I went to a forum yesterday on political developments in Zimbabwe, co-hosted by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The event was titled, “Zimbabwe: Time for Hope?” and while there are few promising recent developments, hope remains that this country can emerge from its present situation.

Once heralded as the breadbasket of Africa, Zimbabwe has gone from the fastest growing economy in all of Africa in 1997, to a country embroiled in an acute humanitarian and political crisis. Of the 12.3 million residents, 1.3 million are living with HIV/AIDS (and only 100,000 are receiving life-extending ARTs). The nation has the world’s highest number of orphans per capita, and the life expectancy for women is the lowest in the world. Dr. Jendayi Frazer, U.S. Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, reported that students in public school have attended less than 30 days of full classes throughout the year.

Given all of this, what can be done?

For one, people can help raise awareness about the situation in Zimbabwe. At the beginning of the forum, the audience was shown a clip from the award-winning documentary, “Pain in my Heart,” by Zimbabwe journalist Hopewell Rugoho-Chin’ono. This moving film tells the true story of two adult HIV/AIDS patients living with their disease amidst the strained economy and deteriorating health-care system of Zimbabwe. Mr. Rugoho-Chin’ono’s film puts a human face on a problem that can feel very detached from our everyday lives, and it is journalism like this that can help elevate Zimbabwe’s crisis on the global agenda.

Political change is another option on the table. Dr. Jendayi Frazer remains hopeful about the implementation of the power-sharing deal between Mr. Mugabe’s party and the opposition, and spoke to the U.S. commitment of working to support Zimbabwe regardless of the political outcome.

As a final note, the New York Times has reported that former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and former President Jimmy Carter will visit the country on a humanitarian mission over the weekend.

We’ll be following the situation in Zimbabwe closely, and will let you know what develops.

-Rena Pacheco-Theard

6,000 reasons… each has a name, a face, and a story. Today, like every day, 6,000 children will lose a parent to AIDS. Today, like every day, we have 6,000 reasons to care. Today, like every day, we have 6,000 reasons to offer hope. – from the “6,000 Reasons” World AIDS Day 2008 group curriculum

I wanted to let you know about “6,000 Reasons,” a new World AIDS Day 2008 one-lesson group curriculum put out by ONE partner World Vision, in collaboration with Willow Creek Association and the Fuller Youth Institute.

Numbers can often bury the real story. For me, statistics can often becoming overwhelming. Despite the overwhelming numbers, we do have real ways to act in fighting a treatable and preventable disease like HIV/AIDS.

“6,000 Reasons” reminds us, however, that behind the numbers are real faces, names, and stories of the 6,000 kids who experience great loss each day because of HIV/AIDS. In collaboration with the Willow Creek Association and the Fuller Youth Institute, ONE partner World Vision has put together a FREE downloadable resource for congregations, families, small groups and others in time for World AIDS Day.

To check out “6,000 Reasons,” visit the sign up site at Willow Creek to view or download this valuable education, awareness and action resource. There you will find two videos, a leader’s guide with group activities and discussion questions, as well as action items that give your church group clear next steps for how to respond to the AIDS pandemic.

While World AIDS days is officially December 1 every year, congregations across the US will be lifting up World AIDS Day on Sunday, November 29. As ONE’s members respond this World AIDS Day, people of faith are reaching into their own traditions to not only reflect on the impact of AIDS but to respond in ways that can bring about focused change amidst the pandemic.

-Adam Phillips

ONE supporter (and astronaut) Lieutenant Colonel Shane Kimbrough is in the midst of a press conference, along with the rest of his crew, streaming live at NASA.gov RIGHT NOW!

You can watch the press conference here.

You can check out our previous posts about Shane here and here.

-Chris Scott

World AIDS Day is recognized every year on December 1st. Starting in 1988 the world started coming together on that day to remember those lost to AIDS, support those who are living with the disease and raise awareness about the fight against one of the deadliest pandemics in history. Now that World AIDS Day is in its 20th year it is more important than ever to come together in the fight against HIV/AIDS. ONE Members from around the country have an opportunity to take action and spread awareness about how to get involved in the fight.

There are tons of ways to be involved with World AIDS Day and the first thing you can do is check for World AIDS Day events already being hosted in your community and attend with your friends and family. If there is not an event already planned in your community below are some ideas for getting involved.

