Barack Obama
With uprisings in the Arab world, soaring gas prices and persistent unemployment, it seems unlikely that global health would show up anywhere on President Obama’s radar this month. And yet with our child vaccines campaign in full swing (featuring a petition asking the president to support funding for new life-saving vaccines), we have two new reasons this month to feel encouraged that the president gets the importance of our work on these issues in a very personal way.
First, we noticed an announcement by Africare that they had completed a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Project in Ghana, thanks to generous funding by a little-known donor named Barack Obama. As it turns out — apparently without much fanfare — President Obama used some of his Nobel Peace Prize money to fund new waterpoints (wells and boreholes), the rehabilitation of non-functional waterpoints, school latrines and a community-led behavior change campaign.
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If you caught the president’s State of the Union address a couple of nights ago, you’d know a big part of his vision for America was focused on innovation and competitiveness. “Our success in this new and changing world,” Obama said, “will require reform, responsibility, and innovation.” He presented a bold plan to create jobs and grow our economy through reformed education, more efficient government and investment in science and technology. It was an inspiring speech that called upon Americans to “do big things.”
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
But this talk isn’t new. Throughout government, we’ve been seeing a lot of these principles put in practice by many agencies and programs, including those working on foreign assistance. The State Department, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have all put a premium on becoming more efficient, effective and transparent in their support for poor nations and are embracing innovative ideas to save money and make a bigger impact.
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Last night’s State of the Union gave us the opportunity to hear from our president as he addressed the administration’s priorities for the upcoming year. While as expected, he focused on domestic concerns, we were pleased that President Obama reiterated America’s commitment to helping those in need around the world by stating, “Around the globe, we are standing with those who take responsibility, helping farmers grow more food; supporting doctors who care for the sick; and combating the corruption that can rot a society and rob people of opportunity.”
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
ONE has been working with this administration and Congress to do just what the president discussed. We have been advocating for the enactment of agriculture programs that will allow farmers to feed their families and communities. We have worked to create programs to provide health care and basic vaccines to those without it. And just last year, we were able to pass a new law to require companies in the extractives industry — like oil and gas — to list payments they make to foreign governments in an attempt to end the corruption in these governments.
We were also pleased that the president mentioned the United States’ support for the people of Tunis and Sudan — two countries that are experiencing upheavals in their governments. The administration’s strong support for these African nations sends a signal to their citizens and the rest of the world that the US is behind them.
Tonight, President Obama will be delivering his State of the Union address to the American people. The annual speech gives the president a chance to talk about the country’s biggest issues and outline the year’s political agenda with millions of Americans across the country.
In a video preview to his political supporters, President Obama said that he would also be focusing on innovation and competitiveness and touching upon national security and the budget deficit. A new twist this year is the decision by many Members of Congress to forgo sitting as a political party, and instead sitting with colleagues from across the aisle. Although the move for Republicans and Democrats is symbolic, the hope is that it will bring with it a sense of cooperation and bipartisanship. Tune in tonight at 9 p.m. to view the president’s address
Today, the citizens of Souther Sudan began voting on a referendum to determine if they wish to become an independent state. It’s an historical moment, and President Obama has weighed in on the pages of the New York Times:
The historic vote is an exercise in self-determination long in the making, and it is a key part of the 2005 peace agreement that ended the civil war in Sudan. Yet just months ago, with preparations behind schedule, it was uncertain whether this referendum would take place at all. It is for this reason that I gathered with leaders from Sudan and around the world in September to make it clear that the international community was united in its belief that this referendum had to take place and that the will of the people of southern Sudan had to be respected, regardless of the outcome.
In an important step forward, leaders from both northern and southern Sudan — backed by more than 40 nations and international organizations — agreed to work together to ensure that the voting would be timely, peaceful, free and credible and would reflect the will of the Sudanese people. The fact that the voting appears to be starting on time is a tribute to those in Sudan who fulfilled their commitments. Most recently, the government of Sudan said that it would be the first to recognize the south if it voted for independence.
Now, the world is watching, united in its determination to make sure that all parties in Sudan live up to their obligations. As the referendum proceeds, voters must be allowed access to polling stations; they must be able to cast their ballots free from intimidation and coercion. All sides should refrain from inflammatory rhetoric or provocative actions that could raise tensions or prevent voters from expressing their will.
We’ll be following this vote closely on the ONE Blog, so check back for further news and analysis as the voting continues.
Here’s some uplifting news to kick start the new year: President Obama plans to step up US outreach to Africa in 2011, says the Associated Press.
According to Obama aides, he will focus on good governance and supporting nations with strong democratic institutions. He plans to visit several African nations this year, says Ben Rhodes, President Obama’s deputy national security adviser. While it is not certain which countries he will visit, Mr. Rhodes says that it will be those that have demonstrated efforts to advance democracy.
The administration is monitoring more than 30 elections expected across Africa this year, including critical contests in Nigeria and Zimbabwe, reports the AP. “The U.S. is watching and we’re weighing in,” says Mr. Rhodes.
Oct 18th, 2010 4:42 PM UTC
By Field
ONE is hitting the campaign trail to find out where candidates stand on extreme poverty. Stay tuned for more updates like this one from our field team and organizers on the road.
Last night, thirty-two ONE members and I threw on our ONE Vote 2010 shirts and attended a rally on the campus of The Ohio State University, featuring the President and First Lady. We went to raise the profile of ONE and the world’s poorest people, and also to encourage continued US leadership to save lives from HIV/AIDS, malaria and hunger in the developing world. Three of us were able to get up front and even pass a band and say hello to singer John Legend, who performed before the President spoke.
Everyone around us wanted to know what ONE was, and once they heard about our movement to fight extreme poverty and global disease in Africa, we had over fifty people wearing ONE bands and ONE pins!
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Though we were not able to meet the President and First Lady, we are sure that they saw all the ONE shirts and pins in the crowd of over 35,000, and hope that they remember the world’s poorest people!
Only 16 days until the election! Be sure to join us on Facebook and Twitter for frequent updates.
-Beth Kaltenbach, ONE Vote 2010 Organizer, Ohio
