ACTION ALERT - MAY 2004

GOOD SHEPHERD VOICES FOR JUSTICE

ADVOCATE FOR HUNGER/AIDS RELIEF

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The Good Shepherd Voices for Justice group joins Bread for the World this month in their Offering of Letters to advocate to “Keep the Promise on Hunger and Health” by fully funding the Millennium Challenge Account to reduce world hunger and the Emergency Plan for AIDS relief. We ask that you write your Senators and Congressman today.

BACKGROUND

Hunger and poverty-- Many promises have been made in recent years to hungry and poor people around the world. In 2000, 189 countries, including the United States, agreed upon the Millennium Development Goals, targets to cut extreme hunger and poverty by half and to substantially improve health, education and livelihoods in developing countries by 2015. Some 800 million people in the developing world suffer from malnutrition.

HIV/AIDS-- The number of people living with HIV/AIDS nearly doubled in six years, to 42 million in 2002, with Africa accounting for 70 percent of those living with the disease and 80 percent of new infections.

Millennium Challenge Account-- In 2002, President Bush announced the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA). President Bush promised that the MCA and another important effort, the U.S. AIDS Emergency Relief Plan, would add $8 billion per year in new funding to the United States’ current poverty-focused development efforts. These proposals present a historic opportunity to offer millions of additional hungry and poor people the chance to make a better life for themselves and their families—but only if Congress and the president follow through to make sure the proposals are fully funded.

CATHOLIC CONNECTION

The Good Shepherd Destination Justice Focus Statement states that we believe that a commitment to social justice is as much a part of being a Catholic as the Eucharist is. One of the keys to forming our conscience about social justice is following the 7 Principles of Catholic Social teaching. One of these principles is the Option for the Poor and Vulnerable. Funding efforts to reduce hunger, poverty and HIV/AIDS is in keeping with this principle. We are called to view world events in the light of the Gospels, and speak and act accordingly.

ACTION

Mail or email a letter to your Congressman and Senators to fund the Millenium Challenge Account and the U.S. AIDS Emergency Relief Plan, without making cuts to other development and poverty-focused assistance programs.

Below is a sample letter. Send a separate letter or email to your Representative or Senators. We suggest you use your own words where possible.

(To email, cut and paste the letter below into your email. To find out who your Congressman or Senator is, and to get their email address, click here.)

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Rep._____________________

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC, 20515

OR <-

Sen._______________________

U.S. Senate

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Rep.________________________,

OR <-

Dear Sen.________________________,

I urge you to support the U.S. commitment to help reduce global poverty by fully funding the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) and the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, without making cuts to other development and poverty-focused assistance programs.

Millions of our world’s people still suffer from hunger, poverty and disease. The world’s nations, including the United States, have agreed on goals to reduce hunger and poverty, and our country should keep its promises. U.S. development assistance targeted to improve health, education, agriculture and small business can make a big difference to individuals, communities and countries struggling to make life better now and for future generations.

Sincerely,

Your name and address