Indiana Ag Connection - Lugar: Difficult Times Intensify Vulnerability of Children

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Lugar: Difficult Times Intensify Vulnerability of Children
Indiana Ag Connection - 01/19/2009

Global Action for Children Friday presented U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar with its 2009 Children's Champion Award "for outstanding leadership in the United States Senate to improve the lives of the world's orphaned and most vulnerable children."

Lugar made the following remarks in accepting the award:

"It is a pleasure to be here with all of you today in this beautiful room in the Newseum overlooking the Capitol. I thank James Haven for his generous introduction. I am grateful to be recognized by the Global Action for Children as a Children's Champion.

"I am especially honored to receive this award along with Senators Chris Dodd and Barbara Boxer and Representatives Betty McCollum and Barbara Lee. These friends have demonstrated over many years their unwavering advocacy on behalf of children worldwide. I look forward to opportunities in the new Congress to work with them toward goals that we all share.

"As we contemplate the policies of the next Administration and Congress in a time of extreme economic uncertainty, we must remind ourselves that children who are vulnerable cannot wait for convenient political or budgetary circumstances. In fact, their vulnerability intensifies when times are most difficult.

"One billion children are currently living in poverty, and more than nine million children are dying annually of preventable diseases and malnutrition. The orphan crisis in sub-Saharan Africa has implications for political stability, development, and human welfare that extend far beyond the region.

"Orphans and vulnerable children face basic challenges every day, including finding money for school fees and clothing, acquiring nutritious food, and gaining access to healthcare. Their desperation makes them more vulnerable to disease, abuse and exploitation. Many children who have lost parents to HIV/AIDS are left entirely on their own, leading to an epidemic of orphan-headed households. When they drop out of school to fend for themselves and their siblings, they lose the potential for economic empowerment that an education can provide. Less than 15 percent of orphans and vulnerable children receive any international support. I believe that we can do much better, and, in fact, we have a moral duty to stand up for children who have nowhere else to turn.

"American society is constantly in need of a reflective debate on the moral underpinnings of our foreign policy decisions. No nation is more closely associated with a set of historic moral precepts. And for better or worse, no nation is judged more meticulously according to its own articulated values. Though our history is not without missteps, I believe the United States has been and still is a tremendous force for good in the world.

"One of the most revealing questions in judging the moral fiber of a nation is whether it responds to the plight of the poorest and most vulnerable beyond its shores. During the last several Congresses we have made progress in some key areas.

"I was honored to work with Barbara Boxer and Barbara Lee on legislation to help address the basic needs of forgotten children. We authored the Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act, which passed in 2005. It authorized the first-ever comprehensive strategy to address the challenges faced by the world's orphans and vulnerable children. During the 110th Congress, both Houses came together with remarkable bipartisan support to pass the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act. A key provision of this monumental bill was a 10 percent set aside for orphans and vulnerable children. This was an incredibly important commitment by the United States that will help to ensure that we remain attentive to those who need our support the most.

"But passing these bills was a beginning, not an end. These legislative landmarks will require strong funding and oversight if they are to have the impact for which we hope and pray.

"Along with Senator Dodd and Senator Boxer, I had the opportunity yesterday to engage with Senator Hillary Clinton during her confirmation hearing to be Secretary of State. In a written response to a question I posed about orphans and vulnerable children, she endorsed a more focused policy that is sensitive to changes in the global economic environment saying: "If confirmed, I will ensure that orphans and vulnerable children continue to be a priority during the Obama Administration.... An interagency group is currently updating and refining the strategy to refocus our programs in light of the current global economic crisis that is making more children more vulnerable."

"This commitment on the part of the incoming Secretary of State is good news. I believe the building blocks for a more effective policy are in place. But all of us must dedicate ourselves to making the strongest case possible to the new Administration and Congress on behalf of orphans and vulnerable children.

"I thank all of you for your advocacy on this issue. I look forward to continuing to work with you to improve the effectiveness of the U.S. and global response."