August 21st, 2008 at 10:59 am | posted by Chris.Scott
This article from yesterday’s International Herald Tribune offers an excellent rundown of where the U.S.’s support currently stands for global trade talks. People like U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab are diligently working behind the scenes to ensure that trade talks continue throughout the remainder of President Bush’s presidency and onto the next administration. Schwab makes the excellent point that whoever the next U.S. President may be, it is up to all of us to build the political will necessary to continue these vital WTO trade talks.
The most significant WTO meeting in three years aimed to pull off a broad compromise that, in short, would have let poor countries sell more produce to rich countries while giving the U.S., 27-nation EU and Japan new chances for their manufacturers and service providers in the emerging markets of Brazil, China and India.
“There are always going to be elections. There are always going to be politics intervening,” [Schwab] said, adding that the U.S. would continue to look for a trade package that generates global growth, alleviates poverty, creates new opportunities for American exporters and combats protectionism at home and abroad. “If there is a deal out there that meets those criteria, I don’t care when it shows up,” Schwab said. “We have to go for it. It can’t be dictated by our electoral cycle or anyone else’s.”
For more than a year, ONE members have been trailing the presidential
candidates asking them to go on the record with their plans to combat global poverty. Now we’re taking our message to the airwaves with this major new TV ad. The spot spot features Matt Damon with different Americans’ voices - among them Michelle Obama, Cindy McCain and Mayor Bloomberg.
Share this online sneak preview with your friends now, and then watch for it on TV nationally starting Sunday, August 24th.
August 20th, 2008 at 4:52 pm | posted by Chris.Scott
Fighting poverty can be hard work and ONE members haven’t let up all year, winning big victories and keeping the pressure on both presidential candidates to make ending global poverty a top priority.
To say thank you for everything you’ve done, our brand new ONE Bus Tour is making a special stop in Omaha on its way from the Democratic National Convention in Denver to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis and they’re bringing a special guest, legendary musician Wyclef Jean.
If you plan on being in the Omaha area on Saturday, August 30th be sure to join us! The event is free and open to all ONE members. However, you must RSVP to attend. To RSVP for your two free tickets, click here! You must be 21 years of age or older to attend and tickets can be picked up at the will-call window on the day of the show. Space is limited and tickets are available on a first come, first served basis.
When: Saturday, August 30th, 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Where: The Slowdown, 729 North 14th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68102
August 20th, 2008 at 3:32 pm | posted by Chris.Scott
Minnesota ONE members gathered in their State Capitol today to celebrate Minnesota officially becoming a “ONE State” united against global poverty and preventable disease.
Governor Tim Pawlenty signed the ONE State proclamation at an event held in the Governor’s Reception Room at the Capitol, which was also attended by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), local faith leaders and other officials from both political parties. Gov. Pawlenty and Sen. Klobuchar showcased the ways Minnesotans can get involved in efforts to save lives from extreme poverty and preventable disease in Africa and poor regions around the world. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak (D-MN) and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman (D-MN) also signed declarations earlier in the week making their respective cities official “ONE Cities.”
August 20th, 2008 at 1:43 pm | posted by Chris.Scott
Yesterday’s International Herald Tribune covered this month’s 17th International AIDS Conference in Mexico City and outlined many of the most difficult challenges we face in our work. At the conference Bill Clinton concluded that “with no magic bullet in sight… the need now is to combine efforts to advance prevention and treatment.” The article also goes on to note that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed a new test that can pinpoint new infections and control them more quickly in developed countries. However, this test still needs to be “refined for use in poor countries” and many participants were unhappy with an eight-month delay in reporting the test’s success.
Reading through the article, one part stood out to me. Even in the face of an often overwhelming crisis, there remains a tremendous glimmer of hope: young people.
There were calls for innovation and recruiting more young investigators to the AIDS field. As Alan Bernstein, executive director of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise in Manhattan, put it, “The engines of discovery are new people.” Bernstein noted that recruiting new workers should be less of a problem than in the past because of an explosion of interest on university campuses about global health.
