April 30th, 2008 at 4:35 pm | posted by Virginia Simmons
Most days, ONE’s Steve Wilson and Chandler Smith alternate sending out updates on important global poverty news stories from the day. I don’t always get a chance to make posts for all the notable articles, so I wanted to share today’s round-up with our ONE Blog readers.
Finishing up a two-day meeting in Switzerland, Ban Ki-moon said the U.N. has a agreed on a series of measures to address food shortages in the medium and long term, and will establish a top-level task force to coordinate the response.
Spiraling food prices are hitting private charities and relief agencies, with some of the world’s largest aid providers, like World Vision and Care, warning they will soon be forced to slash programs on their existing budgets.
Raymond Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America, writes in ‘The Hill’ today that the most urgent step America can take to respond to the food crisis is to change the way we deliver our food aid: allow food to be purchased where it is needed rather than ship it halfway around the world.
As Egypt, a key U.S. ally, responds to rising food prices and the resulting tensions within its population, it’s clear the crisis is about more than simply food: it’s about stability and global security as well.
ONE Saint Louis members experienced a heaping dose of coincidence yesterday. It just so happened that the one weekday our co-chair Bob McMullen had off of work that month was also Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day. It was also a convenient coincidence that Delmar Boulevard is home to both Senator Claire McCaskill’s office and Ben & Jerry’s. Luckily, Michele Sherod, who heads McCaskill’s St. Louis office, had half an hour free to meet with us that day to discuss legislation that will save millions of lives.
We discussed the Global Child Survival Act, the Global Poverty Act, the Education for All Act and the PEPFAR reauthorization. McCaskill has yet to co-sponsor any of these despite having supported the recent Jubilee Act and the International Affairs Budget allocations. Michele did not have any answers for us that day, but we agreed to follow up in two weeks.
To finish off the day, we hopped in line at Ben & Jerry’s to get a lick of the new ONE flavor. The line stretched out the door and around the block so I was relieved to find there was still some of the new ONE Cheesecake Brownie ice cream left. After I snapped a few pics of ONE gear in the shop an employee showed me their ONE Campaign manikin and posed for a pic with it. I wish we could have tabled there that day, but employees took care of that for us by handing out info and ONE bands with each cone of ONE Cheesecake Brownie. I realized the movement taking place here was no coincidence. Companies, customers and legislative staffers are all taking notice of the Campaign to Make Poverty History.
April 30th, 2008 at 3:57 pm | posted by Josh Chernila, ONE Online Communities Coordinator
We don’t need a warm and sunny day in Seattle to enjoy a free ice cream cone and tell folks how they can help make poverty history. Crowds lined up at the Kirkland Ben & Jerry’s, in Kirkland, Washington, right across from downtown Seattle.
The lines were long at the tiny storefront facility; just enough room to keep the people moving in and out. Our table was set up right outside the door and a ONE member greeted everyone as they came in. Because Ben & Jerry’s posted info on how to join ONE via text, many were members before their free cone was in hand!
When the crowd thinned a little I snapped this picture of Seattle ONE volunteer Alicia greeting the front of the line (which extended down the block.)
Owners Jen Greene and Michele Sullivan and their fun staff made it a great event for all. They decked their shop out in an amazing Ben & Jerry’s ONE theme, and the hot chocolate was a real boost for us ONE volunteers. It was also a huge kick to see a sea of people enjoying their cones and wearing ONE stickers. That really made my day. We distributed many fresh ONE bands to the crowd and lots of people were really impressed with the Ben & Jerry’s / ONE and ONEVote 08 pamphlets we handed out.
Best of all, we had a great recruiting day. Lots of folks who had been looking for a good way to get more involved with ONE locally were excited to connect with our Seattle ONE group. A great day in the region. How sweet it is!
