3 OAKVILLE BEAVER · Friday, March 6, 2009 Oomama's special delivery Oakville's oomama -- the local Grandmothers to Grandmothers group assisting in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa -- has had a huge hand in a petition signed by more than 31,000 Canadians handed over to the Canadian government today. It's a grassroots movement by grandmothers here that extends a helping hand to those raising HIV/AIDS orphans in Africa. "Thirty-one thousand Canadians want to see Canada meet its promise to increase foreign aid, to raise our commitment to the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and to do a better job at getting safe, generic pharmaceutical products to people affected by these diseases," said Oakville oomama member Bev LeFrancois. "The signatures on this petition have been collected by members of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign associated with the Stephen Lewis Foundation," said LeFrancois. The petition is being presented in the House of Commons, by Members of Parliament as a lead-up to International Women's Day (March 8) and World TB Day (March 24). A press conference on Parliament Hill was organized and MPs from all parties were approached to attend. "It's about Canadians taking action to make a difference in the world. Members of oomama (one of the very active Grandmother groups) live here in Oakville, are responsible for collecting many of the signatures and are instrumental in arranging the Ottawa press conference and the presentation of the petition," said LeFrancois. Prominent local people such as Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn, former mayor Ann Mulvale, MP Terence Young, former MP Bonnie Brown and author Sally Armstrong have endorsed the petition. "As the world's leaders deal with the economic crisis, we cannot let this healthand-human-rights crisis fall by the wayside. We cannot let the global financial crisis stop us from continuing to invest in saving lives and helping the poorest of the poor," said LeFrancois. Since the launch of their petition last June, approximately 2,500 Oakville citizens signed the petition. Other notable signatures include those from authors Margaret Atwood and Rohinton Mistry, Olympic medal winner Silken Laumann and ballerina Karen Kain. The Grandmothers' petition calls upon the Canadian government to keep promises already made. Grandmothers and their supporters are bewildered and angry by Canada's failure to live up to its promise, endorsed in 2004 by all parties in Parliament, to allow generic drug manufacturers to send a steady supply of affordable, life-saving medicines to Africa. The petition calls for Parliament to amend Canada's Access to Medicines Regime, to make it easier for Canadian generic drug manufacturers to export drugs to Africa. The petition also calls upon the Canadian government to live up to its foreign aid commitments, including paying our fair share to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. LAURIE WIERZBICKI / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER "We cannot abandon our promises to the poorest and PROMISES TO KEEP: From left, in back, Laurie Kuyper, Wendy Merson, Lorraine Green, Kathy sickest in our world, said Kathy Mason, Carole Holmes, oomama founder and Kathy Margolese look on as Bev LeFrancois has Oakville Mason, co-chair of oomama. MPP Kevin Flynn put his name to a petition being delivered to Parliament Hill today. "African grandmothers and the orphaned children need Canada to keep our promises," said Mason. The petition marks the · Unable to use the phone with hearing aids? third anniversary of the call · Hollow-sounding or echoing voices? by Stephen Lewis to · Not hearing voices well in noise? Canadian women to come · Too much whistling? together in support of African grandmothers. 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