Cylindrian’s Grace Notes

Second Marathon Fundraising Festival-Africa SIM
DATE: Saturday, January 19th and Sunday, January 20th 2008
TIME: 10am slt – 10 pm slt both days
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Africa/193/137/27
Music and Art creations from Sl and RL.
*All proceeds will go to Africa to fight poverty and AIDS.

TOGETHER WE CAN HELP MAKE POVERTY IN AFRICA HISTORY!!! FIRST LIFE CAN BE DIFFICULT WITH GOVERNMENTS AND SYSTEMS. SECOND LIFE IS BORDERLESS, POWERFUL AND A GREAT PLACE TO COME TOGETHER AND HELP THE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD.

Performances start Jan 20th @ 9am…but things are happening over there at all hours. I’ll be performing at 10amSLT on Jan 20th. Come on over. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Africa/193/137/27

AIDS AND EXTREME POVERTY: CRISIS AND OPPORTUNITY

The Crises: Global Disease and Extreme Poverty

•    Every three seconds a child dies from extreme poverty.
•    1billion people around the world live on less than $1 a day.
•    12 million children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Africa and that number is expected to climb to 18 million by 2010.
•    Education is a powerful investment we can make to fight poverty, yet worldwide over 77 million children are not enrolled in primary education, more than half of whom are girls.
•    Over one billion people lack access to clean water and 2.6 billion do not have access to basic sanitation. Every 15 seconds, a child dies from problems caused by lack of clean water.

The Opportunity: How can we beat extreme poverty and global disease?

Today, solutions exist that are affordable, achievable and sustainable. We have the science, technology and resources to beat global disease and extreme poverty.
•    AIDS drugs can now cost as little as $1 a day.
•    A bed net can save a child’s life for 5 years by preventing the contraction of malaria and costs only $5.
•    You can put a child in school for a month for $13.
•    A well provides clean, safe drinking water for 20 years at a cost of only $20 a person.

What is America already doing to help?

•    Thanks to U.S. support through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, as well as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, almost 1.3 million people with HIV/AIDS are receiving lifesaving anti-retroviral treatment.
•    In 2005, under pressure from ONE, the G8 agreed to increase aid to Africa by $25 billion and to all developing countries by $50 billion by 2010. The G8 leaders and the other shareholders also agreed to cancel 100% of the multilateral debts owed by qualified Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs). Already, the U.S. has cancelled 100% of the debts owed by 21 of the 40 HIPC countries. This will help kick-start the efforts of poor countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals — but these promises will only be kept if we keep up the positive pressure.
•    The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) is an innovative new U.S. effort to support countries with a record of good governance and a commitment to investing in their people and economic growth. Countries design compacts around their development priorities, and we have already begun to see lifesaving benefits in poverty reduction as a result of the MCA.

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200,000 child slaves are sold every year in Africa. There are an estimated 8,000 girl-slaves in West Africa alone. (sources: BBC 5 October, 2001 & Anti-Slavery Society)

About 120,000 African children are participating in armed conflicts. Some are as young as 7 years old. (source: Africa Children’s Charter)
Children account for half of all civilian casualties in wars in Africa. (source: Africa 2015)

One in six African children dies before the age of five. Most of these deaths could be prevented.

Nearly one third of children in Sub-Saharan Africa are underweight. (source: UNICEF)

In sub-Saharan Africa, measles takes the life of a child nearly every minute of every day. An effective measles vaccine costs as little as $1 per child. (source: UNICEF)

Between 12 and 14 million African children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. (source: World Bank/UNICEF)

Nearly 2 million children under 14 years old are HIV positive. (source: UNICEF)
43% of children in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have safe, accessible drinking water. (source: UNICEF)

64% of children in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have adequate sanitation. (source: UNICEF)

Only 57% of African children are enrolled in primary education, and one in three of those does not complete school. (source: Africa 2015)

For every 100 boys there are only 83 girls enrolled at primary school. (source: World Bank/UNICEF)

As a result of such factors, the number of people living in extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa grew from 217 million in 1987 to more than 300 million in 1998

Africa includes some of the poorest countries in the world. In much of Africa south of the Sahara, harsh environmental conditions exacerbate the conditions of poverty.

During the late 20th century, desertification contributed to famines in a number of African nations, including Somalia, Ethiopia, and Mali. Political instability and wars in many sub-Saharan countries have also contributed to poverty