On June 18 and 19, more than 450 volunteer advocates came together in Washington, D.C. for the 2008 CARE National Conference, raising their voices on behalf of the poor in meetings with their elected representatives.
"Anyone who can influence policy in the United States plays a vital role in fighting global poverty," said Sofia Sprechman, CARE's deputy regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, to participants gearing up for their day on Capitol Hill. "Raising your voice, talking about it, pushing elected officials when bills come up, advocating for what you believe in – you have immense power to make a difference globally."
Taking Part
Participants came in record numbers – 39 states and 139 Congressional districts – to bring their concerns about poverty in person to members of Congress and their staffs.
"What was so extraordinary to me was that I could actually make a difference,” explained Heather Pierce of Connecticut on her experience at last year's conference, and her decision to take part in the conference for the second year.
The first morning of the conference, attendees rose early to kick off the day with a 7:00 a.m. work out session on the Mall, led by CARE Ambassador Eric Harr. Harr sponsors the "I Am Powerful Workout," through which he donates $5 to CARE for every hour participants exercise. Harr was inspired to launch the "I Am Powerful Workout" when he traveled to Mozambique with CARE to visit health and nutrition programs, meeting women who are struggling against huge obstacles to pull themselves and their communities out of poverty.
Following the work out, a selection of pre-conference sessions, such as "Sounds of CARE," "Students Advocating with CARE," and "Volunteer Groups: How to Further CARE's Mission" attracted a large crowd. Others attended a special preview screening of the new documentary "A Powerful Noise," featuring three CARE project participants. The film follows the extraordinary women, who live in vastly different worlds, and who each have overcome gender barriers to rise up and claim a voice in their societies. Through their empowerment and ability to empower others, these women are sparking remarkable changes. To the delight of the crowd, Bui My Hahn of Vietnam, who is featured in the film, and Executive Producer Sheila C. Johnson joined in a post-film discussion.
Opening the conference at lunch later that morning, CARE President and CEO Helene D. Gayle made it clear that participants were making an important contribution in the global fight against poverty.
"You have traveled from across this country to speak truth to power. To stand up for the world's poorest people. To cast your vote for a fairer, more equitable world. In short to make things better," said Dr. Gayle. "And let me tell you, it's an extraordinary sight."
"You are demonstrating that a united voice can have an enduring impact around the globe. You are democracy in action," she continued. "Today and tomorrow, you will help change the world."
Taking the lecturn, Norah O'Donnell, chief Washington correspondent for MSNBC, delivered the keynote speech, "The Run to the White House – Election 2008." O'Donnell filled in for David Gregory of NBC News, who was attending the funeral of their colleague, Tim Russert. Quoting from a card given out at Russert's wake, which reminded O'Donnell of the work CARE's advocates do on behalf of the poor, she shared, "No exercise is better for the human heart than reaching down to lift up another person."
During her analysis on the 2008 presidential elections, which she called the most fascinating in half a century, O'Donnell stated that people are eager for change. When asked by a conference participant how to push issues of global poverty to the forefront, she replied, "The greatest way to gain attention for your cause is to convince those in government to amplify – to bring a megaphone – to the issue."
Indeed, participants were eager to make their voices heard on Capitol Hill the next day, and spent the first afternoon preparing for their meetings by attending workshops on global poverty issues, including "Learning to Lead: Investing in Girls' Education and Empowerment Efforts," "Changing Climate, Changing Needs: Effects of Global Warming on the Poor," "The Food Crisis: A Silent Tsunami," and "Lending Money, Making Money: How to Give Poor People Fair Access to Financial Services."
Later in the afternoon, advocates later formed delegations by state and district to go over the three key issues they would ask their members of Congress to support:
Climate Change: Enact mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions, and provide "adaptation" funding to help poor countries cope with the changing climate.
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: Take a more proactive approach in ending violence against women and girls by supporting the International Violence Against Women Act.
Global Hunger Crisis: Support provisions in the FY08-09 Supplemental Appropriations Bill to provide increased funding for emergency food programs due to global increases in price of food, and bring reform to the U.S. approach to hunger by supporting a regional and local purchase program.
Acting on these issues is critical to reducing poverty and overcoming the immense obstacles facing families and communities in the developing world today.
Immediately following the breakout sessions, participants gathered over dinner, when CARE Ambassador Sheila C. Johnson took to the podium and compelled the audience to loudly and convincingly declare, "I am powerful!"
"That's the energy you are going to take up on the Hill tomorrow," Johnson said as she cheered on the participants. She then told the audience of how she came to support CARE, and how her participation in CARE's work has transformed her, "CARE has done a lot for me. It has made me rediscover myself and make the most of my abilities."
Next up was Jeffrey Sachs, director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University. He too kicked off his speech with a lively opener, "Give them hell! Let them know what we really want to do. Let them know where this country stands. We're in a moment of change in this country."
Sachs roused the audience with his distinctive take on poverty, its causes and how our action – or inaction – affects millions of people living in abject poverty. He stated, "In the world that we live in, there is no difference between foreign policy and domestic policy."
Sachs connected the dots between poverty, U.S. foreign policy and national security, and proposed that the United States show the world that peace and security are achievable goals by properly addressing the root causes of poverty. And, he said, we have the ability to wipe out poverty with solutions at hand today.
