John Edwards 2008 Global

RESTORING AMERICA'S MORAL LEADERSHIP BY FIGHTING WORLDWIDE POVERTY “Global poverty is not just a moral issue for the United States – it is a national security issue. If we tackle it, we will help improve the lives of billions of people around the world living on less than $2 per day. We will also begin to create a world in which the ideologies of radical terrorism are overwhelmed by the ideologies of education, democracy, and opportunity.” -- John Edwards John Edwards believes that the United States must be a global leader in the fight against poverty. Global poverty provides a safe harbor for instability, extremism, and terrorism. As president, John Edwards will fundamentally transform America's approach to the world. As part of a $5 billion initiative, he will help people in three priority areas: primary education, preventive health, and greater economic and political opportunity. He will also transform the way government focuses its attention on global problems by establishing a Cabinet-level position for global poverty and modernizing foreign aid programs. •

Enroll Every Child in School: Education is critical to bringing countries out of poverty, but more than 100 million young children are not in school. Edwards will commit $3 billion a year to primary education by 2015—enough to enroll 23 million children—and will encourage our allies to provide the remaining $7 billion required for universal primary education. Aid recipients will be required to eliminate fees that today bar millions of children from enrolling in school.

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Invest in Preventative Medicine: Millions of people suffer and die from easily preventable diseases. An early leader on these programs, Edwards will build on current initiatives to fight the three killer diseases -- HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria -- and double the U.S. investment in clean water. He will also overturn Bush’s “global gag rule” that stifles free speech and forces non-profits to choose between accepting vital U.S. funds and providing essential health services.

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Create Political and Economic Opportunity: Political and organizing rights enable poor citizens to force their countries to create progressive laws and reduce oppression. Edwards will expand support for responsible political institutions and promote labor and property rights through the Millennium Challenge Account. And because microenterprise programs reduce poverty and increase economic stability, he will increase resources for non-profits running microlending and microinsurance programs fivefold.

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Create a Cabinet-Level Post on Global Poverty: Foreign aid programs are fractured and uncoordinated, delivered by over 50 separate government offices. As president, Edwards will create a new Cabinet-level position to coordinate global development policies across the government. He will also replace the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 with a Global Development Act to modernize and consolidate foreign aid and reform congressional oversight.

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Paid for by John Edwards for President.