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Campaign Action Updates
AFRICA ACTION
Africa Policy E-Journal
April 30, 2003 (030430)
Africa Action: Action Updates
(Africa Action document)
This posting contains two recent press releases from Africa Action,
one responding tof President Bush's press conference yesterday and
the other issued in advance of last week's demonstration at the
South African Embassy in support of the Treatment Action Campaign
in South Africa. Africa Action joined ACT UP New York and
Philadelphia, Health GAP, African Services Committee and Student
Global AIDS Campaign as co-sponsor of the embassy demonstration
which brought out several hundred people. Similar events were held
around the world, with groups calling attention to the 600 people
a day dying of AIDS in South Africa and the urgency of action to
provide treatment. [A report of the Washington demonstration
appeared in the Washington Post for April 25: see
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35426-2003Apr24.htm
Also included are plain text versions of two new background fact
sheets from Africa Action, for use in local organizing. For
formatted versions of these and additional similar resources, see
http://www.africaaction.org/action/campaign.htm
Another posting today contains additional related updates from the
Treatment Action Campaign, the National Association of People
Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA), and Healthgap.
Also last week, responding to the initiative of Africa Action, the
city of Richmond in West Contra Contra County, California, adopted
a resolution to boycott World Bank bonds until the World Bank
cancells its debt claims against impoverished countries. For a
press release and a copy of the resolution, see
http://www.africaaction.org/desk/pr0304d.htm
+++++++++++++++++end summary/introduction+++++++++++++++++++++++
Africa Action Press Release
April 29, 2003
Contact: Ann-Louise Colgan (202) 546-7961
Africa Action says White House still slow to act on AIDS crisis
Bush promise to Africa not being fulfilled; Money needed now to
fight greatest global threat to human security
Tuesday, April 29, 2003 (Washington, DC) - Today's call from
President Bush for quick action from Congress on the global AIDS
crisis comes in response to pressure from Africa Action and other
groups, demanding a greater U.S. commitment to defeating the AIDS
pandemic.
Salih Booker, Executive Director of Africa Action, said this
afternoon, "The Bush Administration is finally beginning to grasp
the gravity of the AIDS crisis in Africa, and it now acknowledges
that AIDS is the greatest global threat of our time. However, the
White House is still failing to match rhetoric with resources."
In his State of the Union address in January, President Bush
identified Africa's AIDS crisis as a U.S. priority and promised an
'emergency' response. However, the President has requested no new
money for this year (2003), and his budget request for 2004
included only $450 million in new money to fight AIDS. In the Rose
Garden today, President Bush indicated his support for the Hyde
Bill, which would authorize $3 billion for global AIDS in FY2004,
earmarking up to $1 billion of this for the Global Fund to fight
HIV/AIDS. This is at least an improvement over the President's own
request.
Salih Booker said today, "The Hyde Bill represents the minimum that
the U.S. should be doing to fight global AIDS next year and any
attempts by conservatives to restrict this initiative will be seen
for what they are - anti-African in the extreme. Beyond this
authorization bill, money is still urgently needed this year, and
especially for Africa. President Bush made a commitment to saving
lives in Africa, but millions more will die this year unless the
President acts to mobilize money NOW!"
Booker added, "We need an emergency supplemental for this year to
support a war on AIDS. After all, the Bush Administration secured
$79 billion in a supplemental for war in Iraq. Even Secretary of
State Powell has said that AIDS is the biggest threat on the face
of the earth, yet the money needed to fight this threat is not
forthcoming."
Booker continued, "What U.S. policy needs to prioritize is an
increase in money for AIDS this year, specifically support for the
Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS. Next, Africa's illegitimate debts
should be canceled, enabling governments to spend money on health
care instead of debt repayments. Finally, the White House must
break with the pharmaceutical industry and support African
countries' access to cheaper, generic drugs. These measures are
essential to waging a successful war against AIDS."
Africa Action continues to mobilize support across the U.S. for its
Africa's Right to Health Campaign.
For more information, see
http://www.africaaction.org
Africa Action Press Release
April 24, 2003
Contact: Ann-Louise Colgan 202/546-7961
Africa Action Confronts South African Government
AIDS Activists Demand Treatment for People Living with HIV/AIDS;
Protests today at South African Embassy in Washington, DC and
around the World
Thursday, April 24, 2003 (Washington, DC) - This afternoon, Africa
Action will join with AIDS activists around the world in a Global
Day of Protest to demand that the South African government provide
AIDS treatment to all those living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa.
At 1 pm, protestors in Washington, DC will deliver 600 pairs of
shoes to the South African Embassy at 3051 Massachusetts Avenue,
NW. These shoes symbolize the number of people dying in South
Africa each day without access to AIDS medications.
Africa Action's Executive Director, Salih Booker, said today,
"There are nearly 5 million people living with HIV/AIDS in South
Africa. They have a right to health!"
