per year in new investments in child nutrition programs is needed to reverse these staggering rates.
Child nutrition programs could do far more to reduce hunger and improve nutrition simply by reaching more eligible children. For every 100 children receiving lunch assistance each school day, less than half receive breakfast assistance and only 11 percent access summer food programs.
Thank you for your voice and your support.

Grace and peace.

Education for All Act of 2010 introduced!

Just in time for Global Education Action week, Congress took action on Global Education. Cool!

Reps Nita Lowey (D) and David Reichert (R) introduced HR 5117,the Education for All Act of 2010, calling on the United States to be a leading voice in the call to action for access to basic education for the world's children. The bill seeks to ensure the U.S. provides the resources and leadership to ensure a successful international effort to provide all children with a quality basic education by 2015.

The EFA Act lays out U.S. policy that includes: 1) working with other countries, international organizations, and civil society to assist developing countries and strengthen their educational systems, 2) assisting NGOs and multilateral organizations, and promote education as the foundation for community development.

Please ask your representative to cosponsor this bipartisan legislation for Global Education. You can visit
this link from RESULTS to take action!

Call in to help the Working Poor: Bread for the World

A Call-in Action from Bread for the World:


Our country is focused on taxes this week, so let’s make sure that when Congress works on tax policy, the needs of low-income people aren’t forgotten.

ACTION NEEDED:
Please call your senators and representative at 1-800-826-3688 by 5 p.m., Friday, April 16, and urge them to protect and strengthen key tax credits — the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit.

These tax credits make a big difference for low-income workers and their families.

(Note: This toll-free number will connect you to the Capitol switchboard. Please ask for your senators’ and representative's offices so you can leave your message.)

Explain your message further by adding either or both of these points:

The EITC and CTC are critical to helping working families make ends meet and feed their families. The costs of basic needs have risen while wages have remained largely stagnant.

If Congress does not act to extend the most recent expansions to the EITC and CTC made in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:
-7 million low-income people could lose EITC benefits
- 6 million children will lose the CTC benefit completely, and 10 million children will receive a smaller credit
- More than 1.5 million people -- including nearly 800,000 children -- will fall back into poverty.

Advocacy Actions for Haiti

Many people are wondering..now that we have donated money for Haiti, what more can we do? My answer...advocate for Haiti.

The most direct advocacy help at this time is to focus on debt relief for Haiti. I'm not an expert in debt relief, but I'll take a crack at it and if you see something I say isn't right, please correct me in the comment section. The basic concept of debt relief is this: When a country is so impoverished that it can’t help its people get the basic human needs, if it carries debt on the order of $100M or more, there’s very little hope of recovering that debt. If it is pressured to pay it back, there is very little hope of the people or the country being able to work themselves out of poverty if they have no food, water, health care, education, etc. Haiti is exactly in this situation with $165M debt.

An aspect of this specific to Haiti is the form of emergency aid that Haiti is getting. The IMF (International Monetary Fund) approved a $102M loan for Haiti…not a grant as advocates pushed for. The IMF argues that the loans are much faster to approve than grants and notes that the loans are interest-free.

Many advocacy groups are working to get this debt cancelled especially in light of the earthquake damage. Some good news is that the US (as I understand it) already forgave Haiti it's debt before the earthquake. I think I heard Venezuela is doing the same now.

Here's a summary what has been done by advocacy groups in the US recently:
The ONE campaign sent out an emergency petition via email and delivered more than 150,000 signatures to the IMF to drop Haiti's debt. Several orgs are urging Tim Geithner, Sec of Treasury, to use his influence on the IMF. The orgs were successful in convincing a Rep Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) to circulate a letter around the House of Representatives to go to Geithner saying the same thing.

Here's what you can do. Follow this link and call your Representative and urge them to sign onto the letter to Geithner. The deadline is THE END OF THE BUSINESS DAY IN DC ON MONDAY.

If you're still asking "What else?" I encourage you to take action to support a Global Fund for Education here . You can write to your reps and senators about this, too, using the language from the link. You can also tell your reps and senators to help any efforts to provide our fair share of funding to the Global Fund for Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. It is precisely because Haiti was so impoverished before the quake that it's situation is so dire now. By supporting the creation of an education fund and supporting the health fund in place, other places like Haiti can stand a chance of lifting themselves out of extreme poverty before a tsunami, war, earthquake or other disaster strikes.

Haiti: an advocacy action

Please read the following message from the ONE campaign to learn how your advocacy has a role in the recent Haitian crisis to try to drop the debt of Haiti and ease the burden of its struggling population.

