Posted on March 12, 2018
How Mercy Corps is building a more just world in 2018
The global order is changing, and 2018 represents a critical juncture. Mercy Corps’ CEO Neal Keny-Guyer addresses conflict, climate change and other issues that are affecting families around the world:
You’ve noted that we’re living in a time of unprecedented confluence of complex crises around the world – in places like Syria, Yemen and the Horn of Africa. Are these distinct events, or are they linked by larger forces?
The big force that’s laying the foundation for many of the crises we see today is conflict. As the World Bank has said, conflict is the number one driver of extreme poverty in the world. Twenty million people are at risk of famine because of conflict.
There’s no algorithm we could write that would magically reduce conflict. At Mercy Corps, we take great pride in the fact that we focus on the root causes. We’ve seen time and time again that you can bring people together from different tribes, religious backgrounds and sects, and if you can engage the leaders – and particularly the women and young people – you can make progress.
What you can’t do is put your head in the sand and believe these problems are magically going to go away. We are living through one of the great inflection points of our times. For the last 250 to 300 years, the locus of economic and political power has been centered in the West. That’s shifting. The global order is changing.
How has the thinking evolved around the role of conflict and violence in hunger?
During my lifetime, one of the great success stories has been the reduction in the number of people who go to bed hungry. The Green Revolution, gender equality, and investments in seeds, science and markets have made a huge difference.
Posted on March 9, 2018
International travel tips
Travel season is almost here. Your bags are packed and your itinerary is airtight, but what about your mobile device? Check out these helpful tips that will make it easier for you to stay connected while traveling internationally.
Set up your device for international travel
If you would like to use your CREDO Mobile service for talk and text while abroad, you can conveniently set up your device for international travel use through our member services portal. We recommend setting it up at least 48 hours in advance of your trip to ensure all updates are in effect before your departure. If you are taking multiple devices, please follow these steps with each device you plan to take. You will only need to go through these steps once per device. That way, if you travel internationally in the future, you are all set.
Keep in mind that CREDO Mobile does not offer access to data internationally. Free access to Wi-fi can be found in many locations, though if you would prefer to have regular access to data, we recommend you purchase a local SIM card. See our Local SIM card use tips below.
To set up your device for talk and text while abroad, follow these steps:
- Login to Member Services
- Under Quick Links, select change features.
- Under International Travel, select International Voice & Text Roaming
- Click Add to Cart & Continue
- Review your New Order Summary, then click Check Out.
- Once you have thoroughly reviewed your order, click Place Order.
If you are having trouble setting your device up for international use, please contact our customer support team at 800-411-0848 for additional assistance.
Local SIM card use
If you know you’ll need regular access to data while traveling, purchasing a SIM card from a local provider may be the way to go. You may find it’s easier and less expensive to purchase a SIM card for international use once you’ve arrived at your destination.
Another option is to purchase a global SIM prior to leaving the US. There are many vendors that offer SIMs provisioned with prepaid buckets, such as GigSky. This can take some of the stress off of searching for a SIM once you arrive.
If you do decide to use a local or global SIM card, please note that you will be paying another service provider for your text and data usage, not CREDO Mobile.
Tips for purchasing and using an international SIM card:
- Purchase your SIM card from a confirmed carrier retail location. This will allow you to ask carrier representatives questions, and receive any additional support you may need.
- Insert your SIM card properly. Check out this short video on how to select the right sized SIM, and insert it into your device.
- Be sure to retain your CREDO Mobile SIM card. You’ll need to re-insert it once you return to the U.S.
Other tips for international travel
Protect your device
CREDO’s Mobile Protection Plan can help protect your device should it be damaged, lost, or stolen during your trip.
Messaging Apps
Apps such as What’sApp and Skype allow users to make calls, and send SMS and picture messages for free, so long as you have access to a secure Wi-fi connection.
