But, what is going on?

All of these small gestures have to do with the fact that today, the 24^th of May, is Día SOMOS, a long awaited day where 35 Spanish NGOs and thousands of citizens come together to celebrate the impact of solidarity. It is a day to recognize and thank those who collaborate with NGOs and whose contribution helps to make the world a better place. Today, in schools, businesses, and organizations across the country, people are turning things upside down in order to show that together we can do something to fight the injustices that continue to exist in our world.

A report carried out by Bain & Company in the framework of the campaign demonstrated that for every 1 euro invested in NGOs, the return on investment is equal to 9 Euros. This means that your contribution to an NGO has a multiplying effect in our society and helps to address injustices such as poverty, illness, hunger, conflict, illiteracy, and much more.

We want to thank all of the #gentesomos who have made this day possible, and who have contributed to helping organizations like Salud por Derecho do our part to turn injustices upside down.

Take a look at our some photos from the street action in Callao.

Erika Meyer

The street action consisted of a person dressed up as Finance Minister Cristobal Montoro, who along with his staff were carrying a wheelbarrow giving away 5,000 million euros to banks. Precisely what the Robin Hood Alliance wants to prevent.

During the event the spokespersons of the Alliance, our Executive Director, Vanessa López and Jaime Atienza, Director of Campaigns and Citizenship of Intermon Oxfam, said that the government needs to implement the FTT as soon as possible and earmark it to the people who are most in need, both in Spain and in the world.

It is estimated that the FTT in Spain could raise € 5,000 million. The Robin Hood Alliance proposes that the money raised should be distributed as follows:

- 50% of the proceeds will be used to meet social needs in Spain

- 50% of the revenues to combat world poverty and climate change.

The Robin Hood Alliance is composed by a group of NGOs committed to the cause. Along with Salud por Derecho, participants include: Intermon Oxfam, Save the Children, InspirAction, Greenpeace, Amigos de la Tierra, Alianza Española contra la Pobreza, Plan España, Coordinadora Española de ONGs y Federación de Planificación Familiar.

Do not forget to sign the petition on the Avaaz page to tell Montoro we do not want the funds gathered to go back to the banks.

#AlosbancosNO

You can also see the pictures!

The campaign will culminate with a celebration on May 24^th, “Día SOMOS,” a day that has been marked in honor of those who dedicate their time, energy and resources to promoting solidarity through direct participation with an NGO.  We invite the Spanish society to join us on this day, whether at their schools, work, or out on the streets, by wearing any type of garment inside out, to show their support and to share with others why actively collaborating with an NGO is important to them.

We will be providing regular updates about the campaign on our Facebook and Twitter feeds. For more information about the SOMOS campaign, you can check out the website here.

Are we getting used to everything that is happening around us? What has to happen in order for us to be stirred, for us to jump out of our seats? Juan José Millás affirmed a few days ago, in a difficult article, that he was feeling ready to “unsusbscribe” from the human race.

And although with everything that is going on around us it is difficult to read or hear good news, the truth is that good things are happening, and therefore it is gratifying to stop and take a look. In the past few days, two great pieces of news have happened, two “battles” won in the course of two important and long wars. The first has to do with the unequal fight between David and the powerful Goliath, a long struggle between India, the “pharmacy of the poor,” and Novartis, the giant Swiss pharmaceutical industry.

Novartis, relying on an unjust patent law and defending false product innovation, commercialized some medicines frequently used to treat HIV, malaria or cancer up to 180 times more expensive than the generic drugs that come from the industry in India. But the Indian Supreme Court rejected the appeal of the Swiss pharmaceutical, which has thus lost a major legal battle and which will mean reasonably priced treatments for millions of people. The clients of the “pharmacy of the poor” include many governments, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations. Other pharmaceuticals such as Pfizer or Roche have pending appeals presented last year to maintain their patents, but the Novartis ruling sets an important precedent and is certainly excellent news although there are still many battles to be fought.

The second piece of good news is a tremendous step forward in the regulation of the arms trade, which to date had been nonexistent internationally. The United Nations General Assembly approved on April 2, 2013 with 154 in favor, 23 abstentions and 3 against, an arms trade treaty, with two clear objectives*: to establish the strictest possible international common standards to regulate or improve the regulation of the international trade of conventional arms and prevent and eradicate the illicit trade of conventional arms and prevent their diversion.

Without a doubt this is a historical event that could save many lives and bring some order to the impunity by which the misnamed “lords” of war acted, a misused adjective that has been used to describe traffickers and criminals. I know many people are skeptical about these far-reaching issues but these two pieces of good news have been made possible thanks to the efforts of civil society working among us.

Even in this climate of frustration, rage and despair, you can still find good news. Groups of parents have organized themselves to start shared daycares in their own homes to take care of their children due to their inability to pay for this service. Private homes that offer great value priced lunches. Citizens that lend money to others who are excluded from the traditional banking system or exchange their time and knowledge amongst each other. Social movements that have organized to claim their rights and have achieved important victories: Stop Evictions, “Marea Blanca” (the movement of health professionals), “Marea Verde” (the movement of educators), parent associations seeking financial resources to maintain the contracts of researchers so that they can make progress in the treatment of rare diseases, etc.

