Better Safer World Campaign by Oxfam America 5:46pm 14th Jan, 2004   The Better Safer World Campaign, is a coalition of nine leading relief and development organizations, including CARE; Childreach/Plan; International Medical Corps; International Rescue Committee; Mercy Corps; Oxfam; Save the Children; World Concern; and World Vision.    The Better Safer World Campaign was created when nine effective relief and development organizations joined forces in the wake of the 9/11 crisis and the resulting focus on America’s role in the world. Our goal is to find a way to work together and educate Americans on what they themselves can do to make the world better, and, consequently, make it safer.    These organizations  agree that in today's inter-connected world, we cannot afford to ignore global instability. More than a billion people on our planet live in poverty, which destabilizes regions and tears countries apart. As a superpower, America has the opportunity to help people help themselves by creating partnerships with developing nations to provide education, health care and assistance in creating a working economy.    Des Moines, Iowa(January 12, 2004)—With less than one week until the Iowa Caucuses, a new poll shows that Democrats and Republicans alike support an active role and greater foreign assistance to make the world better and safer. In fact, Iowans who are certain to vote in the 2004 general election want the US Government to commit more economic and humanitarian aid to the war on global poverty in order to ensure the safety of all nations. The survey, conducted by the Better Safer World campaign, shows that eight out of 10 Iowans believe that fighting poverty and hunger in foreign countries is essential to ensuring safety and security around the world.    Highlights of the survey include:    81 percent believe the US government should do more to help poor and developing countries.    57 percent favor the US government increasing foreign assistance to poor and developing countries.    73 percent support a special fund that would challenge other countries to join the US in providing more foreign assistance to countries that eliminate corruption and use the funds to improve education and health care, and create economic opportunity.    68 percent urge Congress and other elected officials to fully fund the President's initiative to combat AIDS around the world.    54 percent agree that the US and other countries should commit $25 billion a year-or less than 1 percent of our GNP-to aid for countries vowing to end corruption and improve education, health care and economic opportunities for the poor.    "These numbers are phenomenal," said Mary Eversole, the Better Safer World Campaign Director. "Iowa voters overwhelmingly support increasing foreign aid to make the world a better and safer place. It's clear—when people hear about this issue, they support it." Visit the related web page
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