Archive for category: Advocacy

Information and news on advocacy.

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5 Ways to Make Your Workout Fight Poverty

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We all know working out is good for us. It makes you feel good and improves your health. But what if your workout could fight poverty as well? Sound too good to be true? It’s not! Here are 5 ways that you can help end poverty with your workout:

1) Charity Miles: This free app will track how many miles you run, walk, or bike and sponsor your efforts. For every mile you run or walk, they’ll donate a quarter, while a mile biking translates to a dime for charity. When you’re done with your workout, you share your success on a social media site and they send the money to a charity of your choice!

2) Run For Charity: This website will help you find a charity to run for. Charity runners use their training and hard work to raise money for the charity of their choice. Charities are extremely supportive of their runners, providing help with registration, training, and fundraising. Some will even have race day events for their runners. This is a great opportunity for runners to put all those miles to good use.

3) Plus 3 Network: This network was created by four guys who wanted to encourage people to get out and ride their bikes more. It has since grown to include all forms of exercise, which you can log on their website. You earn money for charity by logging your activity, so you feel even better about that yoga class or walk around the block.

4) Eco-Friendly Workout Gear: You show yourself some love by working out and staying healthy. Show the earth some love, too, by purchasing eco-friendly workout gear. Be sure to buy your shoes, socks, and clothing from eco-friendly companies like Montrail (shoes), Teko (socks), or Patagonia (clothing). Using reusable water bottles will keep plastic ones out of landfills and save you money. You can also look for secondhand fitness supplies, like weights, treadmills, and exercise balls to cut down on waste.

5) Donate Your Old Workout Gear: That fitness equipment that you just don’t use anymore could help someone else lead a healthier life. You can donate old sports balls, shoes, cleats, and the like to Sports Gifts, which redistributes old workout gear to underprivileged kids. Old tennis balls can go to Rebounces, which restores them and resells them as practice balls, saving space in our landfills. Your old orthotics that helped you get back to the activities you love can be given to Rebounces’ philanthropic organization, Joni and Friends. The nonprofit will give the equipment to disabled or injured people in the developing world.

– Katie Fullerton

Sources: Charity Miles, Plus 3 Network, SparkPeople, Oprah
Photo: DX Foundation

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Barefoot Lawyers Empower the Poor

In the developing world, where education is not guaranteed for all and literacy rates are low, billions of people are denied their legal rights simply because they have no access to information about their rights. Enter the barefoot lawyers, who teach people in their communities how to make the law work for them. BRAC (the one-time Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee) is the world’s largest non-governmental provider of legal aid, whose Barefoot Lawyers share their expertise. After graduating from BRAC’s crash course in law, the all-female band of paralegals teach others in their community how to protect themselves from bribery or false arrest by asking the right questions and knowing what a real arrest warrant looks like. The key to a functioning democracy are laws that protect the citizenry from abuses of power, but if a population is unaware of these legal protections, the protections might as well be null and void. Basic knowledge of legal rights could help widows receive inheritances, settle arguments over dowries, or prevent unlawful detention and exploitation. Legal literacy could help a farmer keep his land and property, or help a community receive compensation after their land and water has been devastated by a mining project. Many go unprotected by the law simply because they do not know how to put it to use. For these reasons, and for the bigger picture of empowering marginalized people to lift themselves out of poverty, organizations like BRAC think legal empowerment is important enough that it should be one of the Millennium Development Goals. Spreading awareness of legal entitlements enables people to access financial programs which could break the cycle of extreme poverty for families who take advantage. As more people are empowered by the law, which is designed to be of service to all citizens regardless of their economic standing, the idea that all people deserve clean water, food, and shelter as a basic human right will grow. – Jennifer Bills Sources: BRAC Blog

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Global Poverty Top 5 Books

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If you are looking to know more about global poverty and modern international issues, the list below will give you a good starting point. Enjoy your reading!

1. Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide (Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn) – Gender Equality

In their latest publication, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn captivate readers with accounts of women across the developing world. The struggles of these women are devastating and immense: more women have been murdered due to their gender than people killed in all of the 20th century genocides combined. Yet, amongst the murder, sexual assault and misogyny that so many women still face in regions characterized by poverty, Kristof and WuDunn have uncovered stories of resilience and hope. Tellingly, the struggle for gender equality simultaneously remains the paramount moral struggle of the 21st century, as well as the greatest source of optimism for the future.

2. Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World (Tracy Kidder) – Public Health

 In a non-fiction biography, Tracy Kidder illuminates the industrious philanthropist and physician Paul Farmer and his transformative work fighting tuberculosis in Haiti. Harvard-educated and a MacArthur “genius,” Farmer works tirelessly as an advocate for those most in need of modern medicine. Intricately and beautifully, Mountains Beyond Mountains conveys the dire medical needs of those living in abject poverty while also illuminating the radical change that can stem from one person.

3. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity (Katherine Boo) – Global Poverty

Having lived in Bombay’s Annawadi slum for three years, Katherine Boo’s newest work illuminates the lives of those who live on the edge of traditional poverty and widespread globalization, a precarious position unique to the 21st century and India. The narrative, which follows the struggles and triumphs of the slum’s residents, uncovers the grace and poignancy in those too often forgotten, those whose real, daily struggles stretch beyond the reach of the Western imagination.

4. The Dragon’s Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa (Deborah Brautigam) – Chinese Politics in Africa

Deborah Brautigam’s latest book on global poverty demystifies the recent upsurge in Chinese aid throughout Africa. The account, which addresses the tendentious, ongoing conversation revolving around the reality of the Chinese involvement, addresses the surplus of opinions concerning the nature of such aid. Brautigam dismisses myths and underscores facts, providing a lucid account of Chinese aid. Instead of simplifying the conversation to a discussion of merely advantageous economics, Brautigam provides intelligent and interesting insights into China as an unexpected philanthropic force.

5. The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It (Paul Collier) – Global Poverty

Written by one of the world’s foremost experts on African economies, Paul Collier transforms the traditional way in which readers think about global poverty and aid. Collier’s solutions, many of which revolve around empowerment and domestic sustainability, captivate and motivate. Imbued with a wealth of information, The Bottom Billion is an essential text for anyone involved in the struggle against global poverty.

– Anna Purcell

Sources: NY Times, Huffington Post, The Guardian
Photo: Global Fusion

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What is Venture Philanthropy?

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Venture philanthropy originated in the mid-1990s in the United States and began spreading through Europe around 2002. It is largely modeled after venture capitalism, in which professional investors use third-party funds to help startup businesses get off their feet.

In a similar way, venture philanthropists use their influence and skills to provide charities or socially minded enterprises with financial and non-financial aid. Venture philanthropy is often undertaken by organizations, which lend support to anywhere from 3 to 15 charities or socially conscious businesses. Individuals, families, and institutions usually provide the organizations’ funds.

The venture philanthropy movement originally began as an alternative to traditional philanthropy, in which high-quality nonprofits are given capital and room to work as they see fit.

Meanwhile, venture philanthropists are much more highly involved. Beyond just donating significant amounts of money, they may hold positions as board members or offer skills-based donations, such as business planning or executive coaching.

According to a 2004 report by Venture Philanthropy Partners, small and local nonprofits often lack the support they need. They can, therefore, be significantly helped by venture philanthropy, which provides long-term financial support, strategic advice, and helpful professional connections.

Depending on the goal of the philanthropy, and the types of organizations supported, venture philanthropists often choose to give in different ways. While some organizations dole out non-returnable grants seen as investments with only social returns, others use various types of loans to help charities or social enterprises get started and continually grow. Once these loans are repaid, the money is reinvested in another organization or startup company.