He continued, "Two years ago, we joined with activists around the
world to defeat the pharmaceutical industry's attack on South
African laws promoting access to affordable healthcare. Last year,
following an unsuccessful dialogue with South Africa's Ambassadors
in Washington and New York, Africa Action wrote President Thabo
Mbeki pleading for an aggressive government assault on AIDS and
Poverty. Today, we mourn the unnecessary loss of life resulting
from Pretoria's inaction and we demand treatment access for all!"
The global day of protest was initiated by Treatment Action
Campaign (TAC), a leading grassroots AIDS activist group in South
Africa. Today's actions form part of TAC's campaign to force the
South African government to institute a national HIV/AIDS treatment
plan. Despite massive national and international pressure, the
South African government has refused to support a national plan to
provide treatment and care, including access to anti-retroviral
drugs, to all those living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa.
Salih Booker said today, "South Africa is ground zero of the global
AIDS pandemic. The failure of the government to provide stronger
leadership has allowed the U.S. and other rich countries to evade
their responsibilities to address this human catastrophe. The
lives of all of these people are valuable and the deserve
treatment and care. This is an obligation of the South African
government, and indeed what the liberation movement fought for."
Africa Action is a co-sponsor of today's protest in Washington, DC.
Other sponsors include: ACT UP New York and Philadelphia, Health
GAP, African Services Committee and Student Global AIDS Campaign.
Africa's Right to Health Campaign Fact Sheet
The Color of AIDS: Racism and AIDS in the U.S. and Africa
April 2003
[full formatted version, with graphics, available at
http://www.africaaction.org/action/colorofaids2003.pdf]
"While AIDS is a global threat that does not differentiate by race
or class, and is not confined by borders, it is mainly killing
Black people." - Salih Booker, Africa Action
"More and more, the face of HIV/AIDS is black. If we don't fight
back, we'll lose a generation." - Phill Wilson, The Black AIDS
Institute
HIV/AIDS is a deadly global threat, and no one is immune. But some
people are more vulnerable than others. At home and abroad, AIDS
takes its most devastating toll in poor communities, where people
lack access to adequate health care.
Black people are the most affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis. Africa
is "ground zero" of the global pandemic, home to almost
three-quarters of those living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. The region
with the next highest infection rates is the Caribbean. Here in the
U.S., HIV infection rates are rising rapidly in communities of
color, especially among young people.
HIV/AIDS has become the new "Black Plague". Because most of those
dying are poor and Black, the response of policy-makers to the
spread of HIV/AIDS has been slow and inadequate. U.S. domestic and
foreign policies must give greater priority to defeating HIV/AIDS
where it is most urgent in Black communities here, in the
Caribbean, and throughout the African continent.
AIDS in Africa
- Africa is home to almost 30 million people living with HIV/AIDS
out of 42 million worldwide.
- More than 70% of the AIDS-related deaths to date (as of 2001)
have been in Africa.
- Africa is home to more than 12 million AIDS orphans.
AIDS in the U.S.
- African-Americans represent just under 13% of the U.S.
population, but almost 38% of HIV/AIDS cases.
- More than half of all new HIV infections are among Blacks.
- AIDS-related illnesses are the leading cause of death for
African-American men and women aged 25-44.
Why is the Face of AIDS Black?
In the U.S.
- HIV treatments have reduced AIDS deaths, but treatment and care
is often not available to Black people.
- The U.S. government has not provided adequate funding to meet the
growing needs of Black communities for the AIDS Drug Assistance
Programs (ADAPs) and the Minority AIDS Initiative.
- As a result, HIV infection rates continue to rise in Black
communities across the U.S.
In Africa
- Only 1% of people living with HIV/AIDS have access to
life-prolonging treatment.
- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS is the greatest hope for defeating
AIDS in Africa, but the U.S. refuses to contribute its fair share.
- As a result, nearly 3 million Africans will die of AIDS this year
without treatment.
Racism and apathy cost millions of Black lives every year.
The fight against Racism and AIDS will only be successful when
Black people around the world come together to defeat this deadly
threat to our common humanity.
Take Action! If You Don't, Who Will?
EDUCATE!
Plan an event with your church, on campus or in your community to
raise awareness about about HIV/AIDS in Africa. Africa Action can
provide speakers and other educational resources.
ORGANIZE!
Join the Africa's Right to Health Campaign! Contact Africa Action
tolearn about a local coalition in your area.
MOBILIZE!
Plan a call-in or e-mail day to pressure the White House to support
greater funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and the Global
AIDS Fund: White House Comment Line: 202.465.1111. President Bush's
e-mail address: president@whitehouse.gov
Africa's Right to Health Campaign Fact Sheet
Africa's Debt Fueling the fire of AIDS
April 2003
[full formatted version, with graphics, available at
http://www.africaaction.org/action/debt2003.pdf]
"Every child in Africa is born with a financial burden which a
lifetime's work cannot repay. This debt is a new form of slavery,
as vicious as the slave trade." All-Africa Conference of Churches
Africa is the world's poorest region, and most of its people live
on less than $1 a day... but African countries owe $300 billion in
foreign debt. This is a huge financial burden on the people of
Africa. While African countries struggle to cope with the HIV/AIDS
crisis and with extreme poverty, they must spend millions more on
debt repayments than on their own urgent priorities.
