Call Now - For the 2008 Budget

Right now, Representatives Barbara Lee, Tom Lantos, and Donald M. Payne are circulating a “Dear Colleague letter asking President Bush to fully fund poverty-fighting aid in his 2008 budget request, saying:

“Despite greatly expanded efforts to address HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria, all three diseases continue to grow and continue to kill in staggering numbers - with 6 million deaths attributed to these three diseases last year alone. Need based estimates indicate that nearly $30 billion is required in 2008 to provide prevention, care and treatment for these global pandemics. The United States has been a leader in addressing these three diseases, but the scale of these pandemics requires that we do even more.”

The letter requests $7.69 billion for the president’s fiscal year 2008 budget request, specifically, $5.1 billion for AIDS, $1.4 billion for the Global Fund, $750 million for tuberculosis and $440 million for malaria.

So far, 56 representatives have signed on. If you don’t see your representative’s name, call and ask him or her to sign the Dear Colleague letter asking President Bush to fully fund poverty-fighting aid in his 2008 budget request.

The deadline to sign is today.

Representatives who have signed the “2008 Budget HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Dear Colleague letter:”

1. Allen (D- ME)
2. Berkley (D - NV)
3. Berman (D - CA)
4. Blumenauer (D - OR)
5. C. Brown (D - FL)
6. Butterfield (D - NC)
7. Capps (D - CA)
8. Carnahan (D - MO)
9. Carson (D - IN)
10. Christensen ( D - Virgin Islands)
11. Crowley (D - NY)
12. Cummings (D - MD)
13. S. Davis (D - CA)
14. Delahunt (D - MA)
15. Fattah (D - PA)
16. A. Green (D - TX)
17. G. Green (D - TX)
18. Grijalva (D - AZ)
19. Gutierrez (D - IL)
20. Hare (D - IL)
21. Hastings (R- WA)
22. Holt (D - NJ)
23. Jefferson (D - LA)
24. EB Johnson (R - CT)
25. Lantos (D - CA)
26. Larsen ( - CT)
27. Lee (D - CA)
28. John Lewis (D - GA)
29. Lipinski (D - IL)
30. Lofgren (D - CA)
31. Maloney (D -NY)
32. McDermott (D - WA)
33. McGovern (D - MA)
34. Matsui (D - CA)
35. Michaud (D - ME)
36. Millender-McDonald (D - CA)
37. G. Moore (D - WI)
38. Nadler (D - NY)
39. Olver (D - MA)
40. Pastor (D - AZ)
41. Payne (D - NJ)
42. Rangel (D - NY)
43. Rothman (D - NJ)
44. Linda Sanchez (D - CA)
45. Schakowsky (D - IL)
46. Schwartz (D - PA)
47. Shea-Porter (D - NH)
48. A. Sires (D - NJ)
49. Solis (D - CA)
50. Stark (D - CA)
51. Waters (D - CA)
52. Watson (D- CA)
53. Waxman (D - CA)
54. Wexler (D - FL)
55. Woolsey (D - CA)
56. Wynn (D - MD)

Well Done Weldon!

For months, Weldon Kennedy, ONE’s “Internet Generalist” (read: ONE’s “Invaluable Internet Extraordinaire”), has woken up early to train for this coming Sunday’s Miami Marathon - all to raise money for the fight against HIV/AIDS.

This morning, to show our support, we presented Weldon with homemade ONE head and wrist sweatbands to wear for the 26.2 mile race. With great admiration, we wish him the best of luck!

Live Blog from the World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya:
A trip to the Huruma and Nairobi slums

Hi All.

I just returned from the final closing ceremony of the 2007 World Social Forum. It was an incredible day.

This morning, friends from the “Negi 1 Development Youth Group” brought us to the Huruma slums so that we could see how an inspirational alliance of young people have come together to transform their community. Since the group was formed in 1997, they have brought running water, microfinance, sanitation and community policy to their community - all based almost entirely on their own ingenuity and resources. They are a true example of what will and partnership can do.

