Last night Sen. Obama campaigned in a very snowy Rochester, New Hampshire, but that did not stop ONE Vote ’08 from making it out to his event to ensure that the poorest people on earth were heard in the Granite State.
ONE’s Marine, Michael Castaldo shot some great footage of Sen. Obama’s stump speech where he talks about US efforts to fight global AIDS and malaria and help desperately poor countries around the world.
From Africa to New Hampshire, and from Sammi in Seattle, to Debbie in Texas, and beyond…more than 2.4 million people are coming together as ONE to make sure our leaders hear our voices as ONE to save lives and end extreme poverty!
Monday night Gov. Romney held a town hall meeting in Manchester and I attended with some ONE members to lend our voices for the poorest people on earth.
The last question of the night was posed from a NH student who asked what Gov. Romney would do to restore America’s image in the world. Gov. Romney spoke about a few different issues, and then he went into length about US efforts to fight AIDS and poverty in Africa, and other basic healthcare and education in desperate places.
Gov. Romney told the audience that he would place US regional coordinators all around the world, with what he said was a “sizeable budget” to help with things like health clinics. This is when we caught the final footage of his speech:
Afterward, I was able to thank Gov. Romney for going “On the Record” and for sharing his plans to fight extreme poverty.
New Hampshire was still digging out from a weekend snow blast, but that did not stop Rudy Giuliani from campaigning this week…nor did it stop Michael Castaldo, ONE’s Marine, from making it out on the campaign trail for the poorest people on Earth.
Mayor Giuliani had only one scheduled campaign event on Monday – and it was at a NH business and closed to the public. But Michael figured that the mayor may make some “unannounced” stops while he was in the Dover area.
He send me this:
I called a friend that was “in the know” about Rudy and he told me the Mayor was going to do an editorial board meeting at Foster’s Daily Democrat in Dover, but that right now, he was on his way to the “Christmas Dove” in Barrington… 5 miles from my house! So a quick shower and shave, and I was on the move! The owners of the shop are ONE members and were sad they did not have their ONE shirts on! But they were glad to get another band as was their two year old daughter.
When the Mayor arrived, he shook my hand, and I was able to ask him if he would agree to make a video to go “On the Record”. He told me he would be glad to, and that he would get in touch with HQ on the subject. Later after choosing a Santa clause character for his house, he posed for a photo with me.
The snow is here in NH but that doesn’t stop ONE Vote ’08 and the voices of 2.4 million ONE members that are making sure the next president of the United States is a leader in the fight against global disease, and extreme – stupid – poverty. Way to Michael!
Sen. John McCain was in New Hampshire on Monday and I caught up with him with some ONE members at a noontime stop at a Concord, NH local pub.
I gathered with ONE members Andrea, Lindsay and Concord Republican chair – and NH ONE Ambassador, Jeff Newman. Sen. McCain made his way through the bar and instantly recognized us and yelled out, “ONE!” like he was seeing an old friend. He thanked us for being there and commended the work we were doing in NH.
Because there were so many people in the restaurant we did not have much time to speak with him, but I snapped a picture on his way out the door. You can see NH ONE State Director Neil Levesque to his left and NH ONE Ambassador Jeff Newman (who always sports his ONE band) behind the Senator.
Afterward, I was able to speak with former Gov. and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, who is campaigning with Sen. McCain and was having lunch at the bar. After introducing myself, I spoke with him about PEPFAR and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. He stressed the importance of US humanitarian efforts around the world. He told me that it is a very important component of our foreign policy, and even more, he said it also reflects the values of our country. We also spoke about Sen. Brownback, who endorsed Sen. McCain, and has worked hard in the Senate to fully fund the MCC.
Here in New Hampshire, ONE is crossing party preferences and even candidate preferences, to unite as ONE to celebrate and encourage US efforts to save lives in the most desperate places on earth.
The weekend of November 23 – 25 was the first ever ONE Sabbath weekend, in the pilot of year of what we hope will become a major expression of the impact of people and communities of faith in the fight against extreme poverty and global disease.
ONE members across the country downloaded materials from our faith resource page ONE.org/faith and organized services and group activities in their houses of worship. A recap of Bluff Road African Methodist Episcopal Church’s ONE Sabbath in Columbia, South Carolina is below.
On Sunday, November 25, I attended services at Bluff Road AME Church in Columbia, the home church of ONE Vote ’08 SC ambassador Leon Love. Pastor Ellis White led a brief presentation about the One Campaign. He shared with his congregation of 100 plus members that during this holiday season we need to be mindful of those in other countries who are suffering from poverty and disease. After referencing numerous bible verses and praising the One Campaign, he invited me to address the congregation. I discussed the importance of fighting poverty and how clean water can save thousands of lives. I stressed the need to elect a President who cares about eradicating poverty, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and pneumonia, and educating all children. I also thanked Pastor White for representing South Carolina on our national media call to promote One Sabbath activities.
ONE member Brianna Shepard from Santa Monica, CA, wrote this letter to a likely Iowa caucus-goer. We liked the letter so much that we’re amplifying her voice by mailing it to 8,000 more Iowans.
I am writing you from Santa Monica California, a long way from Iowa. You may have guessed in this political season that this is a political note — it is, but with a different message which I am hopeful you will read.
In this letter I am not asking you to vote for a particular candidate, or even a party. I am asking you, a fellow citizen, to take a few minutes to consider extreme poverty and global disease and how our presidential candidates plan to put the leadership of our great country to work, to help millions of people around the world lift themselves out of poverty.
As a concerned ONE member, an organization with 2.4 million members including thousands in Iowa, I am asking you to find out where the candidates stand on issues of extreme poverty and global disease by visiting ONE Action’s On The Record campaign at www.onevote08.org/otr which has video from the presidential candidates and a tool that lets you compare their plans to achieve the following goals:
• Reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis;
• Eradicating malaria;
• Improving child and maternal health;
• Achieving universal primary education;
• Cutting in half the number of people without clean water or enough food.
Helping people help themselves, by ending extreme poverty and global disease, is the right thing to do, no matter which candidate you vote for. So, when you go into your caucus, I ask you to please think about which candidate has the best plan to tackle these important issues and to help change our entire world for the better.
Thank you for your concern.
Sincerely,
Brianna Shepard, ONE member
Santa Monica, CA
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
As aid agencies warn more than 9 million people could be affected by a food crisis in East Africa, world leaders are failing to keep their 2009 promises to tackle the causes of chronic hunger and support farmers in the world's poorest countries.
