Adding Seats At The Table
November 1st, 2007 at 9:52 am | posted by Matthew Bartlett, ONE Regional Organizer
For the past two weeks, ONE members and supporters have been running up and down the stairs at the New Hampshire State House chasing all of the candidates as they officially file to enter into the NH Primary.
Like they have done for decades, every major candidate makes their way to the historic desk of the NH Secretary of State to file the necessary paper work to run for the highest office in our land. Except this year, they have seen and heard from the ONE Campaign and ONE Vote ‘08 on behalf of the world’s poorest people!
I have been there with countless ONE members, and NH ONE Ambassadors, as almost every candidate has sat down at the historic desk as the press looks on.
So on Tuesday, when the African Children’s Choir came to the New Hampshire State House, after their performance, I snuck up to the famed office with a few of the young singers. The girls very proudly took a seat at the desk and I snapped a few pictures.
While they did not officially sign up to run, it is clear that through ONE Vote ‘08, we have helped to make sure that AIDS orphans like those girls have a voice in this primary season. Here in the Granite State, we are making sure that the next president of the United States, Republican or Democrat, man or woman, knows that fighting global disease and extreme poverty is a priority!
Watching those African girls sit in that famous political seat was, for me, one of the highlights of ONE Vote’s efforts and symbolizes our efforts to ensure that the world’s poorest people have a seat at the table.
Tomorrow, Sen. Hillary Clinton will sit at that desk and in that seat to file her papers and you better believe that she will hear and see from ONE Vote ‘08!
-Matthew Bartlett, ONE Regional Organizer
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:01 am
awesome report, michael . . . . . these girls are beautiful, aren’t they? i’m looking forward to seeing them next week here in the seattle ONE campus event. i wish you the best as the various candidates file thru, and glad you and our favorite former marine, among others, are persistant in keeping the necessary matters of extreme poverty on the front burner.
stay close,
sammi in seattle =)
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:02 am
sorry, matthew, not michael (blush) =D
November 4th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
Thanks very much for this report!
It is a beautiful vision for us to keep that ONE day the People of Africa, especially its children, will have their issues fully represented in the halls of the decision-makers for our country.
For that vision to become a reality it is UP TO US as ONE supporters to make sure that these children have a voice in our government which is exactly what ONE is doing with our ONE VOTE ‘08 initiative.
I was fortunate enough to have seen the African Children’s Choir perform earlier this year when they came through my city (Austin TX).
I will never forget their performance onstage but I will also never forget the conversation that I had with several of the children after their performance which ended up as a group hug for about a dozen of us!
Their deep humanity will stay with me for a very long time. ~
Have a beautiful day, my friends.Please don’t let it get away!
ALWAYS ONE in the Spirit, debbie