Africa's debts are owed to rich country governments like the U.S.
and Britain, and to international financial institutions, like the
World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), which are
controlled by these governments. Each year, the poorest countries
in Africa are forced to pay more money to these wealthy creditors
than they receive in aid or in new loans. This debt gives these
foreign creditors great power over Africa's economies and over the
continent's future.
Debt is the greatest economic obstacle to African efforts to combat
the HIV/AIDS crisis. Debt repayments rob $15 billion from the
continent every year. This money could be used to provide health
care to millions of people and to fund the war on HIV/AIDS. But it
is instead being taken away by foreign governments and
institutions. Africa's debts must be canceled to allow Africa's
people to control their own resources and direct them towards their
real priorities combating poverty and the HIV/AIDS crisis.
Africa's Debt Toll The human cost of debt
HEALTH. Most African countries are forced to spend more money each
year on debt repayments than on health care for their people. $10
billion per year could turn the tide of the HIV/AIDS crisis in
Africa. But African governments are still paying $15 billion per
year to rich country creditors. Nearly 3 million Africans will die
of AIDS-related illnesses this year, and 500,000 African children
will die of malaria, while rich countries get richer at Africa's
expense.
EDUCATION. Many African countries have had to cut spending on
education in order to repay foreign debts. In 2002, 10 African
governments spent more on debt repayments than on health care and
primary education combined. Meanwhile, 42 million school-age
children in Africa are not enrolled in school. If Africa's debts
were canceled, spending on education could be doubled.
Africa's Debts are Illegitimate
- Many loans being repaid by African countries were made to Cold
War era dictators whom Africa's people did not choose and who used
the money to repress them. Example: In South Africa, the apartheid
regime took out more than $18 billion in foreign debt in its final
15 years in power. The victims of the apartheid regime should not
now be forced to pay for their previous repression.
- Many loans being repaid by African countries were made to corrupt
leaders who kept this money for themselves and added it to their
own personal wealth. Example: In the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC), formerly Zaire, dictator Mobutu Sese-Seko received
more U.S. aid than the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa combined during
much of the Cold War, even though it was known that this money was
being diverted into his Swiss bank accounts. The people of the DRC
should not now have to pick up the tab for loans from which they
saw no benefit.
- African countries' debts have swelled massively over time as a
result of skyrocketing interest rates and harmful economic policies
forced on these countries by creditors. Example: Nigeria originally
borrowed $5 billion from foreign governments and institutions. It
has paid back $16 billion, but its debt still stands at $32
billion.
- African countries do not owe the U.S. and European countries
these countries owe Africa for the wealth and resources they have
stolen from the continent over centuries. Who really owes whom?
Cancel Africa's debt NOW!
Africa's debts are illegitimate and they should be canceled. Debt
cancellation is a matter of justice. It is also a matter of common
sense. African efforts to defeat HIV/AIDS cannot succeed until the
outward flow of money to foreign creditors is stopped. Debt
cancellation can make a real difference to people's lives: In
Mozambique, Senegal and Mali, debt relief has provided resources to
fight HIV/AIDS and to improve health care.
The current debt relief plan of the World Bank and IMF, the Heavily
Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, has failed to resolve
Africa's debt crisis. It has given some limited debt relief to some
African countries, but most are still paying billions of dollars in
debt repayments each year.
What is needed is outright debt cancellation. The World Bank and
IMF, the main creditors of Africa's debt, can afford to write off
these debts. But they refuse to do so because they want to retain
control over Africa's economies. The U.S. is the leading voice and
most powerful shareholder in the World Bank and IMF. It should use
its power to achieve debt cancellation for Africa NOW.
Take Action! If You Don't, Who Will?
EDUCATE!
Plan an event with your church, on campus or in your community to
raise awareness about Africa's debt crisis and how it undermines
the fight against HIV/AIDS. Africa Action can provide speakers and
other educational resources.
ORGANIZE!
Join the Africa's Right to Health Campaign! Contact Africa Action
to learn about a local coalition in your area.
MOBILIZE!
Stop one of the major institutions blocking debt cancellation for
Africa by Boycotting the World Bank! Contact Africa Action to learn
how to start a planning committee to urge your church, university
or city council to take a stand for debt cancellation in support of
Africa's Right to Health!
+++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++
Date distributed (ymd): 030430
Region: Continent-Wide
Issue Areas: +economy/development+ +health+ +US Policy Focus+
The Africa Action E-Journal is a free information service provided
by Africa Action, including both original commentary and reposted
documents. Africa Action provides this information and analysis in
order to promote U.S. and international policies toward Africa
that advance economic, political and social justice and the full
spectrum of human rights.
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