Wi-fi safety
Not all connections can be trusted, so be sure to use Wi-fi safely. To ensure you’re making a safe connection, and that your information and privacy are protected:
Use verified networks. Many hotels and retailers offer free Wi-fi access, just be sure you are connecting to the right network.
- Update your passwords prior to your trip.
- If you need to, make any app or software updates before your trip.
- Avoid online purchases if possible.Chargers
Don’t lose power while you’re on the road. Be sure you have an adapter that will allow you to charge your device safely. There are a number of versatile adapters that will work in multiple countries.
Support while traveling internationally
For security reasons, we block access to our websites from international traffic to protect our members’ safety. Therefore you will not be able to access the CREDO Mobile website or Member Services portal. Should you find yourself needing support while traveling, you may contact us at globalsupport@credomobile.com or use the following number to contact our team: +1-571-730-5554.
Posted on March 7, 2018
Victory: Climate change denier Kathleen Hartnett White will not lead the Council on Environmental Quality
Thanks in part to the amazing activism by CREDO members, Trump withdrew the nomination of Kathleen Hartnett White — who has a long history of climate denial and racist views — to lead the Council on Environmental Quality.
Nearly 175,000 CREDO supporters signed a petition urging the Senate to reject her nomination, and a CREDO video of Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse running circles around her lack of knowledge of science and the environment garnered more than 2.5 million views.
Sen. Whitehouse runs circles around Trump’s climate denying no…
This climate change denier has no business running the Council on Environmental Quality.
Sign the petition if you agree: http://credo.cm/uGYUfd
Posted by CREDO Mobile on Tuesday, November 28, 2017
We must never stop resisting Trump’s disgraceful regime, and your continued activism will ensure we will win even more victories in the future.
Posted on March 7, 2018
Holding Democrats accountable when they attack our progressive values
When Democrats in Washington stick to their progressive values and stand up for what’s right, CREDO is among the first in line to publicly give them credit.
But when anyone, including Democrats, actively undermines or attacks progressive values, we will not hesitate to hold them accountable.
So recently, when some troubling actions by Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) — the campaign arm of House Democrats that raises tens of millions and provides vital support for Democratic candidates — came to our attention, we knew we had to act – by working with our friends at Justice Democrats and Our Revolution to launch an urgent online campaign and full public relations push to call out the DCCC.
And thanks to our activism, the media – including the Washington Post, CNN, USA Today, The Hill and HuffPost – is paying close attention.
Posted on March 7, 2018
Victory: Chaco Canyon saved from fossil fuel drilling
Activism works. Thanks to the more than 178,000 CREDO members who took action and local leaders fighting on the ground in New Mexico, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke canceled the proposed oil and gas lease sale in Chaco Canyon set for March 8.
Trump and his fossil fuel regime were ready to hand over drilling rights near the Chaco Culture National Historical Park to the fossil fuel industry by putting up nearly 4,500 acres of land for sale in Greater Chaco, some of which lay within a critical buffer zone threatening sacred 1,000-year-old Puebloan artifacts and structures of immense cultural, historical and tribal value.
We couldn’t have won this victory without the activism by CREDO members, our environmental allies and local tribal leaders – so thank you to everyone who made their voices heard.
Posted on March 7, 2018
Five ways you can stand up to the NRA right now
Within hours of the horrific massacre at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida — which took the lives of 17 people — Republican politicians were issuing their well-rehearsed “thoughts and prayers” social media posts and rejecting any calls for serious gun control reforms that would prevent these killings in the future.
But the very next day, the brave Parkland survivors took action. And in the weeks since the shooting, they have taken to the halls of the Florida legislature, Congress and the White House to call out the true enabler of these repeated mass killings: the National Rifle Association.
In response, the NRA has dug in its heels, rejecting any form of common sense gun reform and even empowering dangerous conspiracy theories to discredit the survivors. But the momentum for real gun control is on our side. Since Parkland, corporate partners have been abandoning the NRA in droves. And people all over the country have been publicizing and criticizing the amount of money their representatives have taken from the NRA.
