Each year, Physicians for Peace — an organization devoted to building peace and international friendships through medicine — grants the Charles E. Horton Award for Humanitarian Service to the individual who has demonstrated “extraordinary and selfless humanitarian service to alleviate human suffering, particularly in low-income societies.”

President Bill Clinton Accepts Physicians for Peace CEH Humanitarian Award 2010 from Physicians for Peace on Vimeo.

According to the Physicians for Peace Chairman of the Board, Buzz Heidt, “The President has demonstrated time and time again his personal commitment to helping others throughout his career, but most dramatically with his relief and recovery efforts following the tsunami in the Indian Ocean, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and now, in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti.”

I know that this is the third award that we’ve mentioned today (after the World Food Prize and the Apps4Africa award), but please watch to the video and help us congratulate President Clinton for his hard work and admirable efforts. Thank you, President Clinton for all you do!

ONE thanks our partners at Physicians for Peace and Congressman Bobby Scott for their efforts to help the people of Haiti. As ONE members, we have to continue our advocacy efforts to support long-term development goals for Haiti and for countries throughout the developing world. Click here to take action!

While applauding Americans’ swift and generous response after the natural disaster in Haiti, Congressman Scott was quick to remind us that “global health and poverty are important every day, not just in times of crisis.” He added, “We must find a way to translate our concern for humanity into sustained policy efforts that will strengthen the global community and lead to a safer and healthier world.” The congressman emphasized that helping the poorest countries in the world lift themselves from extreme poverty is not only a moral imperative, but in our own national security interest.

The panel echoed this sentiment and asked the audience to continue their advocacy to fight poverty and preventable disease throughout the developing world. Hampton University students immediately responded with plans to start an OCC chapter on campus! Watch out, Power 100! More news from HU, including video of the panel discussion, to come!

American Red Cross
Read a situation report from President and CEO Gail McGovern.

AmeriCares
Chief of Staff Carol Shattuck recounts her experience on AmeriCares first emergency airlift to help Haiti with earthquake and humanitarian relief.

CARE
A story from the field by Rick Perera.

Catholic Relief Services
CRS turns a golf course into a relief camp in Port-au-Prince.

Concern Worldwide
Program Officer Susan Finucane offers a video update of Concern’s work on the ground in Port-au-Prince.

Leon H. Sullivan Foundation
“In the aftermath of the largest earthquake to hit the Caribbean nation of Haiti in more than two centuries, the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation has initiated a relief effort to help meet the population’s immediate needs and participate in long-term efforts to restore normalcy to a country plagued by natural disasters.

“To merely replace the unsound buildings and feed people temporarily will not be enough. My organization is working on projects to help Haiti and its people become more self-sufficient over the long term,” said Hope Masters, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Sullivan Foundation. “We who have so much must never forget to help those who have so little.”

Mercy Corps
Cassandra Nelson, Director of Multimedia Projects, talks with CNN.

Oxfam America
A blog update from staff member Coco McCabe on the ground in San Juan. Also, a video on distributing water in Haiti.

Partners in Health
An on-the-ground update from Dr. Evan Lyon, who has been working at the general hospital in Port-au-Prince since Saturday.

Physicians for Peace
A blog update and photos from Dr. Lisbet Hanson in Haiti. Also, Physicians for Peace will be holding a collection drive in Norfolk, VA this Saturday.

Save the Children
Save the Children sets up child friendly spaces in Haiti.

TransAfrica Forum
An online resource for the latest news on the earthquake and its aftermath. TransAfrica Forum also held a candlelight vigil at the Haitian Embassy in Washington DC earlier this afternoon.

World Food Programme
“Within the next week, we aim to move the equivalent of 10 million ready-to-eat meals so that people whose homes have been destroyed, and who have no access to cooking facilities, can feed their families,” said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran. “We are also procuring 4.2 million rations of supplementary ready-to-use foods specifically designed to give children the calories and nutrition they need each day.”

