INTERFAITH STATEMENT TO END GLOBAL POVERTY

%uFFFD The World Bank estimates that 1.1 billion people live in extreme poverty. These people get by on less than $1 per day. This means they cannot meet basic needs for survival. They are chronically hungry; unable to get health care, lack safe drinking water and sanitation, cannot afford rudimentary shelter and basic articles of clothing. This is poverty that kills. According to Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute, an estimated eight to ten million people die each year as the world does too little to help them stay alive. UNICEF reports that more than 26,000 children
under the age of five die around the world each day, mostly from preventable causes.

Fortunately, President Bush signed the 2002 Monterrey Consensus, which urged all developed countries that have not done so to provide 0.7% of income as official developmental assistance. Five nations are already at or above that level. (The United States is currently at 0.16%.) The phrase %u201CPoint 7 Now%u201D refers to the commitment made by developed countries to increase foreign aid to poor countries to 0.7% of a developed country%u2019s national income. At the same time, poor developing countries have promised reforms to improve transparency, democracy and anti-corruption
efforts to ensure that increased foreign aid would reduce poverty.

We are asking our federal legislators for real and effective support for increasing the amount of aid that the United States provides so that the United Nations%u2019 Millennium Development Goals can be implemented and the goal of eliminating the worst of the world%u2019s poverty can be accomplished by 2015.

The United Nations%u2019 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were set by 189 world leaders at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000. They are an eight-point road map with measurable targets and clear deadlines for improving the lives of the world%u2019s poorest people. World leaders have agreed to achieve the MDGs by 2015.

Goal 1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
Goal 2 Achieve universal primary education.
Goal 3 Promote gender equality and empower women.
Goal 4 Reduce child mortality.
Goal 5 Improve maternal health.
Goal 6 Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
Goal 7 Ensure environmental sustainability.
Goal 8 Develop a global partnership for development.

Our faith traditions emphasize the brotherhood and sisterhood of the human family. When one of us suffers, all suffer. We cannot stand idly by while our sisters and brothers on our planet, especially the children, are dying for the lack of life%u2019s basic necessities.

As a nation, we spend 1.5 billion dollars a day for war. 1.5 billion dollars would be equal to five years of malaria protection for all of Africa.

We, as people of faith, hear the call of these people and we urge all of our memberships to join in asking Congress to keep America%u2019s promise and raise the amount of aid we provide to these poorest of the poor to 0.7% of our national income.