Archive for March, 2007
Anne is welcoming everyone! She’s talking about ONE, our training series, today’s agenda and introducing our speakers, stipend winners and even me.
Having been traveling with Anne from city to city for these trainings, I know how passionate she is about organizing and it’s exciting to see her sharing her knowledge and passion with everyone here today. Anne was one of the first
ONE staff members and has helped empower so many people fight for the campaign’s core issues: fair trade, debt cancellation and more and better aid.
Below, find some fact sheets on the ONE basics.
-Basics of ONE
-Millennium Development Goals
-The ONE Declaration
With more time to kill before we start the show, I walked around and met a few more ONE members.
Anamica Bed is from Columbia Heights in Minnesota. She joined ONE back in 2005 and found out about the training from an email.
Martin Russell is a pastor from Omaha, Nebraska and another ONE Scholar! Through his work he has been working in Tanzania and the issues ONE fights for align perfectly with Martin’s work and beliefs.
Michael Lawyer is a ONE member from Minneapolis. When he heard the training was right in his backyard, he knew he had to come.
I also ran into Monét Cooper setting up some materials. Mónet is the blogger at Jubilee(!) and will be speaking today about debt in developing countries.
We’re here at the Minneapolis training site setting up! One of the first people to walk through the door was ONE stipend winner Christine McNunn.
At the registration desk I met Ben Flaskrud from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Ben Kaster (St. Cloud Minnesota) and John Mary Lugemwa (Uganda). Ben Kaster and John work for the “Uganda Rural Fund USA, Inc.”, a nonprofit working to support orphans and communities affected by HIV/AIDS in rural Uganda.
On my way back to my laptop I bumped into Christie taping ONE signs to the doors around the training. Christie signed up for ONE years ago at a U2 concert and has been volunteering with the Chicago ONE group ever since.
ONE was featured in the Huffington Post yesterday.
“Last Friday, the ONE Campaign’s 2.4 million members, and our many partner organizations, worked together to reverse a $2.2 billion cut to the 2008 international affairs budget…Significantly, this comes on the heels of many other recent wins for ONE members…
If you haven’t been following these developments, this is a moment to note, because these wins reflect an ongoing shift in the way that global poverty is viewed and treated in American politics. The unification of millions of Americans, and humanitarian organizations, coming together to fight extreme poverty is working, and we have a consistent string of truly remarkable victories to show for it.”
Read the full piece here.
We want as many people to attend the 2007 ONE member trainings as possible, so last month, we asked ONE members to apply for one of eight $250 travel stipends. Over 2,500 people applied, and today I get to announce yet another ONE scholar:
Christine McNunn of Des Moines, Iowa!
Hi, my name is Christine and I am headed from Des Moines, Iowa, to the Minneapolis ONE training this weekend. As the owner of an independent fair trade store, I am well aware of the challenges farmers and artisans face in developing countries.
Making trade fair and ending the dumping of subsidized crops are important parts of helping improve the lives of many in Africa. Eliminating corruption and debt cancellation are also vital pieces of the puzzle.
At the training I hope to learn more about the anti–corruption measures and the debt cancellation initiatives the ONE Campaign supports. I am also hoping to gain insight on the best way to become more involved in effecting change through the political arena. As the Iowa caucuses approach, we have the unique opportunity to influence opinions at the highest level!!
Christine McNunn, ONE member, Des Moines, Iowa
The House of Representatives passed their budget resolution yesterday which included $35.3 billion for the international affair budget. This is $1.2 billion below the president’s request and what the Senate passed on Friday.
Over the next two weeks or so, the House and Senate will conference (come to a compromise on their budget numbers) to finalize the FY08 budget resolution.
Similarly, the Senate passed the FY07 supplemental budget yesterday, which the Democratic leadership will try to get through the conference quickly, but they have to iron out several differences between the two chambers’ bills.
Both bills include items President Bush has vowed to veto.
In April, Congress goes into recess and ONE members will have a rare
opportunity to meet with their representatives in their home-district
offices and talk to them directly, and in-person, about global poverty.
All of these meetings, being held simultaneously across the country, is
going to send a powerful message that Americans, across all political
divides, not only care deeply about global poverty, but pay attention
and are ready to take action.
Look here, to see if someone in your area has scheduled a meeting that
you can join.
If no one has taken a lead in your area already, you can still set one
up yourself. We’ll provide you with all the information you’ll need,
like how to schedule a meeting, talking points, lobbying tips and even
what to do after it’s all over.
Look through all of
ONE’s April “On The Move” lobbying resources and
register your new event
here.
To make sure everyone is fully prepared for their meeting, we’ll be
hosting two strategic conference calls with Susan McCue, ONE Campaign
CEO, and Tom Hart, DATA Legislative Director. Join or register for a
local event to find out more.