Click here for "Drop Haitian Debt"
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The harrowing images and stories coming out of Haiti are devastating to watch. The incredible outpouring of concern, aid and assistance coming from the United States and all over the world offers hope, but for many of us the question lingers: “What else can I do?”

One way we can help Haitians build a better tomorrow is to convince global creditors to cancel Haiti’s $890 million international debt. Doing so will help make sure that every possible future dollar goes towards rebuilding a stronger Haiti, not to servicing old debts.

Thankfully, the United States has already forgiven Haiti’s past debts and now only gives assistance in the form of grants. We need Haiti’s other creditors—the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and countries like Taiwan and Venezuela—to follow our lead and do the same.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has the power to help make that happen. Please click the link below to join me and send Secretary Geithner this urgent message:

Drop the Haitian Debt!


As Haiti rebuilds from this disaster, please work to secure the immediate cancellation of Haiti’s $890 million debt and ensure that any emergency earthquake assistance is provided in the forms of grants, not debt-incurring loans.

Even before the earthquake hit, Haiti—the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere—faced tremendous challenges. But there was also hope. Recent years have brought a more stable government and tenuous gains in the fight against poverty.

Haiti needs an international effort to make sure that, as it begins the long road to recovery, it is not burdened with unpayable debts. We must also be vigilant that any new aid from the IMF and other sources doesn’t come in the form of loans that would create new debt for Haiti.

It all starts by calling on Secretary Geithner to use his influence to persuade international lending institutions and countries to do the right thing and drop Haiti’s debt.

Take action now:
http://www.one.org/us/actnow/drophaitiandebt/o.pl?id=1398-4187704-pyl0nex&t=3


Thank you,

Sheila Nix
U.S. Executive Director, ONE

Donate to Partners in Health to help Haitian Earthquake victims

Several people have asked for my recommendations for where to donate to help with the earthquake disaster in Haiti. There are many great orgs doing heroic work (Red Cross, UNICEF and Oxfam come to mind), yet because this happened in Haiti in particular, I ask you to consider making a generous donation to Partners in Health.

Partners in Health provides medical care and social services to people in extreme poverty, especially in Haiti which is their flagship project. For many years, they have had hospitals and highly trained medical staff in place there working with a highly successful community-based model. PIH is right now bring medical assistance to areas that have been hardest hit. Because of their position and relationships there, I believe they are extremely well qualified to provide immediate and quality assistance to Haiti. Their founder, Paul Farmer, is the author of Mountains Beyond Mountains and is a powerful advocate for Global Health.

Please donate to Partners in Health

Read on to see a message from their Executive Director:


A major earthquake centered just 10 miles from Port-au-Prince has devastated sections of the city and knocked out telephone communications throughout the country. Reached via email, Partners In Health staff at our facilities in the Central Plateau report that they experienced a strong shock but no major damage or injuries. We are still attempting to establish contact with other PIH facilities and to locate several staff members who were traveling in and around Port-au-Prince.

In an urgent email from Port-au-Prince, Louise Ivers, our clinical director in Haiti, appealed for assistance from her colleagues in the Central Plateau: "Port-au-Prince is devastated, lot of deaths. SOS. SOS... Temporary field hospital by us at UNDP needs supplies, pain meds, bandages. Please help us."

Donate now to support our earthquake relief efforts

The earthquake has destroyed much of the already fragile and overburdened infrastructure in the most densely populated part of the country. A massive and immediate international response is needed to provide food, water, shelter, and medical supplies for tens of thousands of people.

With our hospitals and our highly trained medical staff in place in Haiti, Partners In Health is already mobilizing resources and preparing plans to bring medical assistance and supplies to areas that have been hardest hit.

Both our teams in Boston and Haiti are already mobilizing to deliver resources as quickly as possible to the places where they are needed most.

Donate now to support our earthquake relief efforts

Thank you for your solidarity during this crisis,

Ophelia Dahl
Executive Director - Partners in Health

Senator Burris on Child Nutrition

Hey, Illinois! Want to know how Senator Burris feels about nutrition for women, children and Infants? This is what he wrote back to me when I asked him to strengthen programs like WIC, Summer Food Service Program, and others in light of the Child Nutrition Act (S. 934) which was extended for 12 months without changes to move us forward in the fight to end childhood hunger.