CREDO stands with the Parkland students and everyone else who is ready to fight for real gun control and call out the NRA for its complicity in gun deaths and gun violence.
Here are five ways you can take action right now to stop the NRA:
Posted on March 6, 2018
How to easily save energy at home
One consequence of human-caused climate change is extreme weather, including more intense heat waves. And a consequence of that is higher energy use at home. For example, a 2015 study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences estimated that a boom in air conditioning use alone over the rest of this century will nearly double residential electricity consumption.
This is what’s known as a positive feedback loop – and it’s a problem. If you want to be part of the solution, here are 10 easy ways to reduce power use in your house or apartment, five for the winter and five for the summer.
In the winter
- Turn down the thermostat. Lower your thermostat at night – you know this already, but you might not know how much energy you can save with this simple step. You can cut 1 percent from your heating bill for each degree you set back your thermostat, according to the Department of Energy. Turn it back for 8 hours every night and you can reduce your bill up to 10 percent per year.
- Use your windows wisely. During the day, open the curtains or blinds on any windows that receive sunlight and free heat will shine in. At night, close the curtains to keep heat in. When drawn during cold weather, most conventional curtains can reduce heat loss by up to 10 percent, says the DOE.
- Close the doors to unused rooms. If there are rooms in your home you don’t use a lot, don’t spend heat on them. Instead, close them off. Shut the vents in those rooms, as well as the doors, and it will take less energy to heat the rest of your home. Also: use an old towel to block the gap under exterior doors. A one-eighth inch gap under a door will let in as much cold air as a 2.4-inch hole in your wall.
- Insulate your radiator. If you have a radiator against a wall, cover the wall in foil. This will prevent heat escaping and reflect it back into the room. You can buy foil made for this purpose, or you can use plain-old aluminum foil. Also: large furniture will absorb heat from the radiator, so move it away (unless you’re sitting in it).
- Cover bare floors. Bare floors can pull as much as 10 percent of the heat out of your home. Cover them with rugs or carpeting to you save heat – and keep your feet cozy.
In the summer
- Close your curtains. Shut your curtains or blinds to keep out the heat during the day. Doing this can reduce heat gain by 45 percent, according to the DOE. Curtains are not as effective as blinds, but even a medium-color curtain with white plastic on the back can cut heat gain by 33 percent.
- Set your AC higher. If you use air conditioning, set it at the highest temperature you can tolerate comfortably. You’ll save 10 percent percent a year on your cooling bill by setting your thermostat 10 to 15 degrees higher for 8 hours each day. Also: AC will not cool a room faster if you crank it down. Dialing the thermostat to 60 won’t get you to 70 any quicker. You’ll just waste extra energy and money.
- Make a personal AC. Put a bowl of ice in front of an electric fan. The fan will blow the cold air in your direction and keep you cool. This uses a lot less energy than air conditioning. Also: using a fan without ice will allow you to comfortably raise the temperature on your AC.
- Plant trees. If you own a home, plant more trees, shrubs and bushes around your house. They not only provide shade, but they cool the air before it reaches your walls and windows.
- Line dry your clothes. Clotheslines are making a comeback. There’s even a nonprofit, Project Laundry List, devoted to the promotion of line drying. And summer, of course, is the best time for line drying. The sun is available, and you’ll keep radiant heat from the dryer out of your home. Running an average electric dryer costs about $200 a year.
Posted on March 5, 2018
This month and every month, CREDO Mobile stands up for women’s rights
March is Women’s History Month, a time to commemorate and honor the incredible achievements of women throughout history. But here at CREDO, every month is a time to recognize the accomplishments of women – and to protect our progress, fight for equality and expand opportunities for all women.
For 30 years, CREDO has always stood for gender equality – from the millions we’ve donated to groups fighting for women’s rights to the grassroots activism we fund to the way we run our business. It’s at the core of our company’s values.
