Make your voice heard on PEPFAR: Arrange an in-district lobbying meeting!

Last week, AID students across the country took an important step toward ending poverty and combating the spread of HIV/AIDS by participating in the webcast with Dr. Helene Gayle (check out the video here) and contacting their legislators in support of PEPFAR reauthorization.

Now, you can take the next step: We will work with you to arrange an in-district lobbying meeting in your Senator or Representative’s local office in order to support PEPFAR reauthorization.  We stand at a historic point in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, and you have the power to make sure this is a fight we can win: 

Why now? 
Congress is currently considering a bill that addresses the global HIV/AIDS pandemic.  This bill— the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 (H.R. 5501)—will have wide-ranging impacts upon millions of men, women, and children around the world.  We have an opportunity to ensure that this bill is a momentous step toward creating an equitable and sustainable world by:

• Providing adequate funding to fight global AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis;
• Training a sufficient number of healthcare professionals in low-income countries;
• Eliminating certain provisions of the previous bill that have constrained successful prevention of HIV/AIDs and international family planning.

What can you do?
You have the power to accomplish all of these things by meeting with your legislator as part of the Global Health Week of Action (March 24-28th).  During this time your congressperson will be home in your district as part of the congressional recess. AID is organizing students around the country to visit their Senator or Representative’s local office in order to advocate for PEPFAR reauthorization and ask that they support the current bill (H.R 5501), which was approved by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on February 27. 

In-district lobbying is a powerful advocacy tool that allows you to have a face-to-face meeting in order to educate your Senator or Representative, express your concerns, and encourage you legislator to take action to support the bill in its current form. We are providing mini-grants, background materials, and guidance to help you ensure that the U.S. plays a leadership role in promoting global health, ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic and eradicating preventable diseases.

We have developed a number of materials to facilitate your in-district meetings.  Please download these documents which will help you schedule and prepare for these critical meetings:

• Click here for a how-to guide to setting up a meeting with your Representative or Senator's office
• Click here for background information and talking points related to women, HIV/AIDS, and PEPFAR reauthorization
• You can download the materials for The Leave Behind Packet here.
• Click here to watch a short how-to video that demonstrates how to conduct a lobbying meeting.
  
  
  

In addition to all of these materials, AID and CARE will work with each group to review the talking points and prepare for their meetings.

As soon as your in-district meeting is scheduled, click here to register for a conference call with us to address questions, concerns, and prepare for your in-district meeting or contact Sam Schabacker at sam@aidemocracy.org

Now is a historic moment.  Come and join us as we work together to halt the HIV/AIDS pandemic.