3Click

Split Personality II

I've made a decision regarding the future of my blogs. I appreciate all the feedback that has come my way; it's been very helpful and thought-provoking. Although the thinking behind 3Click made sense to me at the time (and I liked the name) I've decided to consolidate my thinking, dreaming, rambling, and ranting on Waving Or Drowning.

For those of you who found me via 3Click, I hope you'll make the move to WorD. Please click here to read more on the subject.

Same Old Same Old II

It seems that our earlier fears are coming true...

Catholic Church's Teachings of Abstinence Only 'Fail-Safe' Way To Prevent HIV Spread, Pope Benedict XVI Says
[Jun 13, 2005]

Pope Benedict XVI on Friday in a speech to African bishops said that abstinence and fidelity are the only "fail-safe" ways to prevent the spread of HIV, the AP/Guardian reports. Speaking about the African HIV/AIDS epidemic for the first time since being elected pontiff, the pope said, "The Catholic Church has always been at the forefront both in prevention and in treatment of this illness," adding that "the traditional teaching of the church has proven to be the only fail-safe way to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS" (Simpson, AP/Guardian, 6/10). Although some Catholic clergy have suggested that the use of condoms to curb HIV transmission would be the "lesser of two evils," the pope said contraception is one of many trends contributing to a "breakdown of sexual morality," BBC News reports. "It is of great concern that the fabric of African life, its very source of hope and stability, is threatened by divorce, abortion, prostitution, human trafficking and a contraception mentality," the pope said (BBC News, 6/10). Speaking to senior clergy from South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia and Lesotho, the pope urged the bishops to fight the epidemic that "not only kills but seriously threatens the economic and social stability of the continent" (Reuters AlertNet, 6/10). Benedict XVI's speech was aligned with the position of his predecessor Pope John Paul II, who condemned condom use and encouraged abstinence and fidelity as the only means of halting the pandemic (SAPA/AFP/Independent Online, 6/10). (From Kaiser Network.org)

I had hoped that perhaps the new guy would wait a respectful length of time, and then move the church's archaic and destructive stance on condoms and HIV/AIDS along a little. Instead, this seems like a fairly strong sign of "business as usual" from the Vatican. Sigh.

Cautious Optimism

G8 hammers out debt relief deal for poor nations
Sat Jun 11, 2005 12:19 PM ET

By Sumeet Desai and Brian Love

LONDON (Reuters) - The world's wealthiest countries agreed on Saturday to write off more than $40 billion of impoverished nations' debts in a drive to free Africa from hunger and disease.

The deal was struck by finance ministers from the Group of Eight industrialized nations in London after months of tense negotiations and leaves leaders to consider proposals for doubling aid at a summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, next month.

"We are conscious of the abject poverty that so many countries and individuals face. We're being driven forward by the urgent need to act. We've found ourselves united with a shared purpose," British finance minister Gordon Brown told a news conference.

Link to complete Reuters piece

While Rome Burns

Bush Administration Informs U.S.-Based AIDS Groups They Must Sign Pledge Against Sex Work, Trafficking To Receive Funding
[Jun 10, 2005]

The Bush administration on Thursday officially notified U.S. organizations providing HIV/AIDS-related services in other countries that they must sign a pledge opposing commercial sex work and sex trafficking to be considered for federal funding, USA Today reports (Sternberg, USA Today, 6/10). The policy stems from two 2003 laws, including an amendment to legislation (HR 1298) authorizing the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief that prohibits funds from going to any group or organization that does not have a policy "explicitly opposing prostitution and sex trafficking." The policy originally applied only to overseas groups because the Department of Justice had constitutional free speech concerns in applying it to U.S. organizations. However, DOJ in 2004 reversed itself and said that the administration could apply the rule to U.S. groups (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 2/28). The law was amended last year to exclude multinational groups, including the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and U.N. agencies, according to USA Today. Kent Hill, assistant administrator for global health at USAID, said the Bush administration is enforcing what is required in the 2003 laws. However, Ira Lupu, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University, said the pledge violates the constitutional right to free speech for the organizations and their employees. "You're asking (the organizations) in exchange for federal grants to limit their activities under the grant, to sell off their rights to engage in politically committed expression in support of other activities," Lupu said. Paul Zeitz, head of the Global AIDS Alliance, said, "No one endorses prostitution and sex trafficking. We cannot stop AIDS if we lose the trust of people most at risk of HIV infection and undermine effective, lifesaving programs" (USA Today, 6/10).

