GLOBAL ACTION ALERT: Call for "Justice for Children" Action Network (JCAN) by 1 February 2011:
Today is 30 Days Until Global Marches for Justice on 17 January 2011
Daily Blog on the Birth of the Justice Movement by Dr. Paul S. Zeitz
all prior blogs can be found at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-paul-zeitzby Dr. Paul S. Zeitz
Sunday, 19 December 2010
Potomac, Maryland-outside of Washington, D.C.
30 Days Until the "Global Marches for Justice" in Washington, D.C., around the USA and the World on 17January 2011
Justice for Children Action Network (J-CAN)
A Local-to-Global Platform to Advance Universal Child Rights and Children's Well-Being, NOW!
DESIRED OUTCOME:
Justice for Children Action Network (J-CAN) Launched by 1 February 2011
I.CONTEXT
There is growing momentum to address the needs of children in crisis. Multiple initiatives are advancing interventions on pediatric AIDS, orphans and vulnerable children, basic education, and childhood survival, among other issues. But there is little or no systematic coordination among these efforts, and more needs to be done to ensure that resources directly benefit children on a sustained, results-oriented basis. As a matter of urgency, more effective efforts to advance children's well-being are needed to develop sustainable solutions to the HIV epidemic; to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and UNICEF's framework for Supporting the Realization of Children's Rights Through a Rights-Based Approach to Legislative Reform; and to ensure compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In tandem with the launch of the "Justice for Children" Action Network, the creation of the Justice Movement and a March for Justice on January 17, 2011 it envisioned to support the J-CAN. Update information can be found on www.justicemovementnow.net
II."JUSTICE FOR CHILDREN" ACTION NETWORK (J-CAN)
Stakeholders are invited to join in the "Justice for Children" Action Network (J-CAN) that will provide a new platform that can build on the combined expertise and experience of global efforts to date. In particular, we believe that a local-to-global advocacy network will play an essential role in holding stakeholders accountable for their commitments to the world's children; accelerating national-level scale-up of effective programs to promote children's well-being; and translating the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child into robust child protection systems at the country level.
Justice for Children Action Network Advocacy Priorities
In keeping with the local-to-global advocacy model described above, the Justice for Children Action Network will convene U.S., global, and country-level stakeholders in order to identify shared advocacy priorities and develop agreed-upon advocacy action plans for targeting key stakeholders, including donors, multilaterals, and implementing country governments. While this advocacy action planning process will be essential to ensuring that the network's advocacy reflects country-level needs and priorities, it is possible to outline some additional priorities for further consideration by the network's partners:
1.End Pediatric HIV/AIDS: The Justice for Children Action Network will focus on opportunities to accelerate progress toward CEPA's agreed-upon advocacy objectives, which include (1) family-centered care and nutrition; (2) early infant diagnosis and treatment; (3) access to appropriate medicines and commodities; (4) full funding to eliminate pediatric HIV/AIDS; (5) on-the-ground programming to accelerate the elimination of pediatric HIV/AIDS; (6) overcome human resources crisis; and (7) overcome stigma and discrimination. The complete nexus of CEPA's advocacy priorities is attached as Appendix V.
2.Accelerate Universal Basic Education: The Justice for Children Action Network's key priorities for ensuring that all children receive a high-quality basic education are to:
•Promote the creation of an independent, transparent, and robust Global Fund for Education or reformed Education for All-Fast Track Initiative.
•Continue to participate in the Global Campaign for Education, U.S. Chapter, and work to mobilize support for passage of the Education for All Act.
•Advocate for at least $2 billion in U.S. government support for global education.
3.Ensure Comprehensive Care and Support for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children: The Justice for Children Action Network will continue GAA and GAC's longstanding focus on scaling up a multisectoral response to the crisis of orphans and vulnerable children. In particular, we will seek to advance the following policy goals:
•Advocate with Congress for full funding for PEPAR and the P.L. 109-95 Secretariat, as well as increased U.S. contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.
•Work to ensure that PEPFAR allocates 10% of its annual budget to support OVC programs.
•Work with the Coalition on Children Affected by AIDS (CCABA) to track the funding and effectiveness of Global Fund-supported programs for children.
•Continue to support the P.L. 109-95 Secretariat and advocate for steady funding.
•Oppose the Families for Orphans Act (S. 1458/H.R. 3070) and educate Congress and the public about the importance of family and community-based care.
4.Advance Child Survival and Maternal Health: The Justice for Children Action Network will seek to accelerate progress toward the Millennium Development targets for reducing child mortality (MDG #4) and improving maternal health (MDG #5). In addition, we will pursue the following policy goals:
•Implement a public awareness and media campaign about the critical importance of childhood vaccines in promoting child health and child survival, and all ensure all eligible children are fully immunized by the appropriate age with all available approved technologies.
