Be a Hero, Make a Phone Call

Voicing your opinion on global poverty to your congressional leader is easier than you might think; all it takes is a 30-second phone call. Call your local legislator's office, tell them your name, and let them know that you are interested in in increasing funding for global poverty. The person answering the phone will write down your message, and later present it to the congressional leader. If more people call about the same issue, the legislator will see it as more of a priority, so encourage your friends and family to do the same. Visit our website to find the phone number of your legislator, and learn more about how to make a Hero Call.

Progress in Fight Against HIV/AIDS

Researchers trying to find a way to protect women from the AIDS virus said this month that they had the first evidence that protective gels might work. The two studies, however, also show that men who take powerful anti-HIV drug cocktails may still pass the virus on, even if it cannot be found by blood tests. The studies presented at a meeting of AIDS experts in Canada show slow progress in finding ways to slow the pandemic of the deadly virus, which infects 33 million people globally and has killed 25 million.

Source: Reuters

$100 Million Donated to Finding AIDS Vaccine

This month, Phillip Terrence Ragon and his wife, Susan, pledged $100 million to create a new institute to develop an AIDS vaccine. The Ragon Institute will draw in scientists from MGH, Harvard, and MIT, with AIDS specialist Dr. Bruce D. Walker at the helm. Ragon travelled with Dr. Walker in 2007 to Durban, the South African city where about 60 percent of pregnant women coming to clinics in and around Durban were infected with HIV, and one-third of their babies were born with the virus. Ragon, a high-tech tycoon "was as excited by the immense possibilities as he was shocked by the suffering he saw." Says Dr. Walker of South Africa and the AIDS situation: ""Every time I go there I see opportunities for us to do something that can have a significant impact. It keeps pulling me back...For the amount of effort and investment, the impact is so great in terms of being able to make a difference."

Source: Boston Globe

Play a Part in Solving World Hunger, Literally

FreeRice is a free online quiz game in which every correct answer you give provides 10 grains of rice to the UN World Food Program. You can sharpen your skills in various subjects such as vocabulary, foreign language, chemistry, math, and even art. At the same time, you would be donating food to people in impoverished countries. The rice is paid for by sponsors of the website; every time somebody answers a question, a sponsor banner appears at the bottom of their screen. This generates the money that is then used to purchase rice. The website also encourages people to make individual donations and provides ideas on other ways to help end world hunger.
Source: FreeRice

Political Priorities by the Numbers

$533.7 billion: Department of Defense Budget, as outlined in President Obama's 2010 plan.
$30 billion: Annual shortfall to end world hunger.

2010 Budget Outline Addresses Foreign Aid

President Obama just released his 2010 budget outline, in which he emphasizes the importance of increasing foreign aid to developing countries:

"By increasing foreign assistance the United States will reach out to the global community and renew its role as a leader in global development and diplomacy. Through increased foreign assistance funding, the United States will embark on several new initiatives that will give children in the poorest countries access to education ensuring they can participate in the global marketplace; foster global food security through sustainable agriculture; expand goodwill and inspire service by increasing the size of the Peace Corps; and stabilize post-conflict states, creating room for them to plant the seeds of democracy."
Source: ONE Blog

Health Education

USAID has been working with the Ministry of Health in countries such as Guatemala to educate people about monitoring the health of young children, promoting nutrition, and preventing disease. The program trained health volunteers, who in turn have used pictures and photos to teach their communities of low-literate people. These efforts have resulted in a significantly reduced rate of malnutrition, illness and death.
Source: USAID

President Adresses Poverty

In last night's address to Congress, President Obama challenged the US to be an example for the rest of the world. As other countries observe our actions closely, we cannot ignore important issues such as poverty:

"To meet the challenges of the 21st century – from terrorism to nuclear proliferation; from pandemic disease to cyber threats to crushing poverty – we will strengthen old alliances, forge new ones, and use all elements of our national power… As we stand at this crossroads of history, the eyes of all people in all nations are once again upon us – watching to see what we do with this moment; waiting for us to lead."

Read the full text of his speech here.