1. Involve your friends and family. ONE members can tell their friends and family about ONE and why they should get involved. Make copies of the ONE Declaration and encourage them to sign up. You can continually update them on what you’re doing with ONE and encourage them to join in. Print out the attached HIV/AIDS fact sheet, ONE declaration and ONE pager to share with everyone.
2. Attend or Organize a ONE event. Events are a great way to bring people together to learn more about ONE issues and advocate on their behalf. If there are events in your community, go check them out – you can learn more, meet other ONE supporters, and get more involved in the campaign. If there aren’t any events planned in your community, work with your ONE group or your friends and family to organize an event – perhaps a movie night, an event with a speaker, or book club to get started. Register your event here.
3. Write a Letter to the Editor. Write a letter to your local newspaper about ONE and the fight against HIV/AIDS. These letters are an important way to let people in your community know about ONE and local efforts in the fight against extreme poverty.
4. Send a letter or make a call to a Member of Congress. Use your voice for the world’s poorest people and use World AIDS Day as an opportunity to let your elected leaders know that fighting HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty around the world is important to you. You can find your Member of Congress’s information at www.house.gov or www.senate.gov.
5. Organize a letter writing or call-in to Member of Congress. While ONE person making a call to Congress is a great way to let your Member of Congress know that you care about global poverty and AIDS, getting everyone you know to do the same is even more powerful. Organize a call-in or letter writing campaign in your community to demonstrate ONE’s presence.

-Kim Smith

NY Times—Over Zimbabwe Objections, Annan and Carter Plan Visit
The former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan and former President Jimmy Carter are going to Zimbabwe on a humanitarian mission this weekend despite a front-page story on Thursday in The Herald newspaper — President Robert Mugabe’s mouthpiece — saying that the government of Zimbabwe has advised them not to come. In a statement issued Thursday, Annan said that he, Carter and Graça Machel, a women’s advocate and the wife of Nelson Mandela, intended to get a firsthand sense of the economic crisis in the country and to assess the help it needs.

AFP—World’s poorest nations call for more aid amid global financial woes
The world’s poorest countries on Thursday called on rich nations to continue giving aid and help fight global disease despite the global financial crisis. The appeal from trade ministers and representatives from nearly 50 Least Developed Countries ended two days of talks in Cambodia to discuss trade and the credit crunch.

AP—African nations ranked for ‘child friendliness’
Some poor countries have scored well compared to richer ones in a report assessing the treatment of children in African nations. The African Child Policy Forum, an independent advocacy agency, ranked 52 countries in a “child-friendly index”. Amongst the top 10 were Namibia and Malawi, which did far better than richer countries like Sudan and Angola. “Governments that have come out well on this index did so because they have done two things — they have put in place the relevant laws to protect children from abuse and exploitation, and they have targeted resources at the basic needs of children,” said an advisor for the group.

AFP—Africa, Europe ’seeking to harmonise climate-change demands’
Africa seeks a common position with the European Union going into climate-change negotiations next year, Algeria’s environment minister said Thursday. Environment ministers from almost all of Africa’s 53 nations agreed to assume a united front Wednesday to take into December 2009 talks in Copenhagen on replacing the Kyoto Protocol, covering efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

-Steve Wilson

Hi there, my name is Adam Phillips. I recently joined the team at ONE as Faith Relations Manager. From time to time I’ll let you know what’s going on with our faith partners in The ONE Campaign. Before I joined the team in DC I have posted here in the past as a local pastor in Chicago and as co-chair of ONE’s partner, Micah Challenge USA .

I wanted to let you know about some significant commitments that were made on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the recent World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) general assembly in Pattaya, Thailand. 500 evangelical church leaders, representing some 128 national evangelical alliance groups from the US and around the world, passed major resolutions, on such issues as HIV/AIDS, poverty, the environment, and the global financial crisis.

Recognizing that the MDGs “echoed the mind” of teaching in their own tradition, the WEA called on government leaders in both the Global North and Global South to “significantly scale up their efforts to achieve the MDGs” – seeing the on-going crisis of global poverty as a critical threat to peace and security. Beyond calling their elected national leaders to act, though, the church leaders called on their own faith groups, congregations, pastors and laity to join and collaborate with The Micah Challenge. This was a major conclusion of the assembly as they saw it as a response “ to Love and Justice” in a time where economic challenges abound.

This moment in Thailand by a diverse group of global church leaders is just one of many that show how, working together as ONE, we all have a role to play in making poverty history.

-Adam Phillips

On a historic Tuesday in January, as many as four million people from around the country will converge on the national mall, with tens of millions more watching from home, all with one purpose: to hear what the newly-inaugurated President has to say.

At that landmark moment, Barack Obama will set the stage for his next four years in office, and potentially dramatic changes in U.S. foreign policy. Please add your name to our petition to President-elect Obama asking him to make a clear statement in his inaugural address affirming his vision for helping the world’s poorest people:

President-elect Obama,

In your inaugural address, please make a clear affirmation of your pledge to fight poverty and preventable diseases worldwide, and support that statement with an FY2010 budget request that puts the U.S. on track to meet your historic commitments.

This January, the eyes of the nation and the world will be on Barack Obama. Let’s ask him to share the spotlight with those who are most in need.

