Global Action for Children Applauds Pastor Rick Warren for Calling on the Presidential Candidates to Address the Crisis Facing 143 Million Orphans and Vulnerable Children

Washington, DC, August, 18, 2008 - Global Action for Children (GAC) commends Pastor Rick Warren for shining the spotlight on the world’s orphans during the presidential forum held at the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, on August 17^th.

"We are grateful to Pastor Warren for bringing much needed attention to the plight of 143 million children across the world, who are facing the tragic prospect of life without one or both of their parents," said Jennifer Delaney, Executive Director of Global Action for Children, a nonpartisan, results-oriented coalition dedicated to advocating for orphans and highly vulnerable children in the developing world. "With communities already stretched by poverty and disease, orphans and vulnerable children often slip through the safety net, and are susceptible to a host of dangers, including hunger, disease, sexual exploitation and violence," added Delaney. "A dedicated initiative to help orphans and vulnerable children by the next U.S. President would provide these children with the promise of hope and the chance of living a better life," she said.

While it is encouraging to see progress over the past few years the U.S. government and others have made in supporting orphans and vulnerable children, much more needs to be done to ensure millions of children around the world do not live a life of suffering and neglect. The sentiment is not lost on Americans of all faiths and political persuasions including Christians, who consider child survival and caring for orphans a moral imperative as well as an important global health initiative. In fact, according to ABC News, children orphaned by AIDS are one of the top three issues young Evangelical Christians want the presidential candidates to address.  "Helping orphans and vulnerable children, no matter where they live in the world, is a mission that resonates deeply with all Americans," said Delaney. "Our next President has the opportunity to demonstrate our nation’s goodwill and lead the way in advocating for a better future for the world’s children. This is in our country’s interest and the right thing to do," she said.

Investing in orphans and vulnerable children creates a better and safer future for all children.  When children do well, entire communities thrive, which, in turn, leads to better national and global stability. Global Action for Children calls on both presidential candidates to make  orphans and highly vulnerable children a top policy priority in 2009 through the creation of a Presidential Initiative for the World’s Children (PIWC). By creating such an initiative, the next U.S. president has a unique opportunity to help millions of orphans and vulnerable children around the world and at the same time launch a public diplomacy effort. The United States can demonstrate a new tenor in foreign relations, and show that we care, not only about children in the United States, but around the world.

 

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About GAC.  Global Action for Children is a nonpartisan, results-oriented coalition dedicated to advocating for orphans and highly vulnerable children in the developing world. GAC works to increase funding and ensure it is spent effectively so all children have the health care, education, food, and protection they need to grow up safe and healthy. Global Action for Children’s unique strength comes from the diversity of charitable, faith-based, nongovernmental, and student organizations that comprise the coalition, and its ability to mobilize a broad range of constituencies in support of advocacy for highly vulnerable children.

 

For more information please visit www.globalactionforchildren.org or for press contact Rabab Pettitt RPettitt@globalactionforchildren.org 

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