August 19th, 2008 at 2:18 pm | posted by Emily.Stivers
The ONE Campaign is excited to announce the ONE “Music Builds” Tour, featuring Third Day and Switchfoot, with Jars of Clay and Robert Randolph and thr Family Band.
The tour will kick off in Detroit on August 21st and wrap up in Denver on October 12, including 23 stops around the country. The show features video presentations from the ONE Campaign as well as two booths for concert-goers to learn more about how they can be involved in the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease around the world.
August 19th, 2008 at 1:12 pm | posted by Virginia Simmons
I want to introduce a new face around our office. Chris Scott just joined ONE’s online team - and you’ll be seeing more and more of him around the ONE Blog in the coming weeks and months.
Chris grew up in Illinois, went to school at Truman State University in Missouri and spent the last couple of years working for the Children’s Defense Fund. He’s now eager to bring his passion for helping kids to the ONE Campaign.
We got this email from superstar ONE volunteer Elaine Van Cleave this morning. My favorite part: “If I ever in the past for just one second thought advocacy was useless, I can never have that thought again.”
I am back from Zambia. What a long trip home that was!! We awoke Sunday a.m. and rode in a jeep, a ferry, a bus, and 3 airplanes. You could even say we rode on a train if you count the rail in the Atlanta airport that gets you between terminals.
The experience was incredible. The extremes we encountered were mind numbing - from the incredible wild life in Botswana’s Chobe National Park to a dusty, barefooted orphan in tattered clothing beaming at you and asking you to be his friend.
One day, I tagged along on a trip to an outreach clinic 65 km into the bush. The trip was 2 hours each way on the worst sandy, bumpy road I have ever ridden on. There were 11 of us in a Land Rover provided to Mwandi Mission Hosptial by Catholic Relief Services with money from PEPFAR (US funds for AIDS relief)! The “clinic” was a two room mud hut (about 8 x 12) with a thatched roof - no electricity or running water. The clinic ended at dusk because the medical personnel could no longer see to examine patients and fill prescriptions. I mostly observed and got to see how PEPFAR money is providing medical care and drugs to people in remote rural areas who would die without it. The nurse practioner from Mwandi who goes on these weekly outreach trips into the bush told me that these clinics would not be possible without money from PEPFAR.
I also learned that Kandiana, the “old folks home” at Mwandi Mission, receives $600 a month from the Zambian government - money that is available because of debt relief. These funds also provide students at Mwandi Mission’s school with free examination books.
It is a trip I have been needing to take for a long time. I really can’t adequately put into words how powerful the experience was.
If I ever in the past for just one second thought advocacy was useless, I can never have that thought again.
If you want to read the daily blog written by Rev. Susan Clayton who lead our trip, go to www.ipc-usa.org. There are about 7 brief entries with pictures. I haven’t read them all myself and am looking forward to doing just that and to reflecting on our trip.
August 18th, 2008 at 3:32 pm | posted by Libby Pederson
On Wednesday we’re hosting a “ONE Minnesota” event at the State Capitol in St. Paul to celebrate Governor Pawlenty’s leadership in declaring Minnesota a “ONE State,” Mayor Rybak declaring Minneapolis and Mayor Coleman declaring Saint Paul “ONE Cities.”
The event will raise awareness for the issues important to the more than 28,000 ONE supporters in Minnesota and celebrate the leadership that Minnesota’s elected officials have demonstrated on both the state and federal levels.
Governor Tim Pawlenty, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Lutheran Bishop Peter Rogness, ONE member and leader of the Twin Cities ONE Group Rochelle Gibbs are all confirmed to speak. If you would like to join us for this event please RSVP here.
August 18th, 2008 at 11:42 am | posted by Virginia Simmons
Florida ONE volunteers Rafael Batista and Ryan Vassal made sure ONE was visible and our issues were heard at this Obama campaign event at the Pembroke Pines Charter High School cafeteria on August 11th. Gov. Bill Richardson hosted the event and told the volunteers: “ONE is a great organization.”
The ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, volunteers, members and coalition partners.
The content of each post and each comment represent the views of that author and does not necessarily reflect the views of the ONE Campaign or ONE Action. ONE does not support or oppose any candidate for elected office, and any posts expressing support or opposition for a candidate is not endorsed by ONE.