"What we need more than anything in this world is CARE," Sachs conveyed with a little play on the word "care." "Remember when you are talking tomorrow, you are speaking on behalf of one of the world’s greatest organizations; great not only for what it stands for, but for what it proves in the field."
Later, that evening participants took their seats for the evening plenary, they were enchanted by the sounds of Ghana's first female master drummer, Antoinette Adua Kudoto and her 19-year-old daughter, Sena Kugbega.
The duo's amazing performance was followed by a high-spirited discussion, "Election 2008: The Next President and the Fight against Global Poverty." CNBC Chief Washington Correspondent John Harwood moderated the debate. He lobbed hard questions and pressed the panelists, representatives from the John McCain and Barack Obama presidential campaigns, to delve deeper into their candidates' stances on issues, specifically those regarding U.S. foreign policy. Andrew Natsios, professor at Georgetown University and former USAID administrator, filled in for Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) for the McCain campaign and Gayle Smith, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, represented the Obama campaign.
I Am Powerful
CARE places a special focus on working alongside poor women, recognizing that women have tremendous potential to lift their families and communities out of poverty. This theme resounded forcefully throughout this year's conference as it has in past years.
CARE Advocate for Maternal Health Christy Turlington Burns presented this year's I AM POWERFUL award to Maria Ester Landa sharing, "A few months ago when my mother and I were in Peru, the CARE colleagues we traveled with said, 'There's someone you must meet when we get to Lima.' A few days later, at the end of a long day visiting members of Congress, we drove out of town to an area called Via El Salvador where I finally met the beautiful Maria Landa."
She continued, "After hearing her story about how she and her sister had learned to weld from CARE as a teenager with their father's encouragement, and how she’d discovered her artistry and life's purpose with a little bit of guidance, I found myself in her newest metal workshop wearing a welding helmet and gloves, getting a lesson from Maria about how to make sparks fly."
"For me, spending time with Maria was like a 'zen and the art of welding' lesson and I walked away from her feeling inspired and hopeful for all the young women who will follow in her footsteps. Throughout her life she has empowered herself to do anything and be anything."
"She is now the successful owner of three businesses and is recognized as one of Peru's top welders. By achieving her dreams and continuing to reach for new ones, she has cleared a path for many women in her country. And she now works to shine a light on that path so girls will see that there is no limit to what they can achieve."
Maria is a jet engine welder, the 2006 "Miss Micro-Entrepreneur" of Lima, Peru and was one of 31 women entrepreneurs from around the world chosen to participate in a Fortune 500 mentoring program.
While still in high school, Mara and her sister, Elvira, took a welding class sponsored by CARE. They liked it so much that they were inspired to take additional CARE offerings on technical and business skills. As the only female welders on their side of town, the two caused quite a stir!
When Maria decided to start her own welding business, she was turned down for a traditional bank loan. They said she was too young and had no collateral. But CARE believed in Maria and granted her loan through one of our microfinance programs. She repaid the loan, in full, in just one year. Today, Maria owns three successful businesses.
When a devastating earthquake hit Peru last year and left 40,000 homeless, CARE called on Maria and her sister to weld tent frames for earthquake survivors in need of shelter. They also made 100 classroom-sized tents so that children could resume their studies.
In her acceptance speech, Maria thanked CARE's supporters and reminded them that their work will pave the way for thousands of women and girls to make a better life for themselves and their families.
"I wish to express my profound gratitude to CARE for honoring me with the I AM POWERFUL Award. As a pupil of CARE, this award fills me with such great happiness and such a warm feeling as a daughter would feel on obtaining her father and mothers' recognition."
"The dream of my family was always to grow and to help our country to develop. This we have achieved thanks to the opportunity CARE offered us in its program of managerial training. As a result, our company not only generates employment for young men and women but teaches the youth how to realize their dreams."
"For this I thank God for the opportunity to personally thank you on behalf of my family and people in Perú for helping us make our dreams a reality."
Click below to see Maria Landa at work:
Taking Action
Participants gathered early the next morning to make final preparations for their day on the Hill.
At the breakfast plenary, entitled "Citizen Advocacy – Making Our Voices Heard," Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) along with Cathy Woolard and Kate Bunting of CARE addressed and emboldened the excited crowd.
The rest of the morning saw teams of advocates grouped by state and district visiting the offices of their elected representatives to discuss the key issues of the previous day with lawmakers and their staffs. There was a lot of action on June 19 as volunteers attended 240 Congressional meetings to advocate for policies and funding to help the world's poorest people.
At the end of the day, the delegations came back together for the closing reception in the historic Russell Caucus Room in the Russell Senate Office Building. Discussing the day's experiences, many reported a strong sense of empowerment.
"I'm loving the entire experience," remarked Tod Tanis, age 19 and a rising sophomore at the University of Maryland. Tod attended the conference with his mother as representatives from Connecticut. This was the first time for both.
Representative Elizabeth Dole, Republican from North Carolina, who is the former president of the American Red Cross, could feel the energy in the room. "I've met with many women in poverty and seen the barriers they face" she said. "The work you're doing ... is so important."
"To all of you involved in this effort to fight global poverty, let me assure you that I am your partner," she said to a round of applause.
Senator Richard Durbin, Democrat from Illinois, stated his support to resounding applause as well, "I know that there are more than 28,000 CARE donors in my home state, and I know that because I am one of them."
From all over the country, CARE advocates came together to learn more about global poverty and raise their collective voices to make poverty history. By doing so, we are a closer to a world without poverty.
