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NEWSLETTER
2ND EDITION, APRIL 2004
Welcome to our second newsletter, and also to the first birthday of the African AIDS Task Force of the First Unitarian Church, now the UU Global AIDS Coalition! Our small but determined group has had an epic year. Look at what we have achieved: We brought the issue of Global AIDS to the attention of UU's throughout the country by passing an Action of Immediate Witness at General Assembly; we have a web site to promote our message and we have worked with Zimbabwe Artists Project starting what so far as we know is the first grass roots Unitarian project to bring hands on support to a community confronting the detrimental effects of the epidemic.
The intent of this newsletter is to reach at least three groups:
· church members who support our work but do not have time to attend meetings: to give them an easily accessible overview of what is happening in the world of Global AIDS and information on where to look for more information;
· Unitarians in other congregations: to let them know what we are doing, encourage them to get involved and to offer our support reaching out within their own church;
· others, including other AIDS activists, to let them know what we are doing.
Most important, please use the "Contacts and Links" section on the last page, and thank you for your interest and support!
CONTENTS:
1. HIV- HOPE IS VITAL
2. AIDS ORPHANS: HELP IS ON THE WAY
3. CURRENT GLOBAL AIDS FUNDING ISSUES
4. ZAP-WEYA UPDATE
5. CONTACTS AND LINKS
HIV - HOPE IS VITAL
In a recent speech, Tommy Thompson, US Secretary for Health and Human Services and chair of the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, claimed that we are losing the war on AIDS. And the statistics are indeed daunting:
· 8000 deaths per day (3 MILLION per year)
· 40 million already infected with HIV, 75% in Africa
· 25 million orphans in Africa by 2010.
But while it will take all of us, and especially those of us who live in the US, we CAN win! We know that AIDS is treatable, and that it is preventable. Countries such as Brazil and Uganda have had dramatic success in lowering the rate of infection and the number of deaths. Some of the most powerful people in the world are taking the lead. To showcase an unlikely triumvirate, President Bush gave in to pressure and promised $15 billion to fund his Global AIDS Initiative; Ex-President Clinton has been working with drug companies and has brokered remarkable deals to bring low cost drugs to millions; Oprah Winfrey has used her visibility and wealth to dramatize the plight of AIDS orphans.
They are involved because of the work of thousands of activists who speak out, call and write letters and say that something must be done. It takes persistence and determination on the part of all of us to make these advances. Remember our motto: HIV stands for HOPE IS VITAL! For those afflicted by the epidemic, help us make hope a reality.
AIDS ORPHANS: HELP IS ON THE WAY
SUPPORT HR4061!
An increasingly distressing aspect of the AIDS epidemic is the effect on children who lose their parents. Already in Africa alone there are over 12 million orphans, and numbers there are projected to more than double by 2010. National and international attention is being directed to what can be done to help these children. Of particular promise are efforts to ensure that vulnerable children, especially girls, can continue to attend school.
Research shows that every additional year in school is correlated with lower rates of HIV infection. And eliminating fees has already been shown to work. Kenya dropped fees in January 2003 and has seen an additional 1.3 million kids show up in school. Uganda used debt relief money to eliminate fees and has had 40 - 50% more kids show up. Tanzania's school population has grown from 1.4 million in 2000 to 3 million today for the same reason.
Its not just the obvious benefits of additional education. Being in school means kids hear prevention messages, and that they can benefit from adequate nutrition. And if they do not have to pay fees, they avoid the pressure to sell their bodies to pay school fees. Most of all its what the parents and the kids themselves say they need. A survey in Rwanda of widows from the genocide shows that their single biggest concern is who will pay school fees for their children.
International institutions such as the World Bank and IMF have contributed to the problem by encouraging impoverished countries to impose school fees as a way to free up money for debt repayment. As Sara Sievers, Executive Director of the Columbia University Center for Globalization and Sustainable Development, said in a recent address, the policy that was meant to aid countries to balance their budget by imposing fees at the local level has led to " a terrible, terrible price for the most vulnerable kids."
Here in Portland, First church members responded generously in December to bring help to AIDS orphans in Weya, Zimbabwe, by contributing to Zimbabwe Artists Project and in particular to pay school fees for orphans to keep them in school. (See related article by Dick Adams).
Several important national and international efforts are underway to address the needs of the huge numbers of children who have lost one or more parents to AIDS, including a major UNICEF campaign to eliminate school fees in impoverished countries.
In the US, Congress HR 4061, "Assistance for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2004," has recently passed the House International Relations Committee and will be making its way through the political process. This bill would ensure a comprehensive approach in our aid programs to orphans and children affected by HIV/AIDS. It includes the following provisions:
- Education programs, which increase school enrollment in developing countries, will be assisted in part by eliminating schools fees. In order to qualify for IMF/World Bank loans, nations have been encouraged to reduce debt and quite frequently one response has been to institute school fees. This has meant that children, especially those affected by HIV/AIDS, do not go to school. School fees must be eliminated in order to make school attendance widely available.
- School food programs will be assisted. These programs provide strong incentives for parents and guardians to send their children to school. Once in school, food programs, especially if provided with take home portions, reduce short-term hunger, improve cognitive functions, and enhance learning, behavior and achievement.
- It provides for the use of generically manufactured pharmaceuticals and will therefore radically increase the number of children treated.
Watch for news of the progress of HR 4061 and other initiatives, and support its passage however you can. Again, remember our motto: HIV stands for Hope is Vital. Keeping kids in school is one of the best ways to keep hope alive in communities devastated by the epidemic.