April 30th, 2008 at 3:29 pm | posted by Virginia Simmons
With an official new ONE ice flavor at Ben & Jerry’s, free cone day was a pretty big deal around here. Across the country, ONE staff and volunteers used the event to spread the word about the fight to end extreme poverty, sign up tons of new member - and okay- eat free ice cream.
Below, some great photos and a note from Matt Haber who organized a crew of volunteers down in South Florida.
Student leaders from the ONE chapter at Pines Charter School recruited volunteers and collected signatures for five hours after school at Ben Jerry’s for Free Cone Day. It was a great evening of fun, facts, and free ice cream as these hardworking kids spoke with entire families, young professionals, and even sailors in town for fleet week about extreme poverty across the world. There was a strong presence and a lot of interest in ONE by ice cream lovers.
This is a passionate bunch of young people who, along with their teacher Ms. De Pas, have built a high school ONE chapter with 150 members. You can check out more about these great kids on their chapter’s MySpace page.
April 30th, 2008 at 10:00 am | posted by Virginia Simmons
Oxfam’s President Raymond C. Offenheiser wrote an important op-ed in today’s Hill on the world hunger crisis. In it he states:
“the most urgent thing we can do is reform food aid programs. President Bush’s move to release an additional $200 million in emergency aid is a good first step. What Congress needs to do now is reform food aid policies to allow for food to be purchased where it is needed rather than shipping it halfway around the world.
Americans are the most generous donors of food aid in the world, providing half of the world’s food aid. But Congress requires all food aid to be purchased from American farmers, even when it is available closer to where it is needed. Congress mandates that food aid be processed and bagged in the U.S., even when that is the costliest option. Congress mandates that most food aid be shipped on U.S.-flagged vessels, greatly adding to costs and delays. So for every dollar we spend on food aid, only 50 cents actually reaches the people in need.
April 29th, 2008 at 11:52 am | posted by Virginia Simmons
You can now watch Alicia Keys’ new documentary about her trip to Africa with the group Keep a Child Alive. Below, a excerpt from the film and a note from Alicia.
Hey ONE members
Check out my journey to Africa where I met some of the most inspirational people I have ever met in my life. People who are struggling but still retain an immense dignity. What my journey told me is that we must all come together as a global family to make ARVs available to children as early as possible. It also taught me that the millions of children orphaned by AIDS must be our priority. And keeping moms alive is the answer. So join me, start a virus to end a virus, tell everyone you know to watch this film at aliciainafrica.com. And thank you for caring.
April 28th, 2008 at 5:40 pm | posted by Virginia Simmons
Vote here to send ONE super volunteer Michael Castaldo - or ONE’s Marine - to the 2008 presidential conventions to advocate for ONE. (If he wins, this group will send Michael to the Republican and Democratic conventions.)
“This series explores the causes and effects of the world’s worst food crisis since the 1970s. A complex combination of poor harvests, competition with biofuels, higher energy prices, surging demand in China and India, and a blockage in global trade is driving food prices up worldwide. Some countries, especially in Africa, are facing an increasingly dire situation while even consumers in wealthy nations are being forced to adjust.” (The Washington Post)
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Series’ schedule:
Sunday, April 27
Global Shortage: As food demand and supply fall out of balance, the sustaining power of globalization is breaking down. In a world interlinked as never before, the food crisis spreads from country to country, sparking unrest and spiking hunger.
Monday, April 28
In Africa: The Food Trap. With prices soaring, the world’s poorest nations, dependent on the global marketplace to feed their people, are losing the fight against hunger. Mauritania, and much of Africa, relies on imported food. As trade breaks down, destitute people face tough choices.
Tuesday, April 29
Wheat: Vast transformations in U.S. agriculture have encouraged farmers to plant less wheat, spelling an end to an era of cheap bagels, pasta, bread and noodles.
Wednesday, April 30
Corn: Congress and President Bush have set mandates for corn-based ethanol use. But the linking of food and fuel is creating problems for livestock and poultry farmers and consumers.