•Advocate for increased U.S. appropriations for child survival, maternal health, and nutrition programs, including both bilateral support and contributions to the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria and other multilaterals.
•Hold the Global Fund accountable for effective implementation of Decision Point #20, which recognizes that the health-related MDGs are interlinked, and encourages Country Coordinating Mechanisms to explore opportunities to scale up an integrated health response that includes maternal and child health, including nutrition.
•Support allies working to pass the Global Child Survival Act (currently S. 1966) and the Newborn, Child and Maternal Health Act (currently H.R. 141) when they are reintroduced in the new Congressional session.
5.Promote Early Childhood Development (ECD):
The Justice for Children Action Network proposes to generate support and create political space for early child development globally, with a focus on achieving the following specific goals:
•Conduct a mapping of key U.S. and international events and processes around health, education, foreign assistance, nutrition, HIV/AIDS, governance, security, accountability, MDGs, etc., in order to determine how best to advance messaging around ECD.
•Work to secure congressional authorization for ECD programming in low- and middle-income countries, and begin to dialogue with members of Congress about an appropriations set-aside for ECD.
•Put early childhood development on the agenda of national education plans, poverty reduction strategies, national health plans, and national development plans, and encourage the donor community to keep pace with developing country initiatives.
•Work with allies to develop new tools and identify appropriate indicators to ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of ECD programs.
•Implement an awareness-building campaign on ECD targeting Congress, the public, and grassroots advocates.
6. Child Marriage:
We propose that to work with existing coalition partners to secure passage and effective implementation of the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2009, incorporating key language in the final State Department Reauthorization bills, and including language and possibly funding in the Foreign Operations Appropriations bills.
7. Elimination of Child Sexual Abuse:
We propose that the efforts of U.S., global, and country-level advocates to reduce and mitigate the impacts of child sexual abuse in partnerhsip with the Stop the Silence: Stop Child Sexual Abuse Campaign.
IV.NEXT STEPS
We believe the proposed Justice for Children Action Network (J-CAN) offers significant potential for leveraging the global experience to date in order to build on the successes achieved to date and accelerate progress toward children's well-being and rapid realization of justice for children, if folks choose to live from the future to the present:
LIVE FROM THE FUTURE TO THE PRESENT
Most human beings are living by putting the "past into the future", thus "living into the past." This leads to a "almost probable certain future" like what we have now. It will be more of the same headlines that we read today.
By choosing to live from the "future to the present", we are able then to create the possibilities of the future as we want it to be. We can take committed, unreasonable action for justice and then see how we can create the possibility of new kinds of headlines. We can explore the possibility of seeing more headlines like what we want to see in the World.
TODAY'S "INJUSTICE" HEADLINES: "ALMOST PROBABLE CERTAIN FUTURE"
(daily from the city where I am)
•Washington Post, 19 Dec 2010: DREAM Act defeat reveals failed strategy
•Washington Post, 19 Dec 2010: Groups Finds "Erin Brockovich" chemical in D.C., Bethesda water
•Washington Post, 19 Dec 2010: Education in a new India: Fewer Gurus, more guides
•Washington Post, 19 Dec 2010: Venezuelan legisture granst Chavez decree powers
•Washington Post, 19 Dec 2010: Middleton's roots stir class issues in Britain
•Washington Post, 19 Dec 2010: Peacekeeper ordered out of Ivory Coast
•Washington Post, 19 Dec 2010: Israeli airstrike kills 5 in Gaza Strip
PERMANENTLY ON THIS LIST:
•Washington Post, 18Dec 2010: House approves defense bill with lower pay raise for military
This headline could turn a reasonable person into an unreasonable person waging justice, NOW! Our military, their families, and veterans are bravest and boldest of those waging justice. They stand for justice to the point that they are willing to sacrifice their life and the wholeness of a normal family life. This headline could turn a reasonable person into an unreasonable person waging justice when one realizes that the gap between the richest and poorest Americans now is a record of 14.5 to 1 -- double the previous high gap in 1968 and the U.S. Congress is poised to approve a $79 billion tax cut for richest of Americans. Are you feeling UNREASONABLE yet?
POSSIBLE FUTURE HEADLINES
4 July 2011: Philadelphia, PA. Liberty Bell Chimed Upon the First Public Reading of the U.S. Constitution as amended by the 2011 Constitutional Convention
1 February 2011: "Justice for Children" Action Network (J-CAN) Launched
21 January 2011: NYC, NY Nations of World approve Charter of the "Global Peace Organization (GPO)"
20 January 2011: Washington, DC Justice Movement Charter for 2011-2011 approved by diverse representatives from 50 States and all walks of American life
17 January 2011: Global Marches for Justice
Have a great day!
In peace and solidarity for bold action now,
Paul S. Zeitz