Want to encourage him to live up to his statement that proper nutrition for our nation’s children is an important priority ? Visit the Greater Chicago Food Depository's site at this link.
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Thank you for writing me to share your concerns regarding the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act (S. 934). I appreciate the benefit of your views.

I agree that proper nutrition for our nation’s children is an important priority. The reauthorization of Federal child nutrition programs should remove barriers and improve access to reduce childhood hunger and enhance the nutritional quality and health of the school environment.

The Child Nutrition and Women, Infants and Children Reauthorization Act of 2004, which has been extended temporarily while Congress crafts a new child nutrition package, includes funding for all federal child nutrition programs. Among these programs are the School Breakfast and the National School Lunch Programs, the Summer Food Service Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

I support a full reauthorization of the Act that includes new science-based nutrition standards and also reviews food served in vending machines, school stores, and snack shops. I believe this is a good first step to help all American children stay healthy.

I will continue to listen closely to what you and other Illinoisans have to say about matters before Congress, the concerns of our communities, and the issues facing Illinois and the nation. My job is not about merely supporting or opposing legislation; it is also about bridging the divide that has paralyzed our nation's politics.

Sincerely,

Roland W. Burris
United States Senator

TODAY is Day of Action for Global Education

TODAY is the day to call the White House for Global Education support. This capwiz link should make it very easy and you can let RESULTS know you took the action.

If the link doesn't work, just call 202 456 1414 and ask President Obama to provide $2B for the creation of a Global Fund for Education.

Thank you for taking action to fight poverty today. Feel free to forward this message to others!

Sign Petition for Obama to support foreign assistance

If you agree with this statement - "I strongly support U.S. foreign assistance efforts that alleviate poverty, fight disease, and create opportunity in developing countries" - sign Bread for the World's petition to President Obama:

Right now, President Obama and his senior advisors are preparing recommendations that will shape the future of U.S. efforts to alleviate poverty, fight disease, and create economic opportunity for the world’s poorest people.

Please sign the petition launched by Bread and our partners asking the White House to send a strong signal about America’s commitment to development. We need 150,000 signatures by December 17. Add your name today.

Global Education Day of Action, Dec 10

Three Ways to Take Action for a Global Fund for Education!
On December 10, Human Rights Day, the world will focus on making a Global Fund for Education a reality with a Day of Action. RESULTS has been working to assure access to basic education for all children for a long time and the signs of progress are good.

There are several ways you can ask for U.S. leadership on a Global Fund for Education now, on December 10, and afterward.

1. Call the president on December 10
2. Write your congressperson and ask him/her to speak out.
3. Get a letter to the editor published letting your community know that putting kids in school is smart.

Choose one way or many ways to take action, but make your voice heard. Act now and help get 75 million more kids the primary education they need and deserve for a brighter future.

_____________________________________________

1. Call the President on December 10: President Obama, the Time is Now for a Global Fund for Education!
Forward this action along to schools and other organizations so they are prepared to take action on December 10. We know that school increases income, keeps babies alive, keeps mothers healthy, reduces conflict, reduces HIV/AIDS transmission, empowers women, reduces hunger. What are we waiting for?? Let's thousands of calls to the President that day.

2. Write to Your Members of Congress: Urge Them to Work for Education for All.
Forward this action along too!

3.Write a Letter to the Editor : Create Community Conversation about a Global Fund for Education.
Encourage others to write too.

Go to the RESULTS Education Action pagefor other resources and information to mobilize your community on creating a Global Fund for Education

World AIDS Day Today

Dec 1 is global AIDS day when we can all take action by advocating in support of global AIDS programs. Here are 2 actions I suggest:

1) CALL your Senators to ask for special attention for programs to prevent mother to child transmission and for at least $7.2 Billion in funding for global AIDS programs.
Make a call (courtesy of World Vision)


2) WRITE to President Obama to ask for full funding for the Global Fund to fight AIDS TB and Malaria
Write a Letter (courtesy of RESULTS)

173,045,325 people Stood Up against poverty

From the United Nations Millennium Campaign....
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Dear Fellow Campaigners,
Your passion, commitment and determination have once again inspired a global movement which continues to grow beyond all expectations. You stood up in your cities, towns and villages, in your churches, mosques and temples; you stood in your colleges, schools and homes, on town squares and street sidewalks, you stood together as a global community, not only to shatter the Guinness World record but also to send a powerful message to leaders at the local, national and global level which cannot now be ignored:

"We are more determined than ever to see the Millennium Development Goals become a reality and to end poverty now!"