Thank you for making a difference,

David Lane, ONE.org

The University of Michigan’s ONE chapter has had some trouble this year navigating through the bureaucracy of our administration.After awhile we came to the realization that the larger scale projects we’d been hoping to implement were not going to happen any time soon. Instead of getting discouraged we tried to think outside the box and put together some fun, small actions that would get the ONE name out to students.

Since football is one of the greatest traditions here,we thought it would be a great place to start. With that, one of the favorite things students like to do at games here (and many other places) is blow up beach balls and send them flying throughout the crowd. Piggy-backing on this idea – we got together and spray painted beach balls all black and then painted the ONE logo in white on them. We did this at an awesome pre-game tailgate with our ONE members.

When we launched the balls in the air we got a lot of questions about what the logo meant and why we were doing it. It made for a fun picture and was definitely a great way to get the word out. Just because the administration or faculty are being difficult doesn’t mean there is nothing left to try – think outside the box a little and it can end up being the best action you take.

-Stephanie Parrish, University of Michigan ‘11

Reuters: UN seeks $7 billion in record humanitarian appeal
In the largest humanitarian appeal ever in United Nation’s history, the U.N. asked on Wednesday for $7 billion to help 30 million people recover from disasters and conflict in the coming year. Officials stressed that the global financial crisis did not justify cuts to foreign aid.

Associated Press: For Africa, Obama’s greatest gift may be inspiration, not handouts
Africans will have to look for solutions within themselves, not abroad, according to recent opinion article in the Kenya’s leading newspaper, the Daily Nation. The self-help theme has become increasingly prevalent with the recognition that 50 years of Western aid and emergency rescues of famine, disease and war victims have failed to cure Africa’s ills, and may even have held the continent back.

Washington Post: U.S. Aid Not Always Apolitical, Report Finds
According to a survey by a Madrid-based nonprofit group, the United States needs improvement at promoting the independence, impartiality and neutrality of humanitarian aid deliveries to needy populations. The Development Assistance Research Associates (DARA) Humanitarian Response Index 2008 measures how effectively the world’s 23 largest donors deliver aid. The U.S. ranked 15th in overall effectiveness and 13th in the level of generosity measured by the size of its economy.

Voice of America: Forum: Empowering Women May Hold Key to Africa’s Prosperity
A women’s conference in Addis Ababa this week has pulled in many high-level international figures, including the African Development Bank chief, the African Union Commission Chairman, the United Nations Economic Commission Secretary-General, and Ethiopia’s President Girma Woldegiorgis. They will be discussing how empowering women could be the key to the continent’s prosperity.

Reuters: UPDATE 1-WTO’s Lamy to decide soon on new Doha talks
After leaders of the G20 pledged on Saturday to try to get the outlines of a new accord in the WTO’s Doha round agreed by the end of the year, the WTO chief Pascal Lamy said he would decide soon whether to call a ministeral meeting on the Doha trade round. Lamy said ministers from some of the world’s poorest countries wanted a quick deal because they feared protectionist groups would use the global economic slump to push their agenda.

-Chandler Smith

In the lead up to the G20 meetings, African leaders expressed dissatisfaction with the representation of Africans at the meeting of world leaders to discuss the global financial crisis. African leaders urged the G20 not to forget them in the face of the current crisis. South Africa was the only country invited to attend from the continent and was asked to convey an African perspective by the African Finance Ministers, who met in Tunis on November 12, to consider the impact of the crisis for the continent.

At the end of the G20 summit the new South African President, Kgalema Motlanthe, said in a press release that while African countries were making progress, they were now threatened by the global financial crisis which could exacerbate the recent volatility in food and commodity markets. The president also confirmed that a review of representation from African countries in the international financial institutions was proposed at the meetings and that the international community promised to fulfill its commitments to increase aid flows to Africa.

Though they were not present, several other African leaders also offered commentary on the G20 Summit:

President Blaise Campaore, Burkina Faso:

Africa and other developing regions of the world must be more closely associated with the discussions underway on the reform of the international financial architecture,” …”If the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are to play a bigger role in the governance of international finance, it is fair that developing countries be more involved in the way reform is carried out.

President Amadou Toumani Toure, Mali:

The current crisis confirms the need to build a new financial architecture, involving not only emerging countries, but also Africa.

President Marc Ravolamanana, Madagascar:

To be “credible” and treated as “responsible partners”, we have to take our future into our own hands and show the world that we, African leaders, are serious, engaged and determined.” “African states could start to rebuild international confidence by improving governance standards” …. the West must also “honour its promises” in terms of development aid.

Former Senegalese leader Abdou Diouf:

While everyone is mobilized for a few weeks to try to resolve the financial crisis, rampant poverty continues, and the food situation in Africa and Asia continues to worsen.

-Edith Jibunoh