Archive for November, 2006
The Sunshine State isn’t so sunny this morning, but that didn’t stop thousands of Floridians from grabbing their umbrellas and making it to the polls. I went early to beat the crowd.
If you haven’t voted yet, you still have plenty of time! Today is our day to make a difference!
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The indie-rock band Cake is showing their support for ONE and fight against world poverty and AIDS by donating their song “It’s Coming Down” to ONE members this week.
(We were pretty psyched when we found out too.)
Listen to “It’s Coming Down” on the ONE Podcast Page
“It makes perfect sense that finding solutions to global poverty would and should occur at this time in history. A greater understanding and budding kinship is happening now between the Western world and places like the continent of Africa. Because the distance between cultures and places has been virtually shortened, the problems of disease and poverty cannot be ignored.
This fortunate time of unprecedented opportunity would be absolutely tragic to squander. The far away idea of Africa is no longer far away, and that continent has become a neighbor. Greater well-being among the disadvantaged will surely create more harmony among all cohabitants of the planet.
Educating ourselves on solutions to combat world AIDS and poverty is of great importance. We also need to think carefully when electing politicians to represent us, choosing civil servants who understand we are all in this together.”
Cake
http://www.cakemusic.com
A few minutes ago, I cast my vote for the candidate that I think will
best fight global AIDS and extreme poverty. How do I know which
candidate will do a better job? I asked them. I used my voice and my
ears in this election cycle and I found out where my candidates stand.
Pulling the level was never so easy!
That’s one small vote for a man, one giant vote for ONE!
An email from Josh this morning:
“I am writing from the line of precinct 19 at a fire station in Arlington, VA. I have been waiting in line since about 8:15 this morning and I am told that I will be waiting another 30 minutes. It feels a bit like the set of the ONE Vote spot except I am waiting with my neighbors, not celebrities.
Needless to say, I am running late.”
So much is going on in Columbus, OH, this week: Jon Stewart and the Daily Show, Michael J. Fox, the Jubilee USA Tour, the Sojourners’ “Get Out the Vote” event with Jim Wallis and the Columbus International Festival.
The excitement here is contagious, but it can also be overwhelming.
Do you really know how all your candidates feel about ONE issues? Sometimes it’s hard to find accurate, non-biased information during an election season. With that in mind, below are some resources that you might find helpful.
Congresspedia: the “citizen’s encyclopedia on Congress” is a one-stop shop that links to other great sites such as Project Vote Smart and Open Secrets, all of which are non-partisan and can help you to better understand your candidates and their positions.
Take the time to look into the candidates and share information with your friends and family. Heck, make it a fun night with friends – grab some food and drinks and do a little research together. Think of it as the most important homework you’ve ever done.
The Athens, Georgia student-run newspaper “The Red and Black” is running a piece on the growing ONE Chapter at the University of Georgia.
Student and ONE member Mike Batell founded the group during the fall of 2005. Among their many accomplishments, more than 2,000 faulty, staff, and students at UGA have already signed the ONE Declaration.
Read the full article here.
Last weekend, I attended the “Point 7 Now” conference in San Francisco where the American Catholic Church launched “The Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty,” an initiative to fight poverty and disease through increased foreign aid, debt forgiveness and fair trade policies.
Special thanks goes out to Brian Webster, a lead ONE volunteer in San Francisco, who dedicated his entire weekend to helping create greater awareness around the ONE Campaign at the conference. For the Keynote address, Jeffrey Sachs told attendees that signing onto the ONE Campaign was a great way to get involved in the fight.
The conference marked the first time that Catholic scholars, students, health professionals, church and business leaders have come together to discuss the practical inroads to fighting poverty – and with the launch of this new campaign – I’m excited to keep you updated on their future work.
