Archive for November, 2006
With the 2006 elections over, ONE’s eyes are on making extreme poverty and global AIDS part of the conversation in the race for the White House.
And so I’m pleased to be able to post that two potential presidential candidates, one a republican and one a democrat, have decided to take public HIV/AIDS tests at a World AIDS Day Conference in California on December 1.
See below from the AP:
To reduce stigma around the test and publicize its value, “I’m happy to offer my body for science,” Brownback said in a telephone interview Friday. “People need to get the test,” he added.
Obama press secretary Tommy Vietor said, “If two United States senators can do it, then everyone else can too.” …
Obama and Brownback are featured speakers and will appear on a panel titled, “We must work together.”
“I think you are seeing the beginning of a great coming together on the left and right dealing with Africa,” said Brownback, alluding to the continent’s AIDS epidemic and social and economic problems.”
Read the full article here.
I just spent about two weeks on the road with the Indigo Girls. We are very excited to include them among the many artists currently supporting the ONE Campaign!
It’s always great to talk to so many supportive fans each night and to learn about the amazing things people are doing in their communities to make the ONE Campaign’s goals a reality.
One of my favorite conversations from the tour was with a woman named Helen, from Ventura, CA. Helen came up to our ONE table to thank us for our work and to tell us about her experiences working on civil rights campaigns during the 1960′s (during which time she met JFK!) She talked to us about the connections she sees between what they were doing then with what ONE is doing now.
A big thanks to the Indigo Girls for letting us tag along on their tour and for offering their support of ONE from the stage each night!
Remember, if you’d like to join us for these types of events, be sure to check out the ‘Take Action’ section at one.org!
Through my involvement with the ONE campaign, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the annual Oxfam Hunger Banquet at the University of Portland (Oregon) on Monday night. Melissa B., the student activities coordinator for UP, said that this year was the biggest turnout they’ve ever had for the banquet – 170 students signed up. I hope this is a sign of change; that more and more people are becoming concerned about those in poverty.
The Oxfam Hunger Banquet is a teaching tool to open the eyes of Americans to the inequitable distribution of food and resources in today’s world. As guests arrived, each received a number indicating which of three groups they will be put into for the evening. 15% of the guests were seated at tables with fine linen and served a 3-course meal. They represent the 15% of the world’s population who can afford 3 nutritious meals everyday. 25% of the guests stood in line to be served a bowl of rice and beans – they represent the segment of the world’s population who are getting by from day to day, but if one natural disaster, or major illness, or failed crop were to occur, they could be driven into poverty. The remaining 60% of the guests were told to stand in line to serve themselves from a communal rice bowl which they eat with their hands while they sit on the floor. They represent the millions of people around the world who suffer from chronic hunger. It certainly gets your attention.
Melissa G. and I were excited to staff the ONE table during the event. We shared information about the ONE Campaign and encouraged students and faculty to sign the declaration and to use their voices to advocate for the poorest of the poor.
Today, ONE founding partner Oxfam is putting on events called “Oxfam Hunger Banquets” all across the country. The events are designed to help people understand the scope of global hunger, relate to the problems faced in the world’s poorest countries, and inspire us to action.
Here’s a quick overview of how the Banquets work:
Those who attend are treated as if they represent the total population of the world. If 20 people come, three will dine on gourmet meals, five will be handed bowls of rice and beans, and the remaining 12 must wait in a line to receive a small portion of rice.
We set up a page on our web site with more information on Oxfam Hunger Banquets and how to share this idea with your friends and family.
The event reminds us that 850 people go to bed hungry every night, and how lucky we are to live in a time and place time when we have the knowledge and power to change it.
Combating misconceptions about how much our government spends on international anti-poverty programs, and on how effective those programs can be, remain one of our movement’s greatest challenges. Tina Rosenberg’s Op-Ed in today’s New York Times outlines a lot of what we’re up against and eight excellent reasons for hope.
Two excerpts below:
“When pollsters ask people in the United States to guess how much their government spends on foreign aid, the median response is 25 percent of the federal budget – and Americans think that it should be 10 percent. The real number is less than 1 percent. And only a tiny percentage of that goes to fight poverty…”
“If antipoverty efforts do not help as much as Americans would like, one reason is that their government is spending far less than they think it is. This is unfortunate because there are programs out there with a proven track record of working – of lifting poor people out of poverty, and keeping them out – some run by governments, some by charity groups, and a few by businesses.”
The remainder or the piece describes eight remarkably successful aid programs. Check back to the ONE Blog as we discuss some in the coming days.
The Graham Colton Band, dubbed “rock and roll for a new generation”, is showing its support for ONE by donating their song, “Don’t Give Up On Me” to ONE members this week.
Listen to “Don’t Give Up On Me” on the ONE Podcast Page
“When I learned my uncle, Jerry, was infected with HIV/ AIDS, I was far too young to understand its cause and effects. It’s a disease that can never be talked about enough especially among young people. In 1991, my family started the Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund which provides and contributes a variety or medical, legal, and practical services to a number of organizations helping to treat and cure this terrible disease.
With age, I have been educated and humbled by the selfless acts by my own family and want to do my part in branching outward with the ONE Campaign. I am honored to share my voice in support of this cause.”
Graham Colton
http://www.grahamcoltonband.com/
When I saw the useful conversation happening in the comment section of Thursday’s UNH blog post, I wasn’t surprised at all. I’ve been working with the University of New Hampshire crew for months and already know they’re amazing.
I wanted to drop a quick line in here – to let you know about the great work they’re doing to prepare for World AIDS Day too.
ONE at UNH is working to transform an entire wall at the University’s student center into an AIDS memorial and action center, they’ll host speakers, hold an interfaith service, and organize many more activities to spread the word about ONE.
We want everyone to know that AIDS is an everyday holocaust, but more than that, we want people to know that we can help stop it.
