World Vision ACT:S is a network of young people committed to exploring what our faith says about poverty and injustice, using creative activism to bring issues to life and change hearts, and using our voices to advocate on AIDS, malaria, hunger, and child slavery.
If you are not already a member of ACT:S, we encourage you to check out our About page and join the ACT:S network for bi-weekly e-mail updates.
Below are the latest stories, resources, and campaigns. If you would like to contribute, e-mail acts@worldvision.org.
Congress falls short on promise: the fight for $1 billion
By Craig Jaggers, World Vision health policy advisor
For most children in Africa, mosquito bites that pass on malaria are a lethal threat. And now, programs to combat this killer disease are at risk as a House appropriations subcommittee just bit off nearly 70 percent of the increase in the president's request for malaria programs -- an amount already short of the $1 billion a year commitment the United States made in 2008.
If action isn't taken, malaria funding could be limited to $615 million in fiscal year 2011, $70 million below the president's request and far short of the congressional promise to provide $1 billion a year.
ACT NOW: Ask Congress to keep its promises and protect funds to end malaria!
These cuts are not merely for the sake of fiscal austerity, as the committee provided increases above the president's request in other accounts.
This is a critical moment, and for those of us who care about protecting children from this lethal disease, a time for action. It's not too late to provide more funding for malaria, but Congress needs to hear that people care. The full House of Representatives will need to vote on the appropriations bill, and the Senate has not yet taken action on the appropriations bill affecting global health. Action now could make all the difference.
ACT NOW: Ask Congress to keep its promises and protect funds to end malaria!
Trafficking in my hometown
By Lauren Seibert, World Vision ACT:S Fellow
I came home from college in May to find my sister reading “Half The Sky,” a book by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn that explores the oppression of women across the world, focusing especially on sex trafficking and gender-based violence. “You should read this,” my sister prodded me. Dutifully, I plunked it on top of the stack of books I planned to read this summer.
OUR VOICES COUNT: Your advocacy helps make our laptops and cell phones "conflict free"
OUR VOICES COUNT! Thanks to many of your advocacy actions, Congress has passed the "Conflict Minerals Act." By passing this bill, Congress took an important step today toward giving American consumers and companies assurance their laptop and cell phone purchases won't fund violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Critical provisions addressing so-called "conflict minerals" were included in the Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 passed by Congress. These provisions will require companies to file documentation with the Security and Exchange Commission, demonstrating that the minerals purchased from the DRC or adjoining countries are not sourced from a conflict zone. These filings will be subject to independent audits to make sure they are accurate and legitimate.
ACT NOW: Thank Congress for passing the Conflict Minerals Trade Act!
How did Haiti affect you personally?
By: James Addis, Senior Editor World Vision Magazine
Today, I am working from a comfortable office. Six months ago, I was on a plane to Haiti to report on one of the worst earthquakes in human history—one that killed more than 220,000 people. My work environment there included overcrowded hospitals and hastily set-up displaced people’s camps that lacked water and sanitation.
One question I was sometimes asked after returning home was: “How did Haiti affect you personally?” That’s not easy to say. There was a range of emotions. Some experiences were heartbreaking. I’ll never forget the corpses of children lying in the streets and the people trying to dig relatives out of the rubble using small crowbars and flimsy hacksaws.
Discover Biblical Role Model in Acts: Barnabas – Son of Encouragement
By: Brittany Peters, Faith and Justice Fellow
“Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet” (Acts 4:36-37).
Throughout the book of Acts, we read about Barnabas and his encouraging spirit. Barnabas is a man who gives generously. He not only gives away his possessions but also freely gives his time and energy to bring encouragement to others. The fact that the apostles decided to rename him to fit who he was, tells us a lot about him.
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Connect with us at: acts@worldvision.org or 1-888-876-2004.
ACT:S is the activism network for World Vision. World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. |
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