Saving Childrens Lives with Advocacy

1
Saving Childrens Lives with Advocacy

• Tom Davis, MPH
• Director of Health Programs, Food for the Hungry
• Chairman, CORE Board of Directors

2
Advocacy Defending the Cause

• How long will you defend the unjust and show
  partiality to the wicked? Defend the cause of
  the weak and fatherless maintain the rights of
  the poor and oppressed. (Psalm 822-3)
• Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the
  cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the
  widow. (Isaiah 117)
• Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves
  they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They
  do not defend the cause of the fatherless the
  widow's case does not come before them. (Isaiah
  123) So whose interests are defended?
• God wants us to use advocacy not to defend our
  interests but to speak on behalf of the poor
  and those who do not have a voice before the
  powerful. Its about their cause, not ours.

3
Gods Promise Child Survival
I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in
my people the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more. Never again will
there be in it an infant who lives but a few
days, or an old man who does not live out his
years he who dies at a hundred will be thought a
mere youth he who fails to reach a hundred will
be considered accursed. Isaiah
6519-20 Life abundant
4
Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your
hearing

• Child deaths dropped 50 between 1960 and 1990.
• We now have what it takes Two thirds of the
  more than 10 million annual child deaths could be
  prevented by universal coverage with
  off-the-shelf, low-cost interventions.
• What is required is heart change and political
  will.

5
but the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard
seed (and much remains to be done)

• Despite this success, funding for maternal and
  child health programs has declined 20 percent in
  real terms since 1997.
• 1M children dying for lack of measles and tetanus
  vaccine. 30M children not receiving
  immunizations
• Two million children are dying annually for lack
  of ORT.
• Three million children are dying annually for
  lack of essential newborn care.
• For the first time in history, scientific
  advances and social conditions make it possible
  to meet the basic health needs of all the worlds
  children Morality must march with capacity.
  (James Grant)
• But have the faith of a mustard seed The
  situation is changing and Gods promise will be
  fulfilled

6
(No Transcript)
7
Signs of Heart Change Americans are familiar
with the worlds health problems
8
Signs of Heart Change Americans think global
health improvement is important.
9
Signs of Heart Change Americans are very
concerned about global health.
10
Cognitive Dissonance The time is ripe.
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to
do I do not do, but what I hate I do. another
law is at work in the members of my body,
waging war against the law of my mind . Who will
rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to
God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 715
and 23-25)
11
A vehicle The Global Child Survival Act of 2007

• HR 2266 (on disk w/other advocacy tools) was
  introduced in House on May 10th by Chris Shays
  (R-CT), Betty McCollumn (D-MN), and others.
• Similar bill (S. 1418) introduced in Senate on
  May 17th by Gordon Smith (R-OR), Christopher Dodd
  (D-CT), and others.
• The CORE Group, CCIH, the USCCS and others are
  mobilizing PVOs to help pass the bill. You need
  to be part of this.

12
What the bill does

• Establishes a child survival fund to support
  sustained reductions in maternal and child deaths
  worldwide.
• Authorizes increased funding to expand child and
  maternal health interventions from 356 million
  currently to 1.6 billion in 2012. Remember
  HIV/AIDS and malaria funding has increased but
  more than 90 of child deaths are caused by other
  diseases.
• Requires the USG to develop an integrated
  strategy for supporting the improvement of child
  and maternal health.

13
What the bill does

• Requires the President to submit an annual report
  to Congress on MCH.
• Authorizes the expansion of the Child Survival
  and Health Grants Program (CSHGP) allowing FBOs
  and PVOs to use their gifts in reducing child
  deaths worldwide.

14
Will FBOs be involved?

• Bill language To the maximum extent
  practicable, programs, projects, and activities
  carried out using assistance provided under this
  section shall be carried out through private and
  voluntary organizations, as well as faith-based
  organizations.
• New bill language assures that funding through
  the CSHGP accessible to FBOs would increase
  from around 14 million/year to at least 63
  million/year if this bill was passed -- at least
  a 350 increase.

15
A time to act

• Need co-sponsors for the bill.
• Need to generate editorials to mobilize the
  public and leaders.
• Need help with getting the bill passed to save
  the lives of the children with which we work.

16
How you can help

• Ask an editorial writer to write a supportive
  editorial about the GCSA.
• Ask to write an Op-Ed.
• Get groups you are associated with to inform and
  mobilize their membership (e.g., AAP La Leche
  League Bonos ONE Campaign).
• Meet your Representative or Senator and ask him
  or her to co-sponsor (or at least vote yes).

