Scaling Up Impact.

I'm in Geneva for the 17th Board Meeting for the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS and Malaria. Having crossed the $100 million mark in (RED) money generated for the Fund, I'm here representing (RED) partners, (RED) consumers and (RED) shareholders in Africa. We are by far the largest contributing participant in the Private Sector delegation.

Today is the third day of formal and informal deliberations on items including: the role of the Global Fund as a strategic investor in Malaria, community and health systems strengthening, financing innovations for disease treatment and eradication, and a broad gender initiative.

Discussions have revolved around further simplifying the grant architecture and processes, and consolidation of partnerships on the ground. The focus is on how to be even more flexible and effective. The Fund's innovative model is a central driver behind this constant push for constructive evolution. As I've noted before, the impact on individual lives remains the benchmark against which all Global Fund projects are measured.

The Fund's unique structure -- with Board representatives from donor countries, implementing countries, both developed and developing country NGOs, the private sector, and communities of people living with the three diseases -- is fundamental to this impact-targeted creativity. In all my years of observing and attending government meetings, civil society conferences, stakeholder dialogues, and corporate strategy sessions, I've never before heard the powerful chords that result from the concert of these voices given equal weight and joined by a shared goal. But tone is one thing and action is another. And action was the general call.

One example of alliance in action was the proposal from the United States and the Developed Country NGOs, chaired by HealthGap to create an extra financing round to facilitate expedited scaling up of response to the three killer diseases. This call for extra proposals would allow countries a rapid route to revise and resubmit applications not approved in the prior round, or give them another chance to apply if they were unable to meet the earlier deadline.

Rather than lament or apologize for missed opportunities, these Board members are motivated to create more chances for countries in need to access the funds that will save people from imminent death. They are treating emergencies as emergencies and seeking to open new avenues for due diligence to proceed apace. And how encouraging to see the US government work with NGOs to get this item onto the agenda.

The Global Fund is working. From December 2006 to December 2007, the year of (RED)'s inception, there's been an 88 percent increase in the number of HIV+ people on anti-retroviral treatment. There is so much more to do, but it's incredibly encouraging to see the Board representatives pushing novel steps to support the implementing counties and impacted individuals. That is partnership.

Tamsin

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You members of the (RED) community are a key part of spreading the word. The amazing stories, photos and videos that you and other INSPI(RED) shoppers share are fundamental to our viral success and community support. And now, we’re tapping directly into a vital source of creative energy – college student leaders – to harness their best ideas for how to turn campuses (RED).

Educating peers about how (RED) works and why it matters is the goal of the program. Creators of the best five concepts will be chosen as (RED) Ambassadors for the 08/09 school year. We’ll work closely with these first (RED) Ambassadors to execute the plans in their campus communities.

We’re fired up to learn what they have in store. Pass on the news to any savvy students you know who want to spread (RED) and help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Click here to sign up.

Thanks! Tamsin

INSPI(RED)

We frequently feature stories in this blog about all the amazing things members of the (RED) community are doing to inspire friends, family, co-workers and neighbors to take action and exercise the power of (RED). Here’s one story that takes the concept of shouting (RED) from the mountain top to a whole new level….

On March 27, experienced mountaineers Jeff Dossett. Melissa Arnot and David Morton set off on a nine week expedition to reach the summit of Mount Everest – an expedition they have turned (RED). Everest Team INSPI (RED), led by Jeff Dossett of Washington state, who is executive producer and general manager of the MSN Media Network, plans to scale the 29,035-foot peak by late May. By making an attempt on the summit, the team hopes to excite others to support (RED) and impact the lives of people with HIV/AIDS in Africa. You can hear their stories and follow their progress through pictures and dispatches here.

In their own words, EVEREST TEAM INSPI(RED) explains: “….just as the highest mountain on earth is climbed one step at a time, we believe that the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa will be won through the combined efforts of millions of individuals inspired to take action.”

Tamsin

(RED) Vision

I just returned from the Vail Film Festival. Last year we introduced a new category in the festival – the (RED) Vision Competition. We asked filmmakers to make a short film based on one of two (RED) themes: We Are The People We’ve Been Waiting For and Be A Good-Looking Samaritan.

We kicked off the trip Wednesday, by briefing 200 film festival staff about (RED). All Vail Film Festival team members, including theatre staff, opening and closing party staff, volunteers, and the festival founders and their families, wore special (RED) shirts provided by Gap. The shirts --created specifically for this event -- said PREMIE(RED) and it made quite an impact to watch Vail Village and Lionshead turn (RED). Everywhere we turned we saw (RED) shirts and met people excited to tell festival attendees and filmmakers about how the money generated by the shirts on their backs each provided 2 weeks of anti-retrovial therapy for somebody living with AIDS in Africa.










Filmmaker Armen Evrensel submitted Binty, the story of a pottery maker who recognized the need to make a difference in someone’s life and stepped up to do so. The themes illustrated in Binty’s story – especially the idea that you can make a profound difference in a stranger’s life - align nicely with (RED).





Armen discusses Binty:


In addition to all the great film activity, our friends from the Hotel Café provided live music for the Vail Film Festival for the 3rd year in a row. Jay Nash, Greg Laswell, Anya Marina, and Buddy performed each day of the festival, often wearing their (RED) shirts. As they did during the Hotel Café Tour in previous years, the musicians spoke about (RED) on stage and encouraged festival attendees to visit the (RED) table and sign up for our mailing list.







Watch Jay Nash and Greg Laswell:



Many thanks to all the filmmakers who submitted entries and to the Vail Film Festival for their continued support of (RED) and for contributing 25% of the profits from their mid-level Avanti festival passes to The Global Fund.


Watch the Festival founders, Sean and Scott Cross, describe why they invited (RED) to the Festival:



Watch the winning (RED) Vision Film, Binty:



-Colette

INSPI(RED) by Ghana

(RED) friend Rocky Dawuni, who joined our June 2007 visit with (RED) shareholders in Ghana, is just back from his annual concert for Independence Day Concert. This year, he brought the event to the northern part of Ghana to focus on the critical need for clean water. He brought with him a few samples from the Spring/Summer Gap (PRODUCT) RED collection, which was inspired by the designs, architecture, geography, colors, and rhythms of Ghana. This is the first of season in which Gap will use a country or city in Africa as the creative springboard for their (RED) line. Here are photos of Rocky in the beautiful village of Ada, where lake Volta meets the Atlantic. Can you hear the harmony? Tamsin

photo credit Cary Sullivan