News from Kaiser Network.org

Consequences

Broken promises leave three million children to die in Africa
As Blair and Bush close in on deal over debt, UN report reveals human cost

Larry Elliott and Patrick Wintour in Washington
Wednesday June 8, 2005

Three million children will die in the poorest countries of sub-Saharan Africa as a result of the failure of the global community to meet its promise of slashing the death rates of the under-fives by 2015, the UN will reveal tomorrow.

Thanks to Beth for the link.

Bono as Activist

Bono Doubles As Lobbyist for World's Poor
By DONNA CASSATA, Associated Press Writer
Tue Jun 7, 5:45 PM ET

It was a long day's work for Bono, lead singer for the rock band U2 and dedicated lobbyist for the world's poor and AIDS-stricken.

In Boston's FleetCenter on a Tuesday night, Bono and his band — Larry Mullen, Adam Clayton and the Edge — performed for a sold-out crowd, part of their 10-month, multicity tour of Europe and North America. Bono then rushed to the airport, arrived in Washington at 2 a.m. and five hours later set off on a busy schedule, his ubiquitous wraparound shades firmly in place.

The musician joined Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for a State Department lunch and talks about the upcoming meeting of industrialized nations, aid to Africa and the prospects for the foreign operations spending bill.

Link to full article. Thanks to Steve for the heads-up.

Good News?

First, the details:

Bush, Blair Agree To Work With Other G8 Countries on African Debt Relief as Bush Announces $674M in Additional Aid
[Jun 08, 2005]

President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Tuesday pledged to work with other leaders from the Group of Eight industrialized nations to forgive the debt of the poorest African countries and, as expected, Bush announced $674 million in additional humanitarian aid for the continent, USA Today reports (Benedetto, USA Today, 6/8). At a joint press conference during Blair's visit to the White House, Bush announced that the additional aid will be directed toward famine relief in Ethiopia, Eritrea and other African countries and will provide food for approximately 14 million people. The $674 million will come from a USDA food reserve program and from funding provided by a recent supplemental appropriations bill to support ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 6/7). Experts estimate that about 20% of Southern African agricultural workers are expected to die of AIDS-related causes by 2020, which could threaten food production and worsen food shortages (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 5/5). The funds will be directed only to countries that practice good governance, according to Bush (USA Today, 6/8). "I see we've got a fantastic opportunity, presuming that the countries in Africa make the right decisions. Nobody wants to give money to a country that's corrupt, where leaders take money and put it in their pocket," Bush said (VandeHei, Washington Post, 6/8). Bush also defended his decision not to agree to Blair's proposal to double weathy nations' aid to Africa to $25 billion, according to the New York Times. He said that the United States already has tripled aid to Africa to $3.2 billion during his administration, adding, "We'll do more down the road," the Times reports (Bumiller, New York Times, 6/8).

Debt Relief Plan
Bush and Blair also said that a deal to forgive the debt of the world's poorest countries likely will be reached soon, possibly by the end of the week, according to the Wall Street Journal. The deal would cancel approximately $34 billion in debt for at least 27 poor countries. More countries could become eligible under the deal, which would include the obligations owed to the World Bank and the African Development Bank. Debt owed to the International Monetary Fund would not be included under the deal. "I think there is a real and common desire to help that troubled continent come out of the poverty and deprivation that so many millions of its people suffer," Blair said, adding, "In a situation where literally thousands of children die from preventable diseases every day, it's our duty to act, and we will" (McKinnon/Hitt, Wall Street Journal, 6/8).

NPR's "All Things Considered" on Tuesday reported on the meeting between Blair and Bush (Gonyea, "All Things Considered," NPR, 6/7). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.

(News from Kaiser Network.org)

Now, as the New York Times puts it, the truth is not what it appears. The $674 million is money already approved by Congress. Already, as in not "additional".

According to a poll, most Americans believe that the United States spends 24 percent of its budget on aid to poor countries; it actually spends well under a quarter of 1 percent. As Jeffrey Sachs, the Columbia University economist in charge of the United Nations' Millennium Project, put it so well, the notion that there is a flood of American aid going to Africa "is one of our great national myths."

Link to the complete op-ed piece.

Expecting Good News From George, or...

