CARE National Conference & Celebration

Apr 15th, 2009 9:43 AM UTC
By ONE Partners

In early May, I’ll have the privilege of joining the hundreds of people who come together in Washington, D.C., each year to speak out on behalf of the world’s poor. I’ll get an inside look at dedicated activists as they advance U.S. policies that empower marginalized women and girls who, with the right tools, can lift entire communities out of poverty.

You can be part of this life-changing experience, too, through CARE’s National Conference & Celebration, which is rapidly approaching on May 5 and 6.

This year humanitarian Richard Gere will receive an award for his dedication to advocating on behalf of people around the world. We’ll hear from keynote speakers Wolf Blitzer and Gwen Ifill, as well as CARE Ambassador Sheila Johnson. Musician and activist Michael Franti will inspire us, too, with his songs.

But this conference is about more than “big names.” It’s about speaking up for those who can only dream of access to the halls of power. It’s about introducing policymakers to programs that make a difference for real people striving to overcome poverty. Some participants will have lobbied before. But for others, this will be the first face time they’ve ever had with a member of Congress. Together, they’ll speak for those around the world who can’t.

This year, we’ll be working to protect the futures of girls who are forced to marry as children; fix a food aid system that sometimes causes more problems than it solves; and put the needs of poor people front and center in the conversation about climate change. These are big issues that affect millions of people every day. We need your voice!

The 1 billion people who live on little more than a dollar a day are struggling to figure out how to cope with a global financial crisis not of their making. They feel the effects in severe, even life-threatening, ways.
You can remind leaders that global problems require global solutions.

CARE’s National Conference & Celebration offers the chance to learn about key issues from poverty-fighting experts. But past participants say they’ve left feeling empowered, too. They gain the tools to be a true champion for opportunity, equality and dignity for all people.

This is the one big event all year that brings together individuals like you who care about creating a world without poverty and who stand together to take action on Capitol Hill. I know I’m excited to see these citizen activists in action. You can be one, too! Take advantage of this opportunity and join us in Washington, D.C., on May 5 and 6! For more information, visit: http://careconference.org/.

-Brian Feagans, CARE

TAGS: CARE, From Our Partners