The 34 MILLION FRIENDS CAMPAIGN HITS $1 MILLION

Contact: Micol Zarb
(212) 297-5042 zarb@unfpa.org

Read about the 34 Million Friends campaign at: www.unfpa.org/support/friends/34million.htm

Driven only by e-mail and word of mouth, more than 100,000 people have sent contributions to UNFPA

WHAT: Press conference to announce plans for the first $1 million and the campaign's next phase. Jane Roberts, 61, of California, and Lois Abraham, 68, of New Mexico, did not know each other in July 2002, but they had the same indignant reaction when the United States Administration rescinded $34 million in funding approved by Congress for UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. They emailed friends urging them to send in $1 and contact other friends to "help right this terrible wrong". Thus, the 34 Million Friends of UNFPA Campaign was born.

WHEN: 1 May, 2003 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. (breakfast provided)

WHERE: UNFPA, 220 East 42nd Street, 19th floor, New York City
(Photo ID required to enter the building)

SPEAKERS: Jane Roberts, retired French teacher, co-founder, 34 Million Friends of UNFPA
Lois Abraham, lawyer, co-founder, 34 Million Friends of UNFPA
Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director, UNFPA
Timothy Wirth, President, United Nations Foundation (invited)

• In an unprecedented outpouring of grass-roots support, contributions have come from more than 100,000 people and have ranged from $1 to $25,000.
• Top states include California, New York, Minnesota, Washington, Arizona and New Mexico. Some 200 letters with donations arrive daily at UNFPA offices.
• Campaign opens in Europe on 7 May with a "Friends of UNFPA" event in Brussels.
• All contributions go directly into UNFPA's core programmes. UNFPA works in over 140 countries to provide universal access to quality reproductive health information and care.
• UNFPA estimates that the $34 million could prevent 2 million unwanted pregnancies per year, nearly 800,000 abortions and 4,700 maternal deaths.

"This little campaign has the possibility of changing the world a little tiny bit."
--Jane Roberts, Newsday, 17 Feb. 2003

"Thirty-four million dollars…It's a big number but it's small compared to the need."
--Lois Abraham, Albuquerque Journal, 29 Dec. 2002

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