All of these stories have much to do with the pressure exerted by civil society, with the commitment and constant work of many millions of people around the world that eventually pays off and shows us that change is possible when it means an advance in social justice and has sufficient public support.

Good news, the result of bad times. Realities that I am not sure will change the mind of Juan José Millás, but certainly show that we must continue to trust in the power of citizens and be certain that they can make a difference.

*Article 1 of the text approved by the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York from the 8-28 of March, 2013 and related to the Arms Trade Treaty.

Manuel Rodríguez Fraile, President of Salud por Derecho

Today, the situation in Honduras has changed according to Dr. Bú; the mortality rate of 100% during the 80s has been greatly diminished. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria began to help the country in 2003 with the financing of antiretroviral treatments and little by little the Fund has expanded the number of new medications.

The doctor tells us that currently Honduras has been able to advance so that the State now covers the financing of antiretroviral treatments. He explains that there are 44 Integral Care centers in the country that focus on the monitoring of people living with HIV. These centers monitor more than 900 patients with HIV, 300 of which are children. The system has been implemented in such a way that every 35 days, a person with HIV can go to their center to receive care and their medication. Besides medical care, the centers also have support group initiatives carried out by professionals and people affected by HIV.

At the end of the meeting, the nurses at the center stop to talk with us, some of them wanting to let us know how grateful they are not only for the contribution that the Global Fund makes to the center itself, but also how it has benefitted so many concrete people. One nurse comes close to me and says she wants to introduce me to Kimberly so that I can learn firsthand what the Global Fund means to so many people. Now, I am sharing this experience with you:

Kimberly is a teenage girl who is 19 years old and was open to sharing her life experience with me. The first thing that she tells me is that she was born with HIV, that it is part of her life and who she is. Her infection was vertical, which means it was transmitted from mother to daughter. In 1993, when she was born, there were still no prevention mechanisms in Honduras. Her mother, for lack of access to medicines died two years later, like the great majority of people living with HIV/AIDS at the beginning of the 90s. Her father could not continue living knowing his destiny and a few years later committed suicide.

Kimberly grew up living in a home provided by the Fundación Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos. When she was five, she began to receive antiretroviral treatment. During that time period, the medicines were still first line treatments and there were still no medicines especially designed for children. Kimberly suffered many secondary effects. She tells me that she remembers getting sick easily, that she had sores constantly and that her chest always hurt as she suffered from many asthma attacks. She remembers that at seven years old she was already aware that she had a disease- although her caregiver at the home told her she could not tell anyone- that it was a secret. Up until this day, Kimberly is reserved about her situation and does not usually share that she is a HIV positive.

Despite her difficult story, Kimberly shares her experience with a special calm. In response to the question about her life today, she answered with a huge smile saying she could not be more grateful and happy with the life that she is leading.  She tells me she is currently studying a module in health and she is pregnant with her first child – who will be born HIV free as she is controlling the situation to ensure this is so. She has a partner who supports her unconditionally and with whom she wants to build the family she never had.

At the end of our time together, I thank Kimberly for her sincerity and for her interest in sharing her experience with me, and she answers that for her it is important to have this opportunity, as at times she thinks there has to be a reason why she was born with HIV, that maybe she can be a messenger for other people who are suffering and who are not capable of continuing to live life in a positive way- she wants to tell them that life can be beautiful although they have HIV and she always urges people to take their medicines, that they be constant, and that they live their lives in a healthy manner. To people who do not have HIV, Kimberly also tells me that she wants to share a message: she wants them to know that although HIV can kill, currently if you have access to medicines you can live a normal life- just as she is doing- the most important is to leave behind the barriers of discrimination that continue to exist regarding this disease.

The Global Fund has granted more than 67 million dollars to Honduras since the year 2003 for the fight against HIV/AIDS y thanks to this support programs for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria have been financed. Additionally it has helped finance antiretroviral treatment for more than 8000 people.

In the year 2008 Spain was the forth donor to the Global Fund, pledging 200 million dollars yearly between 2008 and 2010. In the year 2010 only half of the commitment was allocated and in the year 2011 the contribution stopped completely. Las year Spain committed to return to the Fund with a 10 million euro support, but to the date this commitment has not been followed through.

Trinidad García

After an introduction to the subject of Political Lobbying by Alana Moceri, the workshop included a panel of experts which delved more into the daily participation of advocacy in Spain and their views about this instrument as a mechanism for change. In this section, the participants, about 45 people, were able to interact and ask questions to the panel to learn more about their views in this regard.

Panel participants:

- Gabriel Elorriaga Pisarik, National Deputy Parliamentary Group

- José Cepeda, Member of the Madrid Assembly of the Socialist Group

- Trinidad Garcia, Advocacy Officer of Health by law

The workshop was an opportunity to share reflections on the role of “social lobbying” and an attempt to define concepts such as lobbying and political advocacy. Additionally, there was great interest in learning more about our daily activities at Salud por Derecho and how we conduct our advocacy with the various stakeholders with whom we work.

