Stand Up Against Poverty just announced that over 113 million people stood up during this year’s Stand Up and Take Action event held over the weekend. That’s nearly 2% of the world’s population.
During yesterday’s White House Summit, President Bush expressed his view that America must remain committed to international development “regardless of the ebb and flow of the markets.”
You know, we meet today in the middle of a serious global financial crisis. Over the past few weeks, we have seen how the world’s economies are more interconnected than ever before. The crisis is having a major impact on working people all over the world — including many in developing nations.
During times of economic crisis, some may be tempted to turn inward — focusing on our problems here at home, while ignoring our interests around the world. This would be a serious mistake. America is committed — and America must stay committed — to international development for reasons that remain true regardless of the ebb and flow of the markets. We believe that development is in America’s security interests. We face an enemy that can’t stand freedom. And the only way they can recruit to their hateful ideology is by exploiting despair — and the best way to respond is to spread hope.
We believe that we ought to remain committed to development because it’s in our long-term economic interests. When America helps developing nations rise out of poverty, we create new markets for our goods and services, and better jobs for American workers. And we’re committed to development because it’s in our moral interests. I strongly believe in the timeless truth: To whom much is given, much is required. We are a blessed nation and I believe we have a duty to help those less fortunate around the world. We believe that power to save lives comes with the obligation to use it. And I believe our nation is better when we help people fight hunger and disease and illiteracy.
Bono will be speaking tonight at the WE Empower Women’s Conference in California at approximately 6 pm PST (9pm EST). Maria Shriver is hosting the event which features speakers such as Condoleeza Rice, Madeline Albright, Jennifer Lopez, and more. You can watch a live webcast of the event here.
WE Empower’s website describes the conference thusly:
Under the leadership of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver, The Women’s Conference has grown from a small government initiative for working professionals into a far-reaching organization, a life-changing experience, and an international network of women from all walks of life, backgrounds and perspectives.
The Women’s Conference event is the largest and most dynamic gathering of women in the nation. Recognized for its unparalleled capacity to empower and inspire women to become architects of change, the annual conference unites more than sixty internationally-acclaimed leaders and visionaries with 14,000 women in one arena, plus thousands more virtually, to share enriching stories of transformation and success, words of encouragement and life lessons.
The ONE bus arrived in Gainesville, Florida on Saturday. Greeting the bus at Plaza of the Oaks on University Blvd, were 15 of our ONE club members and interns. Our ONE group at the University of Florida secured a place for the bus at the busy plaza. Throughout the day ONE staff helped the ONE group at UF to speak to hundreds of people visiting the plaza. We also signed up 150 new members.
As a ONE city Gainesville was very well represented while the bus garnered new members from throughout the city. We were also able to sign new UF students up for the group at the University. ONE had a wonderful day while in Gainesville. ONE staff would like to thank the people and leadership of Gainesville.
Right after Bob Geldof spoke at the White House Summit on International Development yesterday, he spoke with CNN International on the White House lawn. ONE’s Tom Gavin was there and captured it on tape for our ONE Blog readers. Some of Bob’s most striking comments:
“I think there’s a great understanding that we can’t let the economic crisis turn into a human crisis. You know the food and fuel crisis already knocked the poor back and what we can’t let happen is the financial crisis smothers them…
The impact upon us by cutting aid to the poor will be enormous. This isn’t the time to do it. So you know I hate getting activisty emotional rhetoric, but it is betrayal to the weakest people. The problem with this for me is that the political commitment of the powerful to the weak is the most sacred promise you can make. It’s the powerful to the weak, the rich to the poor. When you break it you kill them. It’s really simple stuff this. “
The full video clip below, and transcript after the jump.
Last Thursday there was an amazing collaboration between the ONE Campaign and the Stand Up and Take Action comity at Bongo’s Cuban Café in Miami, FL.
Numerous bands performed, local artists came to display their work, and ONE volunteers lined the entrance asking people to sign the ONE Declaration before they entered the party. We passed a big ONE banner around the crowd for signatures and will ship it to our D.C. office later this month.
What a great vibe we had going at the party all night!! We had so much fun throwing the five-hour long celebration.
Bob Geldof just finished speaking at the White House Summit on
International Development. As always, he spoke bluntly and honestly about the motivations for investing in development and the potential returns for doing so.
Bob said that America is unique in that it represents an idea, one that it must live up to it through its relationship with the world’s poor. In regard to potential calls to cut foreign assistance during this turbulent economic time, he noted that the U.S. currently only gives 0.2% of its gross national income to development, meaning that the remaining 99.8% can be used to improve the lives of people here in the U.S. Given the small percentage going to development, he asked about that 99.8%: “Isn’t that enough?”
Bob also spoke about the importance of the U.S. fulfilling the commitments it made to Africa at the 2005 G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland. He said the if the U.S. keeps its promises to the world’s poorest people, then Europe cannot hide behind us and will be forced to do the same. Bob criticized Italy for slashing its foreign assistance even as it puts Africa on the agenda for this year’s G8 summit, which it will host in July.
Today’s speakers all helped highlight the difference between rhetoric
and results. The full impact of this difference is being felt now, as
lives and livelihoods hang in the balance. Bob gave this idea melody and
meaning.
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Cuts to poverty-fighting programs won't balance the budget, but they will set back progress on Canada's development priorities and risk jeopardizing existing investments.
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.