"Keep Those Cards & Letters Coming"

President Bush on Tuesday is expected to announce an additional $674 million in aid for African humanitarian relief efforts at a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, according to an unnamed official at the National Security Council, the New York Times reports (Stevenson, New York Times, 6/7). The money will be directed toward famine relief in Ethiopia, Eritrea and other African countries and will provide food for approximately 14 million people, according to the official. The $674 million will come from a USDA food reserve program and from funding provided by a recent supplemental appropriations bill to support ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the official said. The United States already has pledged $1.4 billion in aid in the current fiscal year through the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations, according to the official (Baker, Washington Post, 6/7). Blair also is expected to announce a British contribution to the initiative, although the amount has not been disclosed (Gardiner, AP/ABCNews.com, 6/7). The initiative appears to be an effort to "take some of the sting" out of the United States' "differences" with Britain over African aid, according to the Times (New York Times, 6/7). U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown at a February meeting of the Group of Seven industrialized nations proposed increasing aid to developing nations to $100 billion annually through an International Finance Facility, which would frontload development aid to help Africa meet the U.N. Millennium Development Goals. Brown has said that more than 50 countries have expressed support for the initiative, although the United States so far has failed to fully endorse the plan. Although the Bush administration supports 100% debt cancellation for the world's poorest countries, the United States does not support the U.K. plan to raise funds for poverty alleviation (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 6/2).

(From Kaiser Network.org)

A Prophet In His Own Country...

Readers of this blog will know that I am a fan of Stephen Lewis. Here, Stephen does what he does best - takes a country to task for it's track record and continued waffling on a firm commitment. That country? His and mine - Canada.

U.N. Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis on Friday told a meeting of the Public Service Alliance of Canada that it is "shameful" that Canada and other Western countries have not pledged to set a target date to commit 0.7% of gross national income to foreign aid, including aid to combat HIV/AIDS, the CP/Edmonton Journal reports. Lewis said foreign aid from Western countries "isn't keeping up with the AIDS crisis in Africa" and is a "major barrier" to distributing antiretroviral drugs in affected countries, according to the CP/Journal. The United Kingdom and Spain have pledged to meet the 0.7% funding goal by 2013 and France plans to meet the goal by 2011, according to Lewis. However, Canada, the United States and Japan have not committed to target dates. Lewis, who is Canadian, said Canada should commit to a date of 2015 or sooner (CP/Edmonton Journal, 6/4). Speaking to the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists on Saturday, Lewis said Canada's pledge of $100 million for HIV/AIDS treatment and its doubling of its contribution to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria are "laudable," but the country's foreign aid budget still is "woefully inadequate" and is a "black eye" for the country internationally, according to the Edmonton Journal. Lewis said that because of budgetary surpluses in Canada, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin's refusal to set a target date to achieve 0.7% in foreign aid "makes no sense" and could be "undermining other good work the country is doing on the world stage, particularly in the fight against AIDS" (Jeffs, Edmonton Journal, 6/5).

(From Kaiser Network.org)

Email For George & Brad on TV Tonight

Every single day 30,000 children die from the effects of extreme poverty and it almost never makes the news. Tonight, that's going to be different.

I visited Africa last month with Diane Sawyer to record a "Primetime Live" special, and tonight that program will air at 10pm/9pm Central on ABC. The show is not only about the emergency in Africa, but also about successful projects that are saving people's lives and building new hope in entire communities.

Yesterday the ONE campaign asked all of us to do something that will make a real difference for the people we met in Africa: sign a letter  to President Bush asking him to seize the best opportunity we've had in decades to actually end extreme poverty. The ONE letter asks the President to support three bold commitments at the G8 summit of world leaders on July 6th: more and better international assistance, debt cancellation and trade reform.

Last week I signed the ONE letter to President Bush, and since yesterday thousands of you have too. That is an amazing show of support.  The ONE campaign has set a goal to get ONE million letter signatures by the upcoming G8 summit on July 6th.  We can get half way there by the end of this week if you join with me and sign the ONE letter to President Bush and ask your friends and family to sign as well:

Sign the ONE letter to President Bush.

Thanks, and please tell all your friends  to watch the show tonight: 10pm/9pm Central on ABC.

Brad Pitt

Sir Bob & Bloggers

In a comment to the Live 8 post on my other blog Rick points us to an interesting post on The Indepundit (not a regular read of mine), with the hopeful title Saving Africa.

I JUST got off the phone with Sir Bob Geldof.

It started with an email on Saturday from John Hinderaker (aka Hindrocket) from the Power Line blog. John had been contacted by Howard Dean’s former campaign manager Joe Trippi (who is also a blogger), who in turn had been contacted by Geldof’s people. Sir Bob wanted to set up a “nonpartisan” teleconference with American bloggers to help spread the word about Live8, his latest effort to “end poverty in Africa.”