For further information or to signup for alerts, check our web site or others at:
www.globalaidsalliance.org
www.stopglobalaids.org
www.globalactionforchildcare.org
www.results.org
www.globalactionforchildcare.org
www.results.org
CURRENT GLOBAL AIDS FUNDING ISSUES
THE PRESIDENTS GLOBAL AIDS INITIATIVE: (PEPFAR)
One good thing accomplished by President Bush was to propose and bring to fruition his Global AIDS Initiative. However, while promising to provide $15 billion in funding over 5 years ($3 billion per year), his actual 2004 budget request was for only $2 billion, and it took constant pressure from AIDS activists and supporters to come up with the final 2004 $2.4 billion appropriation. His 2005 budget request is for only $2.8 billion and we will face an even greater battle to maintain this funding as all social services are jeopardized by the Iraq war funding requirements. It will take advocacy efforts at every step of the budget process to obtain the promised level of funding, in spite of the potential of saving millions of lives.
SUPPORT FOR THE GLOBAL FUND
The Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria was founded at the suggestion of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to provide a global community mechanism to coordinate efforts to fight the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. It relies on donations from developed countries, it is very well regarded by the international community and has mechanisms in place to assess programs and ensure good use of funds. The bad news is that donations are about $1.6 billion for 2004, barely 20% of what is needed. The US share is a third, based on our share of world income; yet the 2005 President's budget request is only for $200 million. US insistence on unilateral programs leaves the most effective proven program seriously under funded and instead invests funds in developing new programs and funding mechanisms, duplicating those already in place.
BRAND NAME VERSUS GENERIC DRUGS
Through AIDS Czar Randall Tobias, formerly CEO of Eli Lilly, the pharmaceutical giant, President Bush is accused of caving in to pressure from the pharmaceutical lobby and refusing to allow US funds to be used to buy generic drugs. This means that scarce funds are being used to purchase needlessly expensive drugs, and fewer people can be treated. As an example of what can be done, ex-President Clinton has brokered a deal in agreement with UNICEF, the World Bank and the Global Fund to extend discounted prices to 100 underdeveloped countries. They will pay 38 cents per patient per day for life saving ARV's (antiretroviral drugs) as compared to $1.54 per day, the lowest price for brand name drugs.
While there are legitimate concerns about ensuring that drugs are proven safe and effective, these drugs have already passed the WHO pre-qualification system. US officials are meeting with an international technical committee to develop agreed upon principles for drug approval and, after a period of public input, hope to issue a final document by mid-May, so watch for next steps!
ZAP-WEYA UPDATE
Here is a report on our project to help villagers in Weya, Zimbabwe from Dick Adams, of Zimbabwe Artists Project.
"Things move slowly in Zimbabwe, but they do move, and there is good news to announce. On the third weekend in March my Zimbabwean colleague, John Vekris, was in Weya with Jephias Mundondo, the Director of Family AIDS Caring Trust (FACT). FACT is the organization we're going to be working with on our Weya AIDS project.
This was Mr. Mundondo's first visit to Weya. He and John met with several village headmen and several of the artists and Mr. Mundondo came away saying to John that he believes Weya has the potential to become one of the best projects that FACT has carried out. He found enthusiasm in the community for the project, support from several headmen and artists, and, of course, ZAP's ability to assist with resources.
It appears that FACT will come to Weya to do a formal assessment at the end of this month. According to Mr. Mundondo, this process will include:
1. Information collection though the participatory methodologies and interviewing key informants within the Weya community
2. Analysis of the data collected
3. From the information and process develop HIV/AIDS interventions for the Weya community and give recommendations for implementation."
We of UUGAC are excited to participate and look forward to providing support in the birth of this truly grass roots project.
CONTACTS AND LINKS
HELP US GROW!
We encourage both individuals and congregations to join our coalition. Any individual can sign up to receive the newsletter, but we are especially looking for people agreeable to being the UUGAC contact for their congregation. Besides letting us know that you are out there, we hope that contacts will
· Distribute the newsletter and brochures and perhaps maintain a list of local sign ups.
· Share news of what is happening in their congregation and community.
To receive the newsletter:
Answer this e-mail newsletter, or send an e-mail to apickar@cs.com, with UUGAC newsletter in the title line, and if you are willing to be a contact for your congregation also send your address and size and we will send you a T-shirt with our logo and motto. Also let us know the name and address of your congregation and a few details about size and interests.
Please note: this is not a membership organization and no costs or solicitations are involved, we simply want to spread the word!
KEEP INFORMED
We plan on posting details of our program, copies of our newsletters, links and much more to this website!
USE THE RESOURCES OF THE UUA ADVOCACY OFFICE
The UUA Advocacy Office in Washington does a wonderful job of tracking global AIDS issues and developing resources for congregations. You can sign up for advocacy alerts, find help on their web site, or get personal support from Amelia Rose, legislative assistant for global AIDS issues. (e-mail her at arose@uua.org)
TO SIGN UP FOR UUA ADVOCACY ALERTS
http://www.uua.org/uuawo/new/
TO SEND A CONTRIBUTION FOR THE NEWSLETTER
This newsletter comes out 3 times a year, in January, April and September. The deadline for contributions for the September issue is approximately September 10th.
E-mail Ann Pickar at apickar@cs.com with NL contribution in the title line with contributions or suggestions.
OTHER LINKS
Global AIDS Alliance: www.stopglobalaids.org and www.globalaidsalliance.org
Kaiser network daily reports: www.kaisernetwork.org
Physicians for Human Rights: www.phrusa.org
RESULTS: www.results.org
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