Venture philanthropists also generally commit to multi-year support at a substantial level, with the goal of financial independence once funding ceases. Additionally, venture philanthropists aim to improve the long-term viability of their investees by funding core operating expenses, rather than individual projects or programs.

Finally, venture philanthropists highly emphasize results and good business practices. They generally hold their recipients to high accountability and management standards, and expect goals to be achieved. This highlighting of measurable outcomes is one of the more obvious similarities between venture philanthropy and venture capitalism.

Venture philanthropy allows donors to become highly invested while working with charities and social entrepreneurs. It also provides many organizations, especially small and local ones, with the long-term and varied assistance they need.

By providing an alternative to hands-off donations, venture philanthropy encourages people to actively change the world around them. It has possibly even substantially widened the range of people becoming philanthropists by appealing to a field of entrepreneurs whose experience and expertise can be valuable assets to charities and socially conscious startup businesses.

Venture philanthropy offers a unique and very often successful approach to improving our society and the world, and should therefore enjoy continued support.

– Katie Fullerton
Sources: Social Innovations Europe, Forbes, Slate, Venture Philanthropy Partners
Photo: Francis Moran

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Arrive Alive by Chevron Drives Home Road Safety

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According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.24 million people die every year on the world’s roads. As well as 20 to 50 million incur nonfatal injuries as a result of road traffic crashes. The WHO report, ‘Global Status Report on Road Safety 2013: Supporting a Decade of Action,’ attributes road traffic casualties to be the eighth leading cause of death globally with an impact similar to that caused by many communicable diseases, such as malaria.

Current trends suggest that, by 2030, traffic accidents will become the fifth leading cause of death unless urgent action is taken. While the report offers recommendations that focus on legislative reforms, there are also corporate examples, like that of Chevron’s, which help promote awareness of road safety.

Road traffic deaths are the leading cause of death for young people aged 15–29 years, and as a consequence, take a hefty toll on those entering their most productive years. Economically disadvantaged families are hardest hit by both direct medical costs and indirect costs such as lost wages that result from these injuries.

At the domestic level, road traffic injuries result in considerable financial expenses, especially to developing economies. “Road traffic injuries are estimated to cost low- and middle-income countries between 1–2 percent of their gross national product, estimated at over US$ 100 billion a year,” which is a serious impediment to poverty eradication.

Only 28 countries, representing 449 million people (7 percent of the world’s population), have adequate laws that tackle all five risk factors for road traffic (speed, drunk driving, helmets, seat-belts and child restraints).

The WHO report recommends that all governments enact legislation to make the roads safer and invest money and human resources to help enforce those traffic laws. Pedestrian safety should also be considered when planning for infrastructure.

The Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) is an organization supporting the WHO report. Its role is to create and support multi-sector road safety partnerships that are engaged with front-line, good practice, road safety interventions in countries and communities throughout the world. The partnerships include businesses. Current business partners with the GRSP include Bridgestone, Michelin, BP, Chevron, Honda, Shell, Nestle and Toyota.

Many businesses support road safety to benefit their corporate image, to develop new markets through demonstration projects, or to brand their products as safe. Also, corporate sponsorships have been used for social marketing campaigns to increase the public’s awareness of road safety. In the end, businesses benefit from the lower costs associated with fewer road crashes and safer driving practices.

One American company, Chevron, has implemented what they call the Arrive Alive program. The program strives to protect people living in high-risk areas from traffic related injuries and fatalities.

Depending on the country’s needs, Chevron will form a coalition between non-profit organizations, other companies and the local government. The Arrive Alive coalitions have made significant strides on two continents and in four countries since its inception in 2004.

A coalition in Nigeria founded in 2006 advocated for stricter regulations on okada (motorcycle) riders. That year, laws went into effect to regulate the operation of okadas.

To address the 12,000 lives lost annually on South Africa’s roadways, Chevron formed another coalition to implement a publicity campaign aimed at the most vulnerable pedestrian population – youth and teens. Extensive use of poetry in print, radio and billboard communication directed messages towards youth about irresponsible road behavior and its consequences.

