WiserEarth Help Desk

Friends of the Global Fight works to educate, engage, and mobilize Americans in the fight to end the worldwide burden of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. By focusing these efforts on decision-makers in Washington, Friends seeks to build a sustained political commitment to fighting these diseases and to supporting the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a critical component in the fight.

EDUCATE

Friends educates American leaders and the general public through the production and dissemination of materials that speak directly about the critical engines of the global fight, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. These materials include fact sheets that translate complex information into easily accessible formats appropriate to US audiences on subjects ranging from simple disease overviews to specific policy issues to results profiles about successful programs around the world.

ENGAGE

Friends seeks to engage American leadership in the global fight by building new and cultivating existing Congressional champions, facilitating visits to countries and programs benefiting from Global Fund grants, serving as a conduit of dialog between US leadership and the leadership of the Global Fund. Friends also facilitates Washington DC visits by Global Fund representatives, including scheduling meetings with key decision makers, planning congressional briefings, and coordinating US-based media outreach to maximize exposure of the fight against the diseases and the role of the Global Fund.

MOBILIZE

To mobilize private action, Friends takes the message of the global fight directly to American communities. Friends produced “Hope to Fight For,” a film that is narrated by Tom Hanks and features interviews with leaders of the global fight that has been distributed across the country by grassroots organizations. In addition, Friends launched www.jointheglobalfund.org, a consumer-focused, action-oriented website inspiring visitors to support the Global Fund. Friends partners with private sector initiatives as well, supporting the role of the Global Fund in partnerships with groups such as the VH1 cable network and “Hope Spreads Faster than AIDS” campaign, and is the lead partner on Getty Image’s Change Me Campaign.

PEOPLE

Washington and Hollywood legend Jack Valenti is the President of Friends. Mr. Valenti ran the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for 38 years and now leads Friends’ effort to engage decision-makers, opinion leaders, and the American public.

Natasha Bilimoria has served as Executive Director of Friends since April of 2005. She previously worked extensively on international and domestic HIV/AIDS policy issues at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and spent four years serving in the Clinton Administration.

Friends was founded by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Edward W. Scott, Jr., co-founder of BEA Systems and former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Justice. Mr. Scott, now Chairman of the Board for Friends, also co-founded Debt AIDS Trade Africa (DATA) and the Center for Global Development.