The Enyarts

Fact Sheet: AIDS and Extreme Poverty
AIDS AND EXTREME POVERTY: CRISIS AND OPPORTUNITY
The Emergency: AIDS and Extreme Poverty
· More than 1 billion people around the world live on less than $1 a day.
· A child dies every three seconds from AIDS and extreme poverty.
· Africa has been hit harder by the HIV/AIDS virus than any other region of the world. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to over 70% of the total world HIV-positive population.
· Over one billion people do not have access to clean water.
The Opportunity: What are we already doing to help?
· Thanks to U.S. support, over 400,000 people with HIV/AIDS are receiving lifesaving anti-retroviral treatment and at least another 500,000 would also receive such assistance in 2006 if the U.S. approves at least $3.6b for HIV/AIDS in its budget.
· The U.S. is a lead donor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria which to date has provided bed-nets to 3 million families which will prevent those family members from contracting malaria from a simple mosquito bite. The U.S. has partnered with other G8 nations and committed to scaling up efforts to fight malaria together so that an additional 600,000 lives will be saved each year by 2015.
· This year, under pressure from the ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History, the G8 agreed to increase aid to Africa by $25b, and to all developing countries by $50b, by 2010. The G8 leaders and the other shareholders of the World Bank and IMF also agreed to cancel 100% of the multilateral debts owed by 18 qualified Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs). This will help kick-start poor countries efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals-but more will be needed if these goals are to be achieved and these promises will only be kept if we keep up the pressure.
What more can we do?
· For every $100 the U.S. government spent in 2004, only 25-50 cents was spent on the poorest countries of the world. When asked, most Americans think we are spending $15-20, not 25-50 cents, on international assistance. However, with just a 1% increase-or another $1 for every $100, the U.S. could lead a global effort to help poor countries meet international development targets.
· Experts agree that investing in education is one of the best ways to reduce poverty and fight the spread of AIDS, especially among girls. For less than the amount of money that Europeans and Americans spend on pet food every year, basic education could be provided for every child in the world.
· Economists estimate that creating fairer trade policies between the richest and poorest countries of the world could lift 300 million people out of poverty by 2015. http://one.org/Issues.html

Fact Sheet: More and Better Aid
YOU SHOULD KNOW...
In 2003, the rich countries of the world gave $24 billion in aid to Africa. This money has helped tremendously, but to achieve the millennium Goals and reduce poverty by half, Africa will need an additional $25 billion by 2010. (Commission for Africa)
In 1970, wealthy nations agreed to a goal of spending 0.7% of GNP on development assistance. In 2004, these countries spent on average just 0.25% (OECD)
International assistance saves lives, directly helping and empowering individuals to help themselves. Increasing international assistance by an amount equal to just ONE percent of the U.S. budget will:
· Prevent 10 million children from becoming AIDS orphans
· Help get 104 million children into grade school
· Provide water to almost 900 million people around the globe.
· Save almost 6.5 million children under 5 from preventable deaths
· Build a better, safer world for all.
Directing an additional ONE percent of the U.S. budget - roughly $25 billion -- will allow for longer-term sustainable growth while fighting the corruption that wastes precious resources. Together as ONE, we can transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation.
With ONE voice, we ask America to commit just ONE more percent of the U.S. budget to fight AIDS and extreme poverty.
Initially, American support will go to poor countries that fight corruption and use their own resources to help their people out of poverty. American leadership in debt cancellation will provide an example for rich countries in Europe and Asia to do their fair share to help the poorest people in the world.
This goal will not be achieved through business as usual. It will take Presidential leadership and strong Congressional backing. It is going to take new bipartisan commitments, political will and a movement of Americans who loudly call for and support such action.
It's going to take ONE voice, YOURS!
The Opportunity: Every year President Bush and Congress determine how much the U.S. government will spend the following year. That means right now there is an opportunity to move closer to our goal -- directing an additional 1%, or roughly $25 billion -- to fight global AIDS and extreme poverty. Sign up at www.one.org for more information on when to take action. http://one.org/Issues.html