– Maria Caluag
Sources: WHO, GRSP, Chevron
Photo: My Legal World

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InterAction 101

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InterAction is an alliance of 180 U.S.-based international organizations, predominantly NGOs, which work around the world to aid the poor. InterAction brings these organizations together to capitalize on their collective resources, mobilize members, and serve as the premiere thought leader in the NGO community. InterAction’s mission is to eliminate extreme poverty, uphold human rights, safeguard a sustainable planet, and ensure human dignity for poor and vulnerable populations.

InterAction is the largest coalition of NGOs in the United States. Through collaboration and transparency, InterAction partners support one another. According to Samuel Worthington, president and CEO of InterAction, “As development shifts toward multi-stakeholder partnerships, U.S. international NGOs are an important ally to reduce suffering and combat global poverty. The many participants in development aid bring different perspectives to the table and use varying means to achieve their goals. Many of these approaches complement each other; but to ensure efficient and flexible development programs, governments, NGOs, and the private sector must build effective partnerships.” In addition, InterAction holds their partners accountable, not only to donors, but also to the general public. Upon membership with InterAction, partner organization are held to high standards of accountability and compliance with international aid effectiveness.

InterAction’s programs focus on international development, accountability, humanitarian action, and policy and action.

International Development: Programs related to international development are intended to uphold the standards of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and aid effectiveness principles. Such programs require participation from the private sector, governments, and citizens. One program, Post-2015, has studied the effectiveness of the MDGs and offered suggestions to the United Nations as to what should be done after 2015 to address extreme poverty.

Accountability & Learning: Programs related to Accountability and Learning empower citizens, governments and NGOs with up-to-date data related to program effectiveness and scope. InterAction believes that, by empowering citizens and NGOs with transparent and easily-accessible data, they can improve NGO programs and ultimately make them more efficient. Such programs include NGO mapping, PVO standards, and regular monitoring & evaluation.

Humanitarian Action: InterAction’s Humanitarian Action programs are guided by the principles of human dignity, neutrality, independence and impartiality. Without taking into account race, gender, ethnicity or political affiliation, humanitarian efforts can save lives and alleviate poverty. InterAction supports NGO humanitarian work by offering a framework for consultation, coordination and advocacy in such situations. In the past, InterAction partners have responded to crises on the Ivory Coast, Liberia, and the Horn of Africa. In June, InterAction pledged to invest $750 million in nutrition programs over the next five years. The program focuses on the critical first 1,000 days of a child’s life in which they are most vulnerable from malnutrition. InterAction estimates that for every dollar invested, $138 will be generated from improved health and increased productivity.

Policy & Advocacy: In addition, InterAction supports the policy and advocacy efforts of their partner NGOs by encouraging substantial US government investment in humanitarian aid. InterAction’s lobbyists and policy experts advocate for Budget and Appropriations, Foreign Assistance Reform, Development Policy and G8/G20. One such campaign, known as Not Just Numbers, seeks to counter the recent budget cuts to the State, Foreign Operations (SFOPs) bill. The bill, which was recently unveiled in the House of Representatives, cuts Foreign Aid by 15% from 40.1% to only 34.1%. The social media campaign, which can be found at #NotJustNumbers, seeks to get the Senate foreign aid fund allocation higher than it has been proposed in the House.

– Kelsey Ziomek

Sources: InterAction ThousandDays.org Post2015hlp.org

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The Borgen Project Advocates for Foreign Aid

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Today, The Borgen Project team paid a visit to Congressman McDermott’s district office in Seattle. They advocated for a stronger international affairs budget, passing the Food Aid Reform Act and the Electrify Africa Act, and other issues related to global poverty.

Laurie Goodman, a PR Intern, said, “This was my first time lobbying in a congressional office and it was a great experience. I definitely suggest that others to contact their local leaders.”