Gonzalo Fanjul discusses the results of a survey, commissioned by Friends of the Global Fund and carried out by Crédoc, which measures Spanish public opinion related to Official Development Aid and the fight against AIDS. He also highlights Salud por Derecho, which jointly organized an event with Friends of the Global Fund Europe, to launch the results of the survey as a part of its actions during the week leading up to World AIDS Day.

Whatever Happened to the AIDS Apocalypse? (Global Dashboard)

In this article, Kirsty McNeill analyzes the effectiveness of the international AIDS Movement in leading us to an era where an AIDS-free generation appears to be within our grasp. She highlights a number of key factors contributing to this success including a rights-based, grassroots approach, the importance of institutions such as the Global Fund, and the impact of coalition-building.

Promises on AIDS are not enough (New York Times)

This editorial discusses the unveiling of Secretary of State Clinton’s blueprint for an AIDS-free generation as well as the major gaps in resources and political will at both the national and international levels. Although experts know what is needed to control this pandemic, stronger investment and political commitment by the international community is necessary to ensure that an AIDS-free generation becomes a reality.

World Aids Day: the time for scaring people into action is over (The Guardian UK)

Uzodinma Iweala, a Nigerian medical doctor and MDG advocate, describes the evolution of the AIDS response and encourages advocates to emphasize the successes and challenges in fighting the epidemic rather than scaring people with images of suffering and death.

World AIDS Day 2012: Getting to the Beginning of the End (Amanda Glassman, Center for Global Development)

Amanda Glassman outlines the major advances made in the past decade in the fight against AIDS but also shows that in order to truly reach the beginning of the end of AIDS not only more money is needed but also “value for money” in order to leverage impact for each dollar spent.

A New Funding Model for the Global Fund (Center for Strategic and International Studies)

In this post, Todd Summers analyzes some of the key attributes of the Global Fund’s new funding model, a critical part of a new five year strategy, which will hopefully lead to enhanced flexibility, more focused approaches on countries with the highest disease burden, and faster reviews of program grant proposals.

In this manifesto, these organizations have joined together in order to collectively call on political authorities, government bodies, and citizens to definitively stand up to end AIDS. Uniting efforts to jointly face the fight against the pandemic, these organizations urge the Spanish government:

• To maintain its position as a strategic actor in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Spain and in the rest of the world.
• To increase its economic contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
• To increase its investment in R&D for HIV/AIDS.
• To take action in order to end the stigma and discrimination still present against those living with HIV/AIDS.
• To reconsider the content of the health care reform, as the current Real Decreto Ley 16/2012 is violating the human right to health.

To see a translated version of the Manifesto, click here.

Salud por Derecho delivered this manifesto, together with other key documents, including the 2011 UNGASS report and a briefing with concrete recommendations for the Spanish government, in a toolkit to parliamentarians, senators, and ministers in development cooperation and health in order to raise awareness and ensure that this critical issue remains a priority on the political agenda.

We have also initiated a twitter campaign, inviting policy makers, civil society, and citizens to join our efforts to spread the message that together we can end AIDS: #unidoscontraelsida.

On December 1^st, Salud por Derecho will be publishing a short version of the ask in key newspapers, including El Mundo, ABC, and La Razon in order to gain greater visibility and support for this important issue.

Therefore, we invite you to take action by supporting this call to our leaders to maintain the fight against AIDS. With your signature, on Wednesday, March 6^th 2013, we will be 1000 days away from achieving one of the most important Millennium Development Goals: Ensuring 15 million people are on treatment by 2015 and this will be the moment in which we, with your support, urge the Spanish government to follow through on its commitments in the fight against AIDS.

TAKE ACTION NOW by signing here.

Speakers at the event included:

• Ms. Michèle Barzach, the Ex-Minister of Health in France and the President of Friends of the Global Fund
• Mr. Francisco Quesada, Cabinet adviser to the Secretary General for International Development Cooperation.
• Ms. María Beatriz Jurado, Senator and Speaker for the International Development Cooperation Commission- Popular Party
• Ms. Encarnación Linares, Senator and Speaker for the Health and Social Services Commission
• Ms. Sandra Hoibian, CREDOC
• Mr.  Jerome Bonnafont, French ambassador
• Ms. Vanessa López, Executive Director of Salud por Derecho

Moreover, representatives from civil society, ambassadors, research centers, foundations, and think tanks were also present.

The goal of the survey was to better understand the state of Spanish public opinion related to international cooperation and global health and specifically related to Spanish society’s commitment to the fight against AIDS.

Some of the most important findings of the survey include:

• The fight against the biggest pandemics (AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis) was found to be the second priority of development aid, at the same level as guaranteeing primary education and only after the fight against hunger, which was considered the principal objective.
• 47% of the Spanish population believes that the government does not do enough in the fight against AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.
• In response to the question whether they would be willing to pay more taxes if this money was allocated directly to the fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, 75% responded affirmatively.
• Those who have heard of the Global Fund were more willing to pay taxes destined to the fight against AIDS, TB, and Malaria, and also more willing to opt for coordination of efforts in the fight against the pandemic- 86% compared to the 80% average.

You can take a closer look at a summary of the survey here.

See the full survey here.