From there, we marched through the surrounding Nairobi slums to the city center. Although we were all exhausted by the time we arrived, we were exhilarated. As an impressive line up of speakers spoke to the importance of issues such as debt cancellation, trade justice and improved resources for development - marchers danced and sang around Uhuru (Freedom) Park.

At one point, I was caught up in a sea of some 500 hundred women with AIDS singing a song I had often sung when working with Uganda’s AIDS Support Organization’s traveling music and drama group years ago. (I even ran into an old friend from the troupe.)

Needless to say, it was an incredibly special moment and a perfect way to end this forum. That said, I am now, perhaps more than ever, looking forward to returning home to continue pushing our movement forward with all of you!

Take Action - The 2008 Budget

In less than two weeks, President Bush will submit his request for the 2008 budget , a document that will shape the conversation about global poverty for the entire coming year.

Please take a moment to send a letter to President Bush asking him to fully fund the fight to end extreme poverty in his 2008 budget request.

During the president’s first six years in the White House, the U.S. government made great strides in the fight against global poverty, including tripling direct humanitarian and development assistance to Africa, creating the Millennium Challenge Account, and founding life-saving HIV/AIDS and malaria initiatives. But, even as America has increased our efforts, the scale of our response is still outpaced by the scale of these challenge. Tuesday, during his State of the Union address, the president re-affirmed his commitments to the fight against extreme poverty.

As ONE members, this is a critical moment to make sure that the White House’s bold vision can be realized.

Please take a moment to write to President Bush asking him to fight for developing-assistance aid in his 2008 budget request.

Much is Required

Last night, saying “to whom much is given, much is required,” President
Bush spoke of some of the incredible advances our country has made in
the fight against extreme poverty over the last few years.

Some highlights:

• 
  The president spoke of the Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR),
  a commitment of $15 Billion over five years to support prevention,
  treatment and care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Bush: “And because
  you funded our Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the number of people
  receiving life-saving drugs has grown from 50,000 to more than 800,000
  in three short years.”

• 
  President Bush talked about the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), a five-year, $1.2 billion program that challenges the private sector
  to join the U.S. government in combating malaria in 15 of the
  hardest-hit African countries.

• 
  The president asked our country to continue to support expanded trade
  and debt relief, saying they are “the best hope for lifting lives and
  eliminating poverty.”

Today, hundreds of thousands of people are alive because of America’s
programs and funding. As the first generation with the technology,
resources and know-how to end extreme poverty, we are proud and excited,
and know it is critical that President Bush, and both the Republican and
Democratic parties, work together to fully fund the fight in the fiscal
year 2008 budget.

State of the Union

I just finished watching President Bush’s State of the Union address. The most important excerpt of the speech for our movement:

“American foreign policy is more than a matter of war and diplomacy. Our work in the world is also based on a timeless truth: To whom much is given, much is required. We hear the call to take on the challenges of hunger, poverty, and disease – and that is precisely what America is doing. We must continue to fight HIV/AIDS, especially on the continent of Africa – and because you funded our Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the number of people receiving life-saving drugs has grown from 50,000 to more than 800,000 in three short years.

“I ask you to continue funding our efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. I ask you to provide $1.2 billion over five years so we can combat malaria in 15 African countries. I ask that you fund the Millennium Challenge Account, so that American aid reaches the people who need it, in nations where democracy is on the rise and corruption is in retreat. And let us continue to support the expanded trade and debt relief that are the best hope for lifting lives and eliminating poverty.

“When America serves others in this way, we show the strength and generosity of our country. These deeds reflect the character of our people. The greatest strength we have is the heroic kindness, courage, and self sacrifice of the American people. You see this spirit often if you know where to look – and tonight we need only look above to the gallery.”

Live Blog from World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya:
“Thank you and please don’t stop!”

I just came from a global forum on poverty in Nairobi, Kenya, where ONE members were given a beautiful painted African plate as an award for your incredible work organizing around the October 15, 2006 Global Day of Action Against Poverty. And this was not the only sign today of how far the word of our work has spread.