The Borgen Project encourages everyone to schedule a meeting with their local congressional offices and advocate for eradicating poverty.

– Abby Stewart 

Top Five Mahatma Gandhi Quotes

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Often referred to as “Father of the Nation,” Mahatma Gandhi is frequently credited for India’s establishment as an independent nation and its liberalization from British colonial rule. Despite being the son of a prominent state official, Gandhi would go on to reject the system in which he was raised. During his employment at a South African law firm, Gandhi worked to secure basic rights for mistreated Indian immigrants. From then on, he employed nonviolent means of civil disobedience through his concept of “devotion to truth.”

Reminiscent of the lead-up to the American Revolution, Gandhi strategically focused on protesting the British monopoly on India’s salt industry to slowly dismantle the clutches of imperialism. In the spring of 1930, he and over 70 followers marched by foot for nearly one month to the seaside village of Dandi. Once he reached his destination, Gandhi famously extracted salt by boiling water from the Arabian Sea, showcasing the injustice of British laws prohibiting Indians from producing their own salt. Through this simple act, Gandhi inspired millions across India to break the salt tax law by foregoing British salt and running cottage salt production industries. For transgressing the law and influencing countless others to do the same, Gandhi was arrested, which resulted in both domestic outcry and international attention. Upon his release from prison, he resumed working towards Indian secession from the British colonies, which was finally realized in 1947.

Known as a soft-spoken and kind-hearted man, Gandhi was nonetheless revered as a tenacious political activist. His emphasis on nonviolence influenced Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement and Nelson Mandela in his fight to end apartheid in South Africa. His legacy resonates in the hearts of millions to this day, serving as a constant reminder of the importance of acting upon one’s beliefs. In the same vein, Gandhi’s political and philosophical discourse continues to serve as an indispensable well of wisdom for individuals standing up against global poverty today. They justify exercising one’s political voice to secure a decent standard of living for all in the face of systematic roadblocks and personal misgivings.

  1. “The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.”
  2. “A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.”
  3. “A ‘No’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please—or worse—to avoid trouble.”
  4. “To deprive a man of his natural liberty and to deny to him the ordinary amenities of life is worse than starving the body; it is starvation of the soul, the dweller in the body.”
  5. “When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall – think of it – always.”

– Melrose Huang

Sources: Gandhi Research Foundation, BBC, Famous Quotes and Quotations, Brainy Quote, Emory University
Photo: James Autcher

 

Read global poverty quotes and humanitarian quotes

 

 

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Friends of the Global Fight

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Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, better known as “Friends”, is an advocacy organization that is working to expand and sustain U.S. support for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The Global Fund was created in 2002 to support countries and programs in the fight against the three pandemics. From those distributing mosquito nets to protect families from malaria in Honduras, to those training peer counselors of teenagers diagnosed with HIV in South Africa, partners in tackling the deadly infectious diseases get support from the Global Fund. Friends has grown to become the leading source of information about the Global Fund in the United States, becoming its much needed voice in Washington, D.C.

Friends shares information with policy leaders and decision makers on the direction the Global Fund takes and the achievements it makes. Friends also ties together the two organizations’ communications and education goals by providing the Global Fund’s Secretariat, based in Geneva, Switzerland, with legislative counsel and strategic direction. Through these efforts, Friends is able to foster collaboration and mutual support between the Global Fund and the U.S. government’s AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria efforts.

As of December 2012, the Global Fund had approved about $23 billion in grant funding. These resources are provided to in-country partners that have donated HIV/AIDS treatment to 4.2 million people, detected and treated 9.7 million cases of tuberculosis, distributed over 310 million insecticide-treated nets, and reached 1.7 million HIV-positive mothers with services to prevent transmission to their children. Overall, efforts around the globe have reduced tuberculosis deaths by more than 40%, HIV incidence by more than 20%, and malaria deaths in Africa by 33%. In turn, communities have stabilized, human rights have improved, economic productivity has increased, and partnerships have been built.