Thursday, May 1
American Consumers: Consumers in almost every income bracket are looking to save by altering where and how they buy food.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:22 am | posted by ONE.Partners
Food riots have now occurred in nine countries. Experts are at a loss as to how deep the wound from rising food prices will be and what this crisis will mean for economic, social and political stability in the developing world.
What is clear and predicable is that this crisis will have horrific consequences for the most vulnerable and marginalized. Children, especially those who have been orphans by AIDS, could suffer the most.
Today, more than 15 million children have been orphaned by AIDS. 12.1 million AIDS orphans live in sub-Saharan Africa. For these children, the loss of a parent means less food on the table. According to FAO, food consumption has been found to drop 40% in homes affected by HIV and AIDS. Households affected by HIV and AIDS often struggle to tend their gardens or make enough money to purchase food at the market. The implications are serious: malnutrition, limited physical and mental development, and even starvation. Visit www.worldaidsorphans.org to learn more.
The food crisis underscores the importance of reauthorizing and fully funding PEPFAR, and keeping our promise to support the children affected by AIDS.
Programs supporting AIDS orphans help to address this food crisis through school feeding programs, support to develop in agricultural skills and knowledge, and assistance on income development for affected households.
April 26th, 2008 at 9:05 am | posted by ONE.Partners
Todd Jennings, who works for PATH in Zambia, sends us his last post in a series for World Malaria Day.
4-25-2008
The 2008 Race Against Malaria concluded this World Malaria Day morning with all 31 riders arriving safely at the Mukuni Park Grounds in Livingstone. They had a royal reception—literally. Princess Astrid of Belgium shook their hands, followed by Rupiah Banda, the vice president of Zambia; and Yvonne Chaka Chaka, the South African entertainer and Roll Back Malaria representative. A huge crowd had assembled in Livingstone for this year’s World Malaria Day celebration, which featured loads of VIPs like the above, plus all the health ministers from 14 southern African countries. All gave a mighty applause when the cyclists entered the park, especially when everyone learned the riders had covered 1,000 kilometers since Monday.
Joining the Cycling Association of Zambia for this year’s event was Tour d’Afrique cyclist Irmgard Bush. Because of her personal experience with malaria, she didn’t hesitate when invited to participate: Irmgard almost died of malaria in 2006 while on a marathon tour from Cairo to Cape Town. She suffered a severe bout of malaria and was attended to by medical staff in Mazabuka, Zambia. Since then, Irmgard has been a vocal supporter in the fight against malaria.
Irmgard was the only woman in the Race Against Malaria, and for much of the way she pedaled on a tandem with national cycling coach Peter Chintu, the rider featured in an earlier posting on this blog. In this audio clip, Peter talks about this year’s experience.
-Todd Jennings, Advocacy Officer, Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), a program at PATH, Lusaka, Zambia.
The ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, volunteers, members and coalition partners.
The content of each post and each comment represent the views of that author and does not necessarily reflect the views of the ONE Campaign or ONE Action. ONE does not support or oppose any candidate for elected office, and any posts expressing support or opposition for a candidate is not endorsed by ONE.
We don’t need a warm and sunny day in Seattle to enjoy a free ice cream cone and tell folks how they can help make poverty history. Crowds lined up at the Kirkland 
The 2008 Race Against Malaria concluded this World Malaria Day morning with all 31 riders arriving safely at the Mukuni Park Grounds in Livingstone. They had a royal reception—literally. Princess Astrid of Belgium shook their hands, followed by Rupiah Banda, the vice president of Zambia; and Yvonne Chaka Chaka, the South African entertainer and Roll Back Malaria representative. A huge crowd had assembled in Livingstone for this year’s World Malaria Day celebration, which featured loads of VIPs like the above, plus all the health ministers from 14 southern African countries. All gave a mighty applause when the cyclists entered the park, especially when everyone learned the riders had covered 1,000 kilometers since Monday. 