This morning I found myself swept up in a procession of the Kenyan Green Movement to a forum led by Nobel Peace Prize winners, Jodi Williams, Wangari Maathai and Dr. Shirin Ebadi, who talked about everything from organizing against poverty to stopping the genocide in Darfur. After the forum, I went up to Wangari’s table and found that her team member was wearing a ONE white wristband. She said that a ONE member gave her the band while visiting their project in Kenya.

The group invited me to a reception for the three women Nobel Laureates tonight and they asked me to tell you: “Thank you and please don’t stop!”

To give you a sense of the spirit here, I thought I would share some highlight quotes from today’s forums:

• 
  All three Nobel laureates were recognized for very different work (banning landmines, protecting the environment and human rights work) but the crux of their messages were the same: That the key to peace will be redefining security as meeting the basic needs of the people of this planet. And, that the key to doing this, is us. In the words of Wangari Maathai, “If you do not have a strong, organized civil society, you can talk, but no one will listen. Governments will only listen to us if we organize ourselves into a movement and demand that our voices are heard.”

• 
  In response to a question in today’s forum on governments’ G8 promises, an Italian member of Parliament responded: “We are breaking them, but it is the building of this alliance of global poverty campaigns that will push governments to turn around and start keeping them.”

• 
  The GCAP (Global Call to Action Against Poverty) Coordinator in Zimbabwe gave a passionate call to arms during the forum, shouting: “The world is not poor because of lack of resources or policy analysis, but because there are not enough people organized.” The crowd shouted back, “then we will organize!” He closed out by saying, “We will wear our white bands because we must create a world without distinction. We will organize people locally and globally, from the slums here in Nairobi, to Washington, DC, to have our voices heard.”

ONE Music: Telepath

The band Telepath is showing their support for the fight against extreme poverty by sharing their song “Mama” with ONE members today. Their music, with roots in reggae and the pulse of Afrobeat music, samples horn lines, rhythm guitars, Indian and Arabic musicians and vocalists. We hope you enjoy.

Listen to “Mama”, and all the ONE Music, on the ONE Podcast Page.

Below, a note from Michael Christie of Telepath:

“Kevin Meyame (Afromotive front-man) and I wrote this song as homage to Kevin’s mother, and a tribute to the Motherland. Telepath is thrilled to
offer their support to the ONE Campaign’s efforts to combat poverty and AIDS with a song that celebrates the vibrancy of the African continent and
people. Thank you for this opportunity to help ONE.

-Michael Christie
http://www.telepathmusic.com/

Live Blog from the World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya: Global Mobilization and Cross-Cultural Karaoke

I just got back to my hotel after a long but exhilarating day at the World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya. The day began with the official launch of this year’s dates for global mobilization against poverty and culminated in a spontaneous round of late night cross-cultural karaoke. I was going to crash but Josh assured me that I should make these posts brief anyhow, so I pulled my blackberry back out to write this quick post.

Some highlights from today:

• 
  In a GCAP (Global Call to Action Against Poverty) press conference this morning, it was announced that this year’s White Band Day will take place on October 17, 2007.

• 
  Campaign leaders from across the globe talked about their roles in last year’s mobilization of 23.5 million people (the largest single movement of people in a 24 hour period on any issue ever) and everyone committed to mobilizing even more people this year.

• 
  To point out that it wasn’t the only day for joint action, I, and others from G8 countries, talked about our plans to influence the G8 Summit taking place in Germany on June 7.

I was reminded of how important this work will be when two incredible singers from the slums of Nairobi performed their song “G8″ linking the poverty they’ve experienced to global debts and broken promises. I talked to them afterwards, because I knew it would be something you would love to hear, and now they are working on getting us a special version for our ONE podcast.

There is much more to say, but I’ll keep my commitment to Josh and make this brief, but I will be sure to send along more highlights tomorrow.

Our Hero

We spotted a ONE T-shirt on “Heroes” actor Leonoard Roberts in this
backstage interview video clip. In the show, Roberts’ character D.L.
Hawkins has the power to phase through solid objects.

Check it out below, (or on the front page of MySpace.com, where the clip
is profiled today.)

heroes clip

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