ONE Vote ‘08 staff and volunteers continue to trail the presidential candidates as they campaign around the country. Last Tuesday night, when Senator Barack Obama clinched the Democratic nomination, ONE volunteer Tzviatko Chiderov was at the Minnesota rally to make sure that fight to end extreme poverty remains a part of this election.

“After nearly 3 hours of waiting on the slowly advancing 15-block-long line of human anticipation I barely made it inside the Xcel Energy Center in St Paul, MN on the evening of June 3, 2008. The feeling inside the arena was fantastic.

As Obama spoke of the need for America to address the common global threats of the 21st century, specifically mentioning poverty, genocide and disease, it immediately brought to my mind that this is what ONE fights for.

He spoke of restoring our global image as the best hope for the world and I knew that Americans involved in the ONE Campaign are already engaged in this effort by raising awareness and encouraging their local leaders to take action in helping poor and struggling countries.

As Barack Obama was concluding his speech, I realized that our country’s next leader – and Americans – must have a dedication to the global issues our generation faces and commitment to true change for the better. When Americans get involved with the ONE Campaign they can do exactly that – help shape local and national change to positively affect global issues.

-Tzviatko Chiderov, Minnesota ONE member”