We know from experience that a significant proportion of activities and events do not get registered in time as many of them take place in remote rural locations with limited internet connectivity. Despite these constraints, over 3000 events spread across 121 countries were registered and more information on the scale of this mobilisation continues to flood in through phone calls, text messages and faxes! More details are at the bottom of this email and on the website www.standagainstpoverty.org.


On behalf of the United Nations Millennium Campaign (www.endpoverty2015.org) I want to thank every one of the thousands of organisers across the world at the local and national levels - social movements, faith groups, NGOs, youth organisations, women's groups, trade unions, civil society coalitions campaigning for the MDGs, local and national governments and the even larger number of volunteers, local groups and individual citizens who made this year's Stand Up and Take Action a resounding success.


We also want to thank the UN system at all levels as well as many of our global partners including the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, Art of Living Foundation, Micah Challenge, Skype, UStream, the ONE Campaign, major media partners at the global and national levels and so many others who played a pivotal role in this unprecedented mobilisation.

Together we have the power to make a difference ...

Now in its fourth year, we have seen the impact that Stand Up is making in people's lives and improving the MDG policies and practises of governments. Providing the space and platforms for ordinary citizens to have their voices heard on issues that matter to them at the national and local level. In both rich and poor countries, citizens have come together, to put the priorities of the poor and excluded groups, firmly on the political agenda and get their own governments to address them. Once again an overwhelming majority of the people who stood up were from poor countries. And as their voices grow louder, they can no longer be ignored. The sharp focus on women's rights, hunger and maternal health (in poor countries) and the elimination of trade-distorting agricultural subsidies (in rich countries) and the specific targeting of Parliamentarians made the Stand Up 2009 messaging more impactful. An outstanding example was the leadership of the Speaker of the All-Party Parliamentary Group in Bangladesh which mobilised citizens in large numbers and joined the Prime Minister in taking an oath to achieve the MDGs by 2015.

We will continue to Stand Up every day until promises to end poverty and achieve the Millennium Goals are delivered ...

Next year in September, world leaders will gather at the UN to review progress on the MDGs. With the strength of over 173 million people telling their leaders that their commitments are being closely monitored, we will take this commitment to those decision makers with renewed energy to convert the strength of these numbers into concrete policy and practice changes in our own local and national contexts. We challenge Heads of State to come to the 2010 MDG Review Summit not just with generalised statements of intent but concrete national action plans for MDG implementation that are focussed on the rights of the poor and excluded, particularly women, to meet the 2015 deadline.

To us, Stand Up once again showed the power of the MDGs in really unifying the different parts of the UN for one common cause and the extent to which the MDGs and the UN system enjoy the confidence of the public at large.

Warmest wishes and once again congratulations on this massive show of people power against poverty and inequality. I hope you will closely follow up with all the partners, organisations and individuals that you helped to mobilise and inspire them further to join our on-going campaign for the MDGs from now to 2015.

Warmest wishes


Salil Shetty

Director

Millennium Campaign

United Nations

salil.shetty@undp.org

Foreign Assistance Call-in Event: S. 1524

An immediate call-in action From Bread for the World. NOTE: Sens Durbin and Burris are not yet co-sponsors!
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We need 25 senators to cosponsor S. 1524, the Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act, when the Senate begins discussing it on September 22.

Please call your senators at 1-800-826-3688 before Tuesday, September 22, and urge him/her to cosponsor S. 1524.

S. 1524 is a bipartisan bill which lays out several initial and important reforms of the U.S. foreign assistance system. If your senator is not a cosponsor please ask for cosponsorship. If your senator is already a cosponsor, please call and thank him/her for supporting this important legislation.

S. 1524 was introduced in August by John Kerry (D-MA), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Richard Lugar (R-IN), ranking member, along with Bob Corker (R-TN), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Jim Risch (R-ID). We need to have at least 25 cosponsors when they meet on Sept. 22. Currently, the bill has 10 cosponsors.

S. 1524 complements H.R. 2139, the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act, introduced in the House in April. (Thanks to your support, we now have more than 100 cosponsors for the House bill). These two bills are key to the success of our 2009 Offering of Letters which urges Congress and the administration to reform U.S. foreign assistance.

While not identical, the Senate and House bills would begin the reform process. S. 1524 will strengthen the badly decimated U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and make all our foreign aid programs more accountable and transparent.


Message and Key Points:

Your main message should be: Please cosponsor S. 1524, the Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act.

