Malaka is editor of the ONE Blog and writes about a variety of topics on ONE's core issues. Before joining ONE, she was a producer at Al Jazeera English and contributed to the network’s coverage of the 2008 US presidential election and the War on Gaza. She was also a social media strategist at Virilion, a digital media agency, and a daily blogger for political humor website Wonkette.
Action: 40. Time: 15 minutes. Level of difficulty: Easy.
This is a picture of me and some of my playmates when I was 5 years old. I am the chubby one in the center, with the white and red dress on. I don’t remember whose birthday we were celebrating, but the point is that all six of us in the photo made it to the age of 5.
Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla.,gave a big foreign policy speech at the Brookings Institution yesterday. In his remarks, he explored what Americans need to do at this juncture, abroad and at home, to adapt and prepare for the changing international environment in the years ahead. And once again, he expressed his support for US foreign aid, as outlined in his comments below:
Former BP CEO John Browne wrote a powerful op-ed calling for strong EU transparency rules in the Financial Times today. A veteran of the oil and gas industry (he worked at BP for 10 years and helped establish the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative), Lord Browne’s support may help influence decision makers and industry leaders take greater action on oil sector transparency. As you know, extractives transparency is an issue that we’ve been pushing hard on at ONE, so we consider this piece a big win in our fight against corruption.
His opinion on the issue is clearly outlined in the statement below:
“It is now time for Europe to mandate that energy companies disclose the details of payments they make to foreign governments… This law could transform the lives of millions of people in some of the world’s poorest countries. But it will only work if it requires companies to disclose all the important details of their payments.”
He also calls for the UK and other EU leaders to stand up to Big Oil:
“As a key party in the Council negotiations, the UK must stand firm. The coalition government should stick to the statement made by David Cameron in Lagos last year, where he called on Europe to introduce ‘legally binding measures to require oil, gas and mining companies to publish key financial information for each project and country they work on’. At the same time, other European leaders should show their mettle, and resist attempts to water down the legislation. As a driving force behind the EITI, and a champion of good governance, Germany in particular should support this law.”
Thank you Lord Browne for taking such a strong stance against corruption — we hope you’ll continue to champion transparency throughout our fight.
To read the full article, go to the Financial Times’ website (you need a subscription to read the article).
This week, we sent five ONE bloggers to Ghana to witness the GAVI Alliance’s historic roll out of two new life-saving vaccines that will protect children from rotavirus and pneumonia, the biggest killers of children under age five in the developing world. They’ve been prepping for this trip for weeks, and now that it’s showtime, these bloggers are documenting every aspect of their journey — and doing a pretty darn good job considering their jet lag.
Here’s a few updates of what happened today:
ONE Mom Amy Graffwrote a post on the BabyCenter Blog about why vaccinators are the real heroes. “Today there’s no reason for a child to become severely ill or die from the rotavirus. Vaccines are available and a single life-saving poke costs just a few dollars,” she reflects.
Action: 39. Time: 25 minutes. Level of difficulty: Moderate.
Do you know any extraordinary activists who, in addition to their everyday jobs and lives, help those who need it most? Inspire others to do the same? Make an impact in alleviating issues like homelessness and hunger?
President Obama giving the Presidential Citizen Medals to the winners in 2011. Photo credit: The White House.
Well, jot down their names and remember their stories, because this year, President Obama is accepting nominations for the Presidential Citizens Medal, an award that recognizes Americans who have “performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens.”
Earlier today, ONE CEO and President Michael Elliott participated in “Close the Gap: Safety Nets Work,” a live series of interviews with the World Bank to kick off the World Bank-IMF 2012 Spring Meetings.
Photo credit: @WorldBankPhotos
The live webcast, which included interviews with World Bank President Robert Zoellick, NBA All-Star Dikembe Mutombo, Dinky Soliman of the Philippines’ Department of Social Welfare and Development and other development champions highlighted the impact of safety net programs, which drastically change lives in middle- and low-income countries.
In addition to answering the World Bank’s questions, Michael Elliott also answered questions from ONE and the World Bank’s Twitter feeds and Facebook pages.
Last week, G8 foreign ministers from the UK, Germany, Italy, Canada, Russia, the US, France and Japan met in Washington, D.C., to discuss how to increase global peace and security ahead of the G8 Summit in May.
G8 foreign ministers earlier this week. Photo credit: US State Department
Traditionally, the G8 foreign ministers’ meeting focuses on topics like the war on terror and reducing weapons of mass destruction, but we were pleased to learn that the ministers will additionally prioritize smart and effective global health, agriculture and nutrition plans at this year’s Summit. World leaders can and should do more to get behind tested and affordable programs that will help break the cycle of preventable disease, malnutrition and poverty — and this commitment toward our issues is a step in the right direction.
Right now, some of the world's biggest oil companies are fighting to keep some of their deals with foreign governments secret. Let's tell big oil we won't be bullied.
Cuts to poverty-fighting programs won't balance the budget, but they will set back progress on Canada's development priorities and risk jeopardizing existing investments.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
