Ray Chambers, the UN Special Envoy for Malaria has joined Tony Blair’s Faith Foundation’s worldwide campaign: “Where’s the Net?”. Since February, a symbolic anti-malaria net has been travelling in a relay between people of different faiths across the world to raise awareness about malaria prevention. Despite being entirely preventable, malaria still kills 750, 000 people each year.
The net began its journey in Sierra Leone, where a third of children who die under the age of five are killed by malaria. Since then it has travelled to almost 20 countries including: the USA, Mexico, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Pakistan, Nepal, Philippines, and the UK spreading vital messages about malaria prevention. The campaign has been embraced by people from all walks of life and different faith backgrounds; students, teachers, members of parliaments, Health Ministers, the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Faith Foundation founder the Right Honourable Tony Blair, and most recently UN Special Envoy for Malaria, Ray Chambers.
Ray Chambers recognises the vital reach of faith communities and the key awareness-raising role they can play and wanted to support the initiative. The symbolic net was presented to Ray Chambers at his UN office this week by local faith leaders from the New York area: Kevin Childress from the Interfaith Center of New York, Imam Shamsi Ali from the Jamaica Muslim Center, Chelsea Garbell from the Muslim-Jewish Interfaith Dialogue at NYU, Jasminder Kaur from UNITED SIKHS and young interfaith leaders working for the Tony Blair Faith Foundation.
Ray wrote a personal commitment to the campaign which he hand-tied onto the net alongside the hundreds of other pledges from the volunteers around the world. He commended the faith communities involved for their work to help make the UN’s goal of ending malaria deaths by 2015 a reality.
Ray Chambers said:
“Remember that malaria is a “natural disaster” that is devastating communities every second of every day. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes can never be stopped. Malaria can be. What faith communities have working in their favor are networks and the infrastructure to deliver key health messages. We are witnessing malaria act as a peacemaker between people of different faiths as they recognise this disease is taking their children equally. “Where’s the Net?” is a campaign which brings people of all faiths together and represents global connectivity around a common cause. Now is no time for indifference.”
As well as the UN building, the net has travelled to other iconic destinations including; the Lotus temple in New Delhi, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, The White House in D.C., Big Ben in London and The Cotton Tree in Freetown. Next week a rock concert is being organised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Where’s the Net? is making a real noise about malaria the world over – in malaria and non malaria endemic countries alike – giving people the opportunity to learn more about the disease, but most importantly the opportunity to find out what can they can do to end it.
Hannah Shirey, a 21 year old, Christian and Tony Blair Faith Foundation Faiths Act Fellow present at event said:
“The importance of this campaign cannot be understated. Locally, interfaith relationships are built around a shared identity of activism on issues of poverty, specifically anti-malaria efforts. Globally, the fundraising accomplishments make a real difference in community-based programs that are saving lives and showing the world what people of faith can do when they work together.”
Progress has been made in this battle: since 2000 global malaria deaths have been reduced by more than 26% (source: Malaria No More UK) but with just three years to go before the UN’s target of zero deaths from malaria there is a real need to maintain this momentum.
Join people of other faiths from around the world and support this life changing work. The Faith Foundation is calling on the public to “Like” them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter – for every 10 new people following their social media threads, Sumitomo Chemical will donate a mosquito net to Malaria No More UK to help prevent malaria.
Notes to Editors:
Photo Caption: Kevin Childress (Interfaith Center of New York), Imam Shamsi Ali (Jamaica Muslim Center), Hannah Shirey (Tony Blair Faith Foundation Faiths Act Fellow), Ray Chambers (UN Special Envoy for Malaria), Nomi Teutsch (Tony Blair Faith Foundation Faiths Act Fellow), Chelsea Garbell (Muslim-Jewish Interfaith Dialogue at NYU), Jasminder Kaur (UNITED SIKHS).
Tony Blair Faith Foundation Fellows featured in photo:
Nomi Teutsch, is a 23-year old progressive Jew, originally from Northwest Philadelphia; and Hannah Shirley is a 21 year old Christian originally from Waterloo, Iowa. They have been working together in an interfaith pair to help build relations between different faith communities in New York City since August 2012 as part of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation’s Faiths Act Fellowship program. They have been based at UNITED SIKHS, an international non-profit, non-governmental, development and advocacy organization aimed at empowering those in need, especially disadvantaged and minority communities across the world.
About Faiths Act and the Faiths Act Fellowship
The Tony Blair Faith Foundation’s Faiths Act program is a multi-faith global movement which inspires and mobilizes people of faith to take action towards the Millennium Development Goals. In particular, it focuses on eliminating deaths from malaria. The Fellowship brings together 34 young leaders of diverse faith from US, Canada, India, Sierra Leone and UK and tasks them with mobilizing young people of all faiths to work together on ending unnecessary deaths from malaria and growing our groundswell of volunteers in over 140 countries around the world.
The Faiths Act Fellowship is a year-long commitment to interfaith service. After receiving intensive training the Fellows in July 2011 the Fellows have been based in faith-based and development host organisations which are providing them with an infrastructure and networks of grass root faith communities to work with.
About Tony Blair Faith Foundation US
In an increasingly globalized world, religion is at the very core of life for billions of people and it cannot be ignored. The Tony Blair Faith Foundation US aims to promote respect and understanding between the major religions. It empowers, supports and trains young people in over 140 countries to take multi-faith action to eliminate deaths from malaria, providing them with a positive alternative to those who try to use faith as a means to divide. The Foundation creates opportunities for people of faith and none to come together to learn directly from each other and to take joint action on shared humanitarian goals. www.tonyblairfaithfoundationus.org
Where’s the Net? travel itinerary:
Argentina, Australia, Botswana, Canada, Cambodia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lebanon, Mali, Mexico, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Tanzania, UAE, Uganda, UK, USA and Zambia.
Once the net has travelled through all 21 countries it will return to Sierra Leone in July where it will be received by The First Lady, Mrs. Sia Koroma.
Net Bearer case studies:
Uganda
Taban Asega Kamala, a Muslim Health and Development worker from Eastern Uganda visited four faith schools in the Moyo District teaching 1,120 students how to use a bed net properly. This visit had a huge impact as many of the students spoke of the common misuses of bed nets such as a soccer net, wedding veil, sponges for washing and to protect chicks from kites and eagles flying overhead.
India
DAV Public School, in New Delhi, India organised a street play on malaria which was performed in front of all 4,000 students.
Nepal
A Hindu, medical doctor organised a demonstration rally with local community members, faith leaders and schools – including demonstrations on how to use bed nets and a trek to Mount Everest.
Canada
In Canada, MP Patrick Brown, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Caucus on Ending Malaria received the bed net from six of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation’s Canadian interfaith ambassadors. “Malaria breaks the hearts of families and shortens lives of individuals irrespective of faith traditions. Hopefully the Where’s the Net? campaign can be an example of how our common values and similarities can have a real impact,” said MP Brown.