You can explain your message further by adding either or both of these points:

-S. 1524 is a strong building block to make our nation’s foreign assistance more effective and accountable. We need you to cosponsor the bill.
-S. 1524 focuses on rebuilding the policy, planning, and evaluation capacity of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID.) It stresses that U.S. policy should be to promote global development, good governance, and the reduction of poverty and hunger.

For more info, visit www.bread.org. Thank you for your support!

"Partnering with the Bottom Billion" Workshop Oct 3

Dear fellow Chicagoland activists:

I'd like to invite you all to an upcoming workshop in Evanston called "Partnering with the Bottom Billion: Seeking Justice in a World in Crisis" on Sat, Oct 3 from 9AM-2PM. It will feature guest speaker, Jim Winkler from the United Methodist Global Board of Church and Society, who will help us focus on people living in extreme poverty as we explore core issues of Peace, Sustainability and Poverty.

The event will also present an advocacy training session. La Vida Davis of Bread for the World staff will teach beginning activists how to write effective letters to elected officials and take the mystery out of phoning a congressional office for a "call-in" event. If you've already mastered those skills, RESULTS will lead the more experienced activists to help you explore the next levels...writing a letter-to-the-editor, asking a question at a town hall meeting, responding to a blog, face-to-face meetings, or whatever else you want to know!

I invite you all to come and be a part of this wonderful, new event! There will be a Methodist perspective presented in some of the sessions, but we are mainly talking about issues affecting people in extreme poverty in an advocacy-focused, non-partisan way. Please also invite your friends who are interested in our issues! More details will follow as materials come out.


What: Workshop called "Partnering with the Bottom Billion: Seeking Justice in a World in Crisis"
Who: First United Methodist Church and YOU!
When: Saturday, Oct 3 from 9AM-2PM
Where: First United Methodist Church of Evanston, 516 Church Street
Price: $12 per person by Sept 21 ($15 after that date) to cover cost of lunch

You'll soon be able to register online at www.faithatfirst.com (click on "The Latest") or call the church ofice at 847-864-6181.

The Girl Effect

"Imagine a girl in poverty. Go ahead, imagine her..."

This short text driven movie helps illustrate how girls in poverty, when given an opportunity, can change the world. Take a look...

The Girl Effect

...and consider these important facts:

- When a girl in the developing world receives 7 or more years of education, she marries 4 years later and has 2.2 fewer children
-Educated girls grow into educated women who have healthier babies and are more likely to educate their own kids
-When women earnn income, they reinvest 90% of it into their famillies as compared to only 30 to 40% for a man
-An extra year of primary school boosts girls' future wages by 10-20%
-An extra year of secondary schoo; boosts girls' future wages by 15-25%

Please visit this website for more important facts and actions to help you improve the health, education and the very lives of girls around the world!

IL Social Services 100% budget...act BEFORE July 14!!

From Ounce of Prevention, a group which provides direct services, research and advocacy on behalf of children in poverty in IL.

"On July 1, the General Assembly failed to pass a tax increase needed to avoid disastrous cuts and adequately fund human services and education for young children. Governor Quinn later vetoed the “50% lump sum budget” and another budget bill to fund general state operations, forcing budget negotiations to continue.
The General Assembly will return July 14 to Springfield. We anticipate that they will attempt to override the governor’s veto of the budget bills and hope they will continue to discuss revenue options, including the income tax. One income tax option is HB174 which was endorsed by the governor, passed by the Senate, and approved by a committee of the House. This bill provides a blueprint for a fair, equitable and permanent solution to avert further budget disaster and restore responsibility to government.

Now is the most crucial time for you to take action! We must urge legislators to accept the governor’s veto and craft a new budget that is fair, responsible, and balanced. If they do not do this, the total meltdown of critical services for the most vulnerable children and families will only worsen."

PLEASE VISIT THIS LINK TO HELP YOU CALL AND/OR EMAIL YOUR STATE REP AND SENATOR BEFORE JULY 14!!!
Advocate Now!

The site will give you:
- Talking points (it will tell you exactly what bills and motions to ask them to oppose or support to get the 100% budget)
- Who your state members of Congress are
- Contact info for them and the opportunity to log your call with Ounce of Prevention (so they can say "Listen, we know exactly how many of your constituents called you to support this! Don't pretend they don't care!!")
- An email tool to send it directly to their offices for you

Even though Ounce of Prevention is about kid's issues, feel free to include your concerns about seniors, too. This is a platform for you to say whatever you want. Don't be scared to call. A call carries more weight than an email. They will not challenge you or grill you. Thank you for caring enough to act!