17
Why Use Editorials?

• Who has generated an editorial? Why are
  editorials better than letters to the editor?
• Remember A LTE is your opinion. Editorials are
  the newspapers opinion. Policy makers give more
  weight to editorials.
• Newspapers can help educate, inform and inspire
  your member of Congress and members of your
  communities about the issue you are advocating
  for.
• The media has the power to make our issues a
  political priority
• But it is up to us to educate and inspire the
  media about the positive role they can play.

18
Basic Pattern

• Do your homework Rep Voting history, bio,
  background on bill Newspaper Past articles,
  hook, background on bill.)
• Get in the door Through friends, affiliations,
  hot issues, or cold calls.
• Make the connection, show your passion, establish
  your credentials.
• Inform them on the bill.
• Do the Ask Ask for an action, like
  co-sponsoring or voting yes or writing an
  editorial.
• Answer questions
• Follow-up.
• Say thank you publicly.

19
Other Editorial Tips

• (See pp. 15-17 of RESULTS Advocacy Toolkit.)
• Be Persistent Editorial and health writers are
  faced with many potential editorial topics. Be
  persistent. (See 2 Tim 42 Luke 181-8)
• Get in through blogs
• Build relationships
• Educate the writer
• Show sensitivity
• Offer to write an Op Ed if you get a No.
• Write and memorize a Laser Talk

20
The Laser Talk

• A chance to learn the bare-boned facts about an
  issue Your elevator speech.
• You arent dangerous until you can speak
  powerfully.
• Repeated three times. First time, listen. Second
  time, shout out answers. Third time, say words
  silently. Then we will pair up and practice.
• Can be used to help practice for a meeting with a
  decision maker (e.g., MOH, legislator/MP) or a
  media leader (e.g., editorial writer).

21
A GCSA Laser Talk (Listen)

• Every day, 28,000 children die from easily
  preventable causes.
• Funding for HIV/AIDS and malaria has increased
  but more than 90 of child deaths are caused by
  other diseases.
• Funding for fighting these diseases has not kept
  pace and some countries receive no money for
  child survival.
• For pennies per American, and using tools like
  vitamin A, we can save 60 of the children who
  die every year.
• The Global Child Survival Act would save millions
  of childrens lives each year by authorizing an
  increase from 365 million to 1.6 billion for
  child survival programs.
• Would you be willing to co-sponsor this bill?

22
Fill in the blanks (Shout it Out!)

• Every day, ______ children die from easily
  preventable causes.
• Funding for ______ and ______ has increased but
  more than ___ of child deaths are caused by
  other diseases.
• Funding for fighting these diseases has _________
  and some countries receive _______ for child
  survival.
• For _____________, and using tools like ________,
  we can save ___ of the children who die every
  year.
• The ________________ would save millions of
  childrens lives each year by authorizing an
  increase from _______ to _______ for child
  survival programs.
• Would you be willing to _____________?

23
Fill in the blanks (silently to yourself)

• Every day, ______ children die from easily
  preventable causes.
• Funding for ______ and ______ has increased but
  more than ___ of child deaths are caused by
  other diseases.
• Funding for fighting these diseases has _________
  and some countries receive _______ for child
  survival.
• For _____________, and using tools like ________,
  we can save ___ of the children who die every
  year.
• The ________________ would save millions of
  childrens lives each year by authorizing an
  increase from _______ to _______ for child
  survival programs.
• Would you be willing to _____________?

24
Fill in the blanks (volunteer, w/me)

• Every day, ______ children die from easily
  preventable causes.
• Funding for ______ and ______ has increased but
  more than ___ of child deaths are caused by
  other diseases.
• Funding for fighting these diseases has _________
  and some countries receive _______ for child
  survival.
• For _____________, and using tools like ________,
  we can save ___ of the children who die every
  year.
• The ________________ would save millions of
  childrens lives each year by authorizing an
  increase from _______ to _______ for child
  survival programs.
• Would you be willing to _____________?

25
Practice with a neighbor

• Pair up and practice the Laser Talk without
  looking at the screen (unless you are stumped).

26
Exercise What can you do to pass the GCSA?

• Talk with your neighbor for two minutes about
  what actions you could take to pass the GCSA or
  another bill that is important to you.
  Brainstorm actions that you could take.

27
Sign up!

• Be an Advocacy Hero Help pass the GCSA or get
  involved with another issue!