From Physicians for Peace:

News continues to come in from our partners in Haiti about the incredible devastation and the challenges of treating those in need. Dr. Lisbet Hanson, an Ob/Gyn who has done extensive work in Haiti to help expectant mothers, sends these reports from her Blackberry:

“Internet out today. Too busy anyway. Going to lie down for a while, then head back to help. Delivered twins, have set bones, helped with amputations, sutured, started IVs, washed wounds, done emergency ultrasounds… So much trauma, not enough of us to go around. Mirabelais standing room only. Patients are leaving Port-au-Prince any way they can. We are triaging patients in ED and church here in Cange. Stepping over people in shock with arms dangling, bones exposed.. It’s unbelievable…”

“Unbelievable day and its just getting started as people find their way out of Port-au-Prince to other hospitals. So many traumatic amputations, open fractures, puncture wounds and crush injuries…. We need orthopods and anesthesia people, lots of them. And more mattresses as wards full and churches filling. Will try to send photos when I can. If Partners In Health team can get here to replace us we are thinking of heading to DR end of the week. Will stay in touch. Thanks for support.”

It’s a fascinating, on-the-ground look at the progress being made to improve child and maternal health. You can read her reports here.

The volunteers are working with local clinics there as part of a larger goal of helping sub-Saharan African countries reach the Millennium Development Goals. They are also there to provide education “so that those who are assisting during labor will have the knowledge they need to help prevent trauma to the mother and protect the health of the baby.”

Robin documents days 1 and 2 of her trip here, and days 3 and 4 here. She also managed to snap these great photos:

Sheila Nix, ONE’s US Executive Director, accepted the award on behalf of all of the outstanding ONE members who raise awareness and engage their elected officials on issues of global poverty as advocates for the world’s poorest people.

The first ever Horton award recipient, Dr. Jeffery Sachs, recorded a special message for the event to congratulate ONE:

We would especially like to thank General Ron Sconyers and the PFP team for this great honor and a wonderful event this Saturday. Look forward to posting about future collaborations with Physicians for Peace!

-Margaret McDonnell and Lauren Conn

We’d also like to thank the people who made this award possible: ONE members like you. In choosing ONE as the recipient of the Charles E. Horton Humanitarian Award for Global Health, Physicians for Peace honors the efforts of all ONE members for raising awareness, taking action and serving as advocates for the world’s poorest people.

The Physicians for Peace Gala Reception will take place this Saturday, 3 Oct 2009 at 6:30pm at Convention Center in VA Beach. You can find more information here.

-Lauren Conn

This award is bestowed in honor of the late Physicians for Peace founder, Charles E. Horton, M.D. Horton, an internationally recognized humanitarian, founded Physicians for Peace in 1989. Through Horton’s leadership, the organization has touched the lives of thousands of patients and doctors in more than 50 countries around the world. Past recipients include Senator Bill Frist, former co-chair of ONE Vote ’08, and Professor Jeffery Sachs.

ONE’s U.S. Executive Director Sheila Nix said, “ONE is deeply honored to receive the Charles E. Horton Humanitarian Award for Global Health, an award whose namesake continues to inspire action and hope in the fight against global poverty and disease. Today, effective advocacy is more important than ever in supporting results-driven efforts that fight poverty, combat preventable disease, put children in school and create economic opportunity for the world’s poor. As exemplified by organizations like Physicians for Peace, huge advances against disease and poverty are being made every day thanks to smart programs and strong local leadership in developing countries. We are humbled to join the ranks of former award recipients Senator Bill Frist and Professor Jeffrey Sachs, and we thank Physicians for Peace for this honor.”

The award will be presented during Physicians for Peace’s Celebrate the Nations Gala Reception on October 3, 2009 in Virginia Beach, Va. Stay tuned for more information about the Gala and our ongoing partnership with PFP!

-Lauren Conn