Needless to say, I was flattered to be included on the invite list (fair notice: I actually own a Boomtown Rats CD, so I was very excited to get a chance to chat with Geldof, even if it was all about doom & gloom in Africa). But after checking the Live8 website, which features calls for “doubling aid, fully cancelling debt, and delivering trade justice for Africa,” I was a bit skeptical about what he was attempting to accomplish -- I had visions of long-haired protestors calling for an “end to capitalism,” while food aid rots away on the wharf in Mombasa.

Check out the entire post for more of the conversation, and links to some of the other bloggers who took part. Kudos to Geldof for trying to get beyond the partisan BS, and for the various bloggers for giving him a listen. Now, get behind it.

Thanks for the link, Rick.

Consensus

There is a "powerful consensus" among the majority of the world's "heavyweight donors" to double the amount of development aid being directed to Africa, but the fact that the United States is reluctant to double its aid to the region likely will be highlighted Tuesday when British Prime Minister Tony Blair meets with President Bush in Washington, D.C., the New York Times reports. Blair is expected to ask Bush to agree to a proposed "Marshall Plan" for Africa already endorsed by the leaders of other wealthy nations, including members of the European Union and Japan. These donors favor a "quick and bold surge" in aid that officials say will help Africa join the global economy, a view supported by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Blair's Commission for Africa and a panel appointed by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. However, the United States advocates a more gradual increase in spending because it says poorer nations with "weak institutions" will not be able to use the funding "wisely," the Times reports (Dugger, New York Times, 6/5).

From Kaiser Network.org

UPDATE: The New York Times has an op-ed piece on the subject this morning.

Just Do Something
President Bush could go a long way toward re-establishing America as the moral leader by supporting Britain in its efforts to attack poverty in Africa.
Link

Pony Up

British Treasury chief urges oil producers to help poor nations
05/06/2005 9:31:00 AM 

LONDON (AP) - Petroleum producing countries that have benefited from recent high oil prices should do more to help the world's poorest nations, Britain's Treasury chief Gordon Brown said in an interview broadcast Sunday.

BBC News link.
Scotsman link.
Canadian Press link.

Whatever Claudia Wants...

Yeah, so I received an email from Claudia Schiffer this morning. (And I've asked her time and time again not to contact me at home!)

Hello,

The emails you've sent over the last few months have helped to put the scandal of extreme poverty onto front pages like never before.

It's been a great achievement - but to truly make poverty history a real impact is needed in the next six weeks. And especially next weekend!

Before the crucial G8 summit takes place in July, there's a meeting in central London on Saturday 11th June, that usually attracts no attention at all - yet it's absolutely vital.

At this meeting Gordon Brown and the other Chancellors from the 8 richest nations on earth, will set out what can and can't be decided at the following month's G8 meeting.

We desperately need to influence that meeting, to ensure that this golden opportunity to change the world isn't wasted.

There are more than a million people reading this email right now across all the G8 countries - and those 8 Chancellors need to know just how many people want them to make HUGE progress at this meeting.

Please, please, click here now and send an email to Mr Brown - which will automatically be cc'ed to the other 7 Chancellors. It could be the most crucial email you send this year. And it will take you under a minute.

Thank You

Claudia Schiffer

Click away, folks. As Claudia puts it - please, please.

Resistance is Futile

President Bush on Wednesday restated his opposition to doubling the United States' financial aid commitment to Africa in advance of the Group of Eight industrialized nations meeting in Scotland next month, the New York Times reports. Bush was meeting with South African President Thabo Mbeki at the White House as part of Mbeki's two-week campaign to speak with G8 leaders about Britain's proposed International Finance Facility, which would frontload development aid to help Africa meet the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (Becker/Sanger, New York Times, 6/2). U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown at a February meeting of the Group of Seven industrialized nations proposed increasing aid to developing nations to $100 billion annually through the finance facility. Brown has said that more than 50 countries have expressed support for the initiative, although the United States so far has failed to fully endorse the plan. Although the Bush administration supports 100% debt cancellation for the world's poorest countries, the United States does not support the U.K. plan to raise funds for poverty alleviation, according to U.S. Treasury Undersecretary John Taylor (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 4/18). During Wednesday's meeting, Bush said that doubling the U.S. contribution to Africa "doesn't fit our budgetary process." Mbeki -- who is urging wealthy nations to "choose their own ways to help" Africa -- said that the European Union is considering a new tax to finance Britain's initiative. "I am absolutely certain President Bush is willing to commit whatever is required," he added. However, because British Prime Minister Tony Blair has received opposition over the plan from Germany and Italy, Bush's opposition could "doom the effort" at the G8 meeting in July, according to the Times (New York Times, 6/2).

(From Kaiser Network.org)

Sounds to me like this guy needs some emails.