Now What?

Apr 6th, 2007 3:00 PM UTC
By Adam Bellam, ONE volunteer, Las Vegas, NV

Several of us have found ourselves, after reading up on the issues and signing the ONE Declaration, asking the question, “Now what?”

There is the recognition of the problem, there is the act of signing a declaration, which shows solidarity with millions of other Americans who want to make a change, and then there is the inevitable pondering: What can we do concretely and locally?

I have learned that if I ask that question aloud, enough times, and loudly enough, many answers come my way. One answer came this week: an in-district lobbying meeting with Senator Reid’s Southern Nevada Deputy Director, Shannon Raborn.

ONE members Angela Bellamy, Noel Brown, Leah Craig, Matt Higginson and I shared our passion for the extreme poverty issues, presented related facts, and asked Senator Reid to support $39.8 billion for the international affairs budget.

Our personal testimonies, as well as the information presented, was warmly received, which was no surprise coming from an office that has made the issues of global poverty and disease a priority in the past. Getting involved in such a hands-on way, beginning what we hope to be a continued relationship with our senator’s office, and knowing that we all partook in an action that has the potential to save and improve millions of lives, was exciting.

Thank you Senator Reid, and thank you Shannon Raborn, for giving us a moment to speak, and for lending your ears to the voices of those speaking on behalf of the voiceless.

TAGS: The ONE Blog