Doing Well by Doing Good

Private companies that devote themselves to helping the world’s poor are rare. Yet Vestergaard-Frandsen has done just that and prospered in doing so. The company's products like PermaNet, a mosquito net impregnated with insecticide; ZeroFly, a tent tarp that kills flies; and the LifeStraw (pictured above), a filter worn around the neck that makes filthy water safe to drink, are used in refugee camps and disaster areas all over the third world.

Source: New York Times

"Slumdog Millionaire" Steals the Show

Audiences across the country choked up with emotion while watching Slumdog Millionaire portray the tough life of a young boy living in one of India's poorest neighborhoods. Those who had seen the movie were not surprised when they watched this year's Oscars, as the film outshined countless star-studded box office hits by earning 8 awards. Some argue that the movie is an inaccurate portrayal of the poverty in India because the likelihood of somebody escaping it is almost nonexistent. However, Director Danny Boyle explains that he was not intending to make an informative, factual documentary. Although the movie is for entertainment purposes, one cannot ignore the fact that it does actually shed light on some of the major issues faced by a country struggling with poverty. Hopefully this unexpected success will encourage more people to take a stand against poverty.
Source: NY Times

Record- Breaking Grocery Bill

In 2008, the World Food Programme (WFP) has purchased a record-breaking 552,000 metric tons of food in southern Africa, spending US$190 million on cereals, pulses, vegetable oil, corn-soya blend, salt and sugar. This is the equivalent of providing 2.75 million hungry people with a full food basket for an entire year. The previous record was in 2005, when the WPF spent US$100 million on 500,000 metric tons of food. “At a time of high food prices, buying in southern Africa has still proven to be both cost efficient as well as extremely effective in supporting small farmers and traders and stimulating local agricultural economies,” said Mustapha Darboe, WFP Regional Director for Southern, Eastern and Central Africa.
Source: WFP.org

Global Food Security Act (S. 384)

On February 5th, Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana (along with co-sponsors Robert Casey of Pennsylvania and Richard Durbin of Illinois) introduced the Global Food Security Act of 2009 (S. 384) into the U.S. Senate. The Act would fund long-term agricultural development, establish and fund partnerships between U.S universities and universities in the developing world, and provide immediate assistance to combat the current food crisis. The Global Food Security Act creates a Special Coordinator for Global Food Security within the Executive Office of the President, requires that the President (acting through the Special Coordinator) develop a Global Food Security Strategy, and establishes USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) as the lead agency coordinating all food security efforts of the U.S. Government. The Act also requires annual reports from USAID to Congress, and requires that the GAO (Government Accountability Office) audit each of those reports.

Call your congressional leaders in support of the Global Food Security Act.

Piped Water System in Senegal

A partnership between the Millennium Villages project, JM Eagle, and PEPAM (the Senegalese government agency responsible for meeting the water and sanitation targets) has recently finished working on installing an underground piped water system in Senegal. JM Eagle, the world's largest plastic pipe manufacturer, has donated and delivered PVC water pipes for the project. A total of 31,000 people (99% of the population in the region) now have access to better drinking water. Rather than spending half their day traveling 5km per day to get water, women can now spend more time working or with their families. This project is a big step towards accomplishing the seventh Millennium Develoment Goal, environmental sustainability.
Source: Millennium Promise

Campaign to Increase U.S. Foreign Aid

Bread for the World launched its 2009 Offering of Letters Campaign aimed at making U.S. foreign assistance more effective in serving the world's poor and hungry people. More than 1,400 churches throughout the United States will participate in the campaign this year. As part of worship service or mass, congregations will write letters to Congress in support of legislation that will benefit poor and hungry people in the United States and abroad. Said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World: "Congress must ensure that global development is as prominent as defense and diplomacy as instruments of U.S. foreign policy. This will create a better, safer world...Currently, U.S. global development policies and programs are scattered across 12 departments, 25 different agencies, and nearly 60 government offices. A more efficient foreign assistance system -- with better coordination, better accountability, and better clarity -- means that people will get help faster and more effectively."
Offering of Letters Campaign