Friends of the Global Fight was founded in 2004 to help advocate on behalf of the world’s largest public health financier. Since its founding, Friends has played a significant role in helping the Global Fund to increase funding from the U.S. government over the past few years. U.S. support for lifesaving programs increased from $345 million in FY2005 to $1.65 billion in FY2013. The following are just a few of the milestones that have led to Friends’ success:

  • 2004 – Philanthropist Ed Scott and Adam Waldman found Friends, led by well-known D.C. influencer Jack Valenti
  • 2004 – The U.S. Congress approves $435 million for the Global Fund for FY 2005
  • 2006 – The U.S. Congress approves $724 million for the Global Fund for FY 2007
  • 2008 – Friends collaborates with congressional office to facilitate the Global Fund’s Access to Life photo exhibit at the African American Museum and Library in Oakland, California and at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
  • 2008 – The U.S. Congress approves $1 billion for the Global Fund for FY 2009
  • 2010 – The U.S. Administration makes an unprecedented pledge of $4 billion to the Global Fund for FY 2011 through FY 2013
  • 2010 – The U.S. Congress approves $1.05 billion for the Global Fund for FY 2011.
  • 2012 – Friends hosts highly attended event on Capitol Hill highlighting the Global Fund’s public-private partnerships with Coca-Cola, Chevron, (RED) and PEPFAR.
  • 2012 – Friends hosts high-level dinner timed during the International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C, resulting in a total U.S. contribution of $1.3 billion to the Global Fund for FY 2012
  • 2012 – The U.S. Congress approves $1.65 billion for the Global Fund in a continuing resolution for FY 2013
  • 2013 – Friends hosts Dr. Mark Dybul for his first official visit to the U.S. after his appointment as the new Executive Director of the Global Fund, planning and executing a four day roll-out in Washington, D.C., that included meetings and events with the U.S. Congress, the Administration and the global health advocacy community
  • 2013 – The House and Senate State and Foreign Operations appropriators allocate $1.65 billion for the Global Fund in their bills for FY 2014, a record funding level in the House

– Ali Warlich

Sources: Friends of the Global Fight, The Global Fund

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What is The Hunger Project?

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The Hunger Project is an international nonprofit devoted to ending hunger sustainably by giving those in need the tools and power to ensure their own wellbeing and a healthy future for their children. The Hunger Project operates in 11 countries and is backed by Partner Countries in the developed world who fundraise and support developing country programs. The Hunger Project was established in 1977  in response to the new awareness raised about hunger by the Rome World Food Conference.

The Hunger Project was designed to be a ‘strategic’ organization that evolved in response to the changing battle against hunger. Three key concepts reinforce The Hunger Project’s fight to end poverty and hunger.

  1. Mobilizing people at the grassroots level to build self-reliance.
  2. Empowering women as key change agents.
  3. Forging partnerships with local government.

These elements support initiatives such as building community centers, creating a microfinance program, focusing on maternal and childhood nutrition, and battling HIV/AIDS.

Included in its key concepts is a focus on empowering women. The Hunger Project proudly espouses the belief that women effect positive and sustainable change. For instance, The Hunger Project’s branch in Australia leads numerous initiatives to provide women in villages in Africa, India, and Bangladesh with the ability to join together to successfully run businesses and become involved in local politics. As women develop leadership skills and develop a voice in the community, larger scale change becomes possible.

The Hunger Project not only leads anti-poverty and anti-hunger initiatives but also evaluates the results of these programs to provide involved organizations with useful data for better project implementation. The organization has a participatory monitoring and evaluation program and also hires external evaluators on occasion. The Hunger Project believes it is an integral part of fighting poverty and hunger to help communities assess their own programs to end hunger and evolve as necessary.

– Zoë Meroney 

Sources: The Hunger Project, Daily Life
Photo: The Wild