Fact Sheet: Trade Justice
YOU SHOULD KNOW...
In 1980 Africa had 6% share of world trade. By 2002 this had dropped to just 2% despite the fact that Africa has 12% of the world’s population. If Africa could regain just an additional 1% share of global trade, it would earn $70 billion more each year, several times more than what the region currently receives in effective international assistance.
Poor countries cannot trade their way out of poverty without a level playing field. Right now, trade rules are so skewed that cows in Europe receive more a day in subsidies than half the population of Africa
While effective development assistance is appreciated by poor countries and people around the world, no one wants to rely on a handout. Poor countries want to trade their way out of poverty, but international rules make it extremely difficult. A fair trade system would give people in poor countries the chance to earn their way out of poverty by participating in the world economy.
Increased access to trade will allow poor countries to build their economies, start to stand on their own and ensure education, healthcare, and clean water for all. It will create pride and honor for the people, as their country begins to succeed its way out of struggle. But this will only happen if farmers, entrepreneurs and shopkeepers can sell their goods at a fair price.
We must open up developed country agricultural markets and eliminate subsidies that cause overproduction and commodity dumping by developed countries. Developing countries need to have the power to decide their own trade policies, in accordance with their development strategies and policies. All nations should also have a seat at the table in any trade negotiations, ensuring a transparent and democratic process. Meaningful trade capacity building assistance also increases developing countries' ability to produce competitive products so that once the rules are changed, countries can take advantage of new trading opportunities and earn the resources needed to fight poverty. Lastly, we must also work to prevent any possible unintended negative consequences of trade liberalization for poor and vulnerable people.
THE OPPORTUNITY...Trade negotiations are an opportunity for developed nations to keep their promises and demonstrate bold leadership by changing global trade rules to level the playing field for developing countries, giving people the tools to trade their way out of poverty—lifting up their own communities, their countries and eventually the global economy. Countries need to come to agreement on ensuring greater trade justice for poor nations as the World Trade Organization's "development" round nears its end. http://one.org/Issues.html

Fact Sheet: Debt Cancellation
YOU SHOULD KNOW...
43 African countries are getting some debt relief through the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. This program gives poor countries almost an extra billion dollars a year to spend on health care and education – money that increases access to education, immunizations and clean water.
Even so, right now very poor indebted countries continue to spend over a billion dollars a year repaying debts.
Each year, many countries spend more paying back debt than on health care or education. Why? Decades of loans have been given without much thought to how countries could pay them back. Some of the loans went to prop up governments or military regimes that are now long gone. Some of the loans were wasted by the governments that received them. Some were given by rich countries in ways that served their own self-interest.
Whatever the reason, today the poorest countries are saddled with debts they have to pay back at the expense of their own people. Some countries, including the U.S., UK, France and Germany, are taking progressive steps by canceling all the debt owed by these countries. Donors have begun to discuss the goal of 100% multilateral debt relief for the poorest countries which would free them of approximately $900 million in debt service payments each year.
As ONE, we are asking America to cancel 100% of the debts owed by the poorest countries.
In June 2005, the G8 agreed to write off $40 billion dollars of debt owed by 18 of the world's poorest countries. The G8 also promised that this debt cancellation could be extended to 20 more countries. The debt cancellation deal covers debts to the World Bank, African Development Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Debt cancellation makes a difference! Mozambique introduced free life-saving immunizations for children; Tanzania abolished primary school fees, leading to a 66% increase in attendance, and in Uganda, debt relief gave 2.2 million people access to clean water.
The Opportunity: Together as ONE, we have helped do something incredible! In June 2005, the Group of Eight wealthiest nations (the G8) agreed to free millions of people in some of the poorest countries from crushing debts. This is a great first step but we need to make sure that world leaders keep their promises while extending 100% debt cancellation to all the poorest countries. http://one.org/Issues.html