Great news! Belgium, has become the first country to make a commitment of funds to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) third replenishment campaign. Julia Gillard, former Australian Prime Minister and Chair of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), says the global education crisis needs to be at the front of the minds of all world leaders. "Prime ministers and presidents need to see education as a necessary investment, akin to the investments they make in national infrastructure and defense."
Canada too, will soon make a commitment of desperately needed funds to the GPE for the next three years. We reminded Mr. Trudeau that Education is the foundation of economic growth and stability, and a pathway out of poverty and aid dependency. Now is the time for Canada to step up with a commitment that makes us all feel proud to be Canadians. Let’s show the world that working together we can have all children in school.
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May 18, 2017 marked the 20th anniversary of HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, an opportunity to recognize the many volunteers, health professionals, and scientists who are working together to find a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV. It was also a day to educate communities about the importance of HIV vaccine research.
In the following article, the author discusses the current biomedical and behavioral prevention options currently available to achieving the UNAIDS goal of Zero new infections and the factors hindering our ability to stop new HIV infections entirely. We are reminded that although scientists have been searching for an HIV vaccine for 30 years, this is not a long time when compared to the time taken for the discovery of vaccines for other diseases. To read Click here
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GRAN agrees with AIDS-Free World when it says, "Child marriage is not merely a harmful traditional practice: it is a crime, it is child labour in its worst form, and it is a complete violation of a girl’s human rights." AIDS-Free World is pushing the International Labour Organization (ILO) to classify girls who are forced into marriages as child labourers. http://childmarriageischildlabour.com/problem/
If you happen to be a union member, you can join the campaign by signing the letter to the ILO Click here
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64 million more children are attending primary school in 2014 compared to 2002, only one of the many ways the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is making a difference. This week the GPE launched a new funding drive that will ask governments, development organizations and philanthropists to increase their financial commitments to education. “The Case for Investment” is the theme for the GPE's third replenishment drive and this theme describes why investing in education is crucial to achieving not just the education global goal but also prosperity and security for the world. GPE's ambitious goal is to deliver better learning and equity outcomes for 870 million children and youth in 89 countries by 2030. Have a look at the “Case for Investment” to learn more and to read about the stories of some of the GPE’s success stories in sub Saharan Africa.
http://www.globalpartnership.org/content/gpe-replenishment-2020-case-investment
April 25th is World Malaria Day - a day to celebrate the strides made, but more importantly to contemplate what still must be done in order to eradicate this killer disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Read here a statement issued by the Commissioner of Social Affairs for the African Union Commission.
An extra $60 million a year to Canadian corporations that invest in 'Africa" does not make up for the Government’s failure to increase aid funding in the 2017 budget.
Morneau has the funds to establish a Development Finance Institution but in the meantime what happens to the 50 million children who can’t go to school because there are insufficient funds?
Funds are needed NOW to build schools, train teachers, buy supplies AND to put into place anti-poverty tools to support local initiatives such as a development finance institution (DFI). It is not an either/or situation. The developing world needs both and Canada must do both. The desperate need for children to go to school must be a more important priority for Canada’s foreign aid. Click here to read what Minister Morneau has to say.
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We can take action to support the vaccination of all children under five years of age by signing an e-petition on the Parliamentary website; write to our MP’s; or tweet our support. The attached article contains all the information you need to support whatever action you choose. Click here
Leaving Nobody Behind: The Crucial Role of Vaccines in Child Health
“The challenge before us is reaching, with the miracle of vaccines, the 1.5 million disadvantaged children under five who still die every year from diseases we can prevent.”– Anthony Lake, Executive Director, UNICEF
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On March 27th, 2017 The international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) filed a patent challenge on the Hepatitis C drug Sofosbuvir with the European Patent Office (EPO) in an effort to increase access to affordable Hepatitis C treatment. MSF has joined Médecins du Monde (MdM) and other civil society organisations from 17 countries in simultaneously filing patent challenges on the pharmaceutical corporation Gilead’s monopoly on Sofosbuvir, in a bid to remove the barriers that prevent millions of people receiving treatment.
GRANs may be disappointed that last week’s budget provided no increase to Official Development Assistance (ODA), but we remain persistent and optimistic, remembering the words of Mahatma Gandhi:
“It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. .. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.”
Read the statement on the budget by our ally, RESULTS Canada:
Our goal continues to be ensuring that Canadian government supports policies and programs that improve living conditions for African grandmothers and their communities.
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grandmothersadvocacy@gmail.com
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