The Big Day: LA Becomes a ONE City

Apr 8th, 2009 3:25 PM UTC
By Matt Higginson, ONE member, Las Vegas, NV

Yesterday was a phenomenal day for Los Angeles volunteers and members of ONE. LA was declared a ONE City by Mayor Villaraigosa. Mayor V. had this to say. “The declaration of Los Angeles as a ONE city is a testament to our uncompromising determination to combat poverty and preventable disease in the United States and globally. As a city, we must unite as one, raise awareness and never turn our backs on the most vulnerable members of society”.

We were also thrilled to have Congresswoman Maxine Waters, an important Congressional ally of ONE, attend and offer her support at this historic event. Representative Waters has been a tireless champion for development issues and authored the JUBILEE Act to expand the number of poor countries that are eligible for debt relief. It passed the U.S. House of Representatives last Congress but was stalled in the Senate, and she is expected to re-introduce it this year. Speaking at the press conference yesterday, Representative Waters asserted that, “As individuals, communities, and nations, we can and must join in efforts to fight extreme poverty and prevent deadly diseases. Los Angeles is a global city, so it is appropriate that we are a “ONE City” dedicated to important global causes. Likewise, I will continue to advocate for applying American generosity, ingenuity, and prosperity to aid the world’s poor and vulnerable.” We could not agree more.

Over 50 volunteers turned out for this event, including Paul Avion. Paul got this ball rolling for LA to be a ONE City some time ago. On his own, he was able to usher the ONE City declaration through the approval process and get it approved by the entire LA City Council. What a great example how one person can make a huge impact. A big thanks to Paul for all his efforts, and everyone else critical to this success.

I was doing an interview with a journalist yesterday and they asked me about what “What comes next for members of ONE in LA, was this event the end game?” The truth is no, and we don’t know exactly when the next Kerry-Lugar type bill will hit. But we know that ONE members and volunteers will be ready to make phone calls, write their leaders, and give a voice to the voiceless children in Africa. It was reiterated to me yesterday as I answered that question, that the members of ONE are the power of ONE. Whether it is volunteers raising awareness with local leaders at City Hall in Los Angeles, or ensuring that life-saving legislation is supported within the walls of Congress in Washington—the members of ONE are the power of ONE.

-Matt Higginson, LA ONE Field Organizer

TAGS: California, City of ONE, From ONE Members, LA ONE City, Los Angeles