Category Archives: Advocacy

Don’t leave child health up to chance — Highlights from the G20 Summit in France

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Laura Blank in Advocacy

Highlights from the G20 Summit in Paris | World Vision blog

This week in Paris, world leaders are meeting at the annual G20 Summit. I’m here with my media, government relations, and child health colleagues from around the globe who work tirelessly, not just this week but every week of the year, to bring attention to child health issues around the world. As part of our awareness campaign at this year’s G20, World Vision urged Parisians to participate in a game of chance, spinning a colorful wheel to see what kind of life they might live based simply on where they were born. Chance dictates where each of us is born – and whether or not we will have enough to eat, be able to attend school, or live to see...

G20 outlook: Will food security agenda remain priority at Cannes summit?

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Adam Taylor in Advocacy

The following is an excerpt from Adam Taylor’s post on The Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ Global Food for Thought Blog. * * * This weekend, American families will be preparing their Halloween costumes and loading up on last minute candy purchases. On Monday night, most American children will be walking the dark streets in ghoulish costumes and returning home happy with bags full of sweets. For the next few weeks they will consume way more than the minimum calories (1,500 Kcal per day for a child) needed for their development while an estimated one billion people will go to bed hungry....

Should U.S. give a free pass to countries that use child soldiers?

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Jesse Eaves in Advocacy, Conversations

As a humanitarian worker, a child protection expert, and as a U.S. citizen, I have certain expectations — some call them naive ideals — that the U.S. government will work to reduce the vulnerability of children around the world and here in the United States. Laws like the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the PROTECT Act, and the Child Soldier Prevention Act have all set in place strict policies that made America the global leader in working to prevent and respond to vulnerability among children. That’s why, on October 4, I was angry, and, to be honest, feeling slightly betrayed. On October 4, the Obama administration announced the latest round of guidelines outlining how, for the second year in a row,...

French first baby already a winner in the geographic lottery

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Lindsey Talerico-Hedren in Advocacy, Causes

Maybe you’re like me: You have a sudden feeling of joy every time you hear of a baby being born, or a newly announced pregnant mother-to-be. Two months ago, I sat in the hospital, awaiting the birth of my new nephew, ready to hear the sweet melody of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” that’s played each time a baby is born. It’s the same feeling of joy I had earlier this week, hearing the announcement of the birth of the daughter of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. I recall when we heard the wonderful news in May that the Sarkozys were expecting — around the same time G8 leaders gathered in France to discuss issues of economic and...

Should we pray for our public leaders as much as we pray for ourselves?

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Robert Zachritz in Advocacy

Should we pray for our public leaders? | World Vision blog

Should we pray for our public leaders as much as we pray for ourselves? When praying for our elected officials, what should we be praying for? These are the questions I ask myself every year around this time in October as the first of the month marked the start of a new fiscal year for our federal government. That means some reflection on the past fiscal year, including major accomplishments and major deficits regarding federal policies. In my position at World Vision, these are especially important. October 1 is also the first day of a new fiscal year for World Vision offices. To appropriately honor the day, our staff members, volunteers, and World Vision supporters from all around the world...