Right now, as a repressive regime in the White House and right-wing conservatives in Congress and state houses across the country wage a war against women, CREDO is more committed than ever to fight for pay equity and against discrimination, expand access to reproductive services, raise wages, expand social security, and fight for universal health care and paid family leave.
Here are just some of the ways we as a company are being recognized for and standing up for women this month – and every month:
- Fighting for women’s rights is at the core of much of our grassroots activism. Just recently, we’ve engaged our more than 5 million supporters on campaigns calling on key lawmakers to protect abortion rights and funding for Planned Parenthood, stop attacks on birth control access, protect Title IX and survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, and hold Trump and his administration accountable for their misogyny and sexism.
- Since our founding, we’ve donated $10 million to organizations fighting for women’s equality, abortion rights and reproductive choice, women’s empowerment here and abroad, pay equity, and stronger protections for women in the workplace. We’re also proud to be one of the largest corporate donors to Planned Parenthood.
- CREDO Mobile was given the Best Corporate Giving for Gender Equality award in January by Philanthropy Women for our commitment to gender equity funding, which is approximately 11.7 percent of our total donations. As Philanthropy Women put it, “Imagine if every corporation gave 11.7 percent of their philanthropy dollars to gender equality. We would be able to accelerate the progress of gender equality movements and reach critical mass sooner.” We agree!
- Last November, we proudly joined Planned Parenthood’s #BusinessForBC campaign, which calls on employers to publicly commit to providing their workers with birth control coverage. As the Trump regime rolls back the Affordable Care Act’s birth control benefit, allowing employers to discriminate against women, CREDO Mobile remains dedicated to providing no-cost birth control coverage for our employees.
We owe a great debt to the women’s rights activists throughout history who have made all the work we do today possible, and we urge other companies to follow our lead this Women’s History Month and every month of the year.
Posted on March 1, 2018
Our February grantees thank you for your support
Each month, CREDO members vote on how we distribute funding to three incredible organizations. Those small actions add up – with one click, you can help fund groups fighting to build and empower the progressive grassroots to take our democracy back from corporations, defend the environment and produce news about reproductive rights and justice. Just last month, more than 80,000 CREDO members voted to distribute our monthly donation to Democracy for America, Friends of the Earth and Rewire.
These donations are made possible by CREDO customers and the revenue they generate by using our services. The distribution depends entirely on the votes of CREDO members like you. And for that, our February grant recipients thank you.
Democracy for America
Thank you CREDO members for being essential allies in our fight to build a country and Democratic Party that’s unflinchingly committed to an inclusive populist political agenda up-and-down the ballot in all 50 states.” To learn more, visit democracyforamerica.com.
Friends of the Earth
“Thank you for your support and partnership! We value your dedication to our work to defend the environment and champion a healthy and just world. CREDO members like you help us fight – and win – many important battles for our planet. ” To learn more, visit foe.org.
Posted on March 1, 2018
Vote now for three great progressive groups this March
Each month, CREDO members help decide how to donate tens of thousands of dollars to three great progressive causes. This March, you can help fund groups fighting for civil rights, press freedom and net neutrality, and workers’ rights by voting for Center for Popular Democracy, Free Press Action Fund and OUR Walmart. Learn more about each of these groups, and then cast your vote for one, two or all three by March 31.
Center for Popular Democracy
Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) builds the power of communities to ensure our country embodies our vision of an inclusive, equitable society where people of color, immigrants, working families, women and LGBTQ communities thrive together.
CREDO funding will help CPD to protect the gains it has made fighting the repressive Trump regime and build a national mobilization effort to activate supporters on a wide range of progressive issues, including civic engagement, climate justice, racial justice, combating wage theft and more.
Free Press Action Fund
Free Press fights for press freedom and your rights to connect and communicate, leading more than a million members in campaigns for net neutrality and other protections online.
