Blog Contributor:
Weldon Kennedy
May 27th, 2010 4:45 PM UTC
By Weldon Kennedy
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Limber up! We want you to try and throw Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi out of the G8 because he’s let us down once again…We’ve even made a cheeky little game to give you some practice!
We all love a bit of fun, but there’s a serious point to the game – since promising to increase aid to Africa in 2005 PM Berlusconi has actually cut it. spanking new DATA report puts him firmly at the bottom of the class.
On a brighter note, some G8 countries have actually made real strides despite the tough times, and these investments have helped to give over 40 million children in Africa an education and halved malaria deaths in a number of countries.
So, enjoy the game (my top score is 8720) and please pass on to let people know that we don’t just believe in promises but delivery too.
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Oct 5th, 2009 2:13 PM UTC
By Weldon Kennedy
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In Paris and London this weekend, ONE members came together – without any prompting – to start organising to take further action as ONE. At the core of both groups were long time ONE members who had their first chance to volunteer with ONE at the U2 concerts in Paris, London, Sheffield, and Cardiff.
I managed to meet up with the London crew, share a drink, and talk about what ONE has on deck and how everyone can be involved. In Paris (pictured), the team plotted out the organisation of their group and what work they would like to be doing moving forward.
If you’re an elected official in London or Paris, rest assured you’ll be hearing from these motivated ONE folks soon. And if you’re a ONE member here or across the Channel, leave a comment to say hi or bonjour and start getting more involved.
-Weldon Kennedy
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Sep 28th, 2009 4:22 PM UTC
By Weldon Kennedy
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After three months on the road with the U2 360 tour, I’m now passing the torch (well, walkie-talkie since we didn’t have a torch) to Matt Higginson.
I’ve had a fantastic time, meeting ONE members around Europe and North America and working with our volunteers to sign up tens of thousands of new folks. But, now Matt is back from leave so I have a chance to head home to London and get back to mobilising our global membership to take action on some key upcoming moments.
Thank you to everyone who helped along the way, especially the hundreds of energetic and passionate volunteers who really did all the hard work of signing up new members. I hope to see you all again soon and that you’ll join me in wishing Matt good luck with the rest of the tour.
-Weldon Kennedy
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Sep 25th, 2009 3:26 PM UTC
By Weldon Kennedy
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I’ve never thought about driving to a large parking lot and having a party out of the back of my car. As such, it’s hardly surprising that the phenomenon of tailgating took me a little bit by surprise. But here on the North American U2 tour, the stadium parking lots turn into a massive series of parties, each of which is a veritable gold mine for new ONE members. It’s fantastic.
Just as every city and stadium presents a different way to sign up ONE members, I also find there are people with a variety of motives for joining. Everyone has a different reason for joining, from people who have a personal experience with extreme poverty to environmentalists who are concerned that not enough is being done to help the poor adapt to climate change. Whatever the person’s reason for joining, all it takes is a few seconds of introduction to ONE for most people to be convinced that they want to be members. And hence, I love all the tailgaters who give time (and sometimes food) to my ONE volunteers. Party on in the parking lot.
-Weldon Kennedy
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Sep 16th, 2009 2:17 PM UTC
By Weldon Kennedy
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The U2 360 spaceship has landed in North America, and we’re off to a rockin’ start. Matt (who’ll be running the tour for most of the North American tour) met me in Chicago and we ran around town gathering T-shirts, wristbands, and our new tabling set up. Everything was in perfect order, including the weather. I’m told the odds of 4 September days of 72 degree sunny weather is an near impossibility in Chicago, but that’s what we got.
Our 30 volunteers were in good form, recruiting new members by the thousands. The biggest obsticale they ran into was that many of the fans were already ONE members. Not a bad problem to have!
I’m in Toronto now, and ready to get rolling on another two shows. I hope to see you at a show soon!
-Weldon Kennedy
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Sep 10th, 2009 3:22 PM UTC
By Weldon Kennedy
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As you know, Weldon Kennedy has been traveling with the U2 360 Tour through Europe, coordinating ONE volunteers and signing up thousands of ONE members at numerous concerts. He reflects on his time there:
It was a long summer touring around Europe with U2, but I’ve had a little rest and I’m ready to get back into action this weekend in Chicago. In just two months at 24 shows we signed up over 40,000 new ONE members, and fired up groups of ONE volunteers who are continuing to take action and organise in their communities.
One of the things that keeps me smiling up through the long days of the tour are the warm messages I receive from those volunteers all along the way. I asked a couple of them if I could share their sentiments, and I hope that you find them just as inspiring:
I wanted to volunteer for ONE for quite some time but I didn’t have a chance to before and thank you for giving me the opportunity. I’m still shaking from my head to my toes, it was probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.
My heart is so filled with pride and love and I’m sure u all feel the same. All of you made me happier and more optimistic than I’ve been in a very long time.
To be there, so speak and to be heard, to teach others…for the first time I had a feeling that I am actually really doing something.
And it felt good.
It felt good to know that I´m doing something worthwhile, and that even I can make a change.
It is hard to explain how this was important to me, but I think that you know it:-).
Giving me chance to work for a real and good thing is so precious. Giving me chance to do this during U2 concerts is just….like a dream.
America, I hope you’re ready to have a good time and sign up scores of new ONE members. Toss on your ONE shirts and let’s rock and roll.
-Weldon Kennedy
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Aug 3rd, 2009 9:34 AM UTC
By Weldon Kennedy
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As you know, Weldon Kennedy is traveling with the U2 360 Tour signing up new ONE members all across Europe. He writes from Sweden:
I have a catch phrase that’s served me well along the U2 tour: “It’s not gonna rain.” Thus far with that phrase and the collective will power of tens of thousands of fans, we’ve managed to keep the rain off of us despite what the forecast said. I suppose I should have been saying, “It’s not gonna rain, and there won’t be gale force winds.” But I didn’t, and so that was our weather for the first day in Gothenburg, Sweden. You can get a sense of the conditions from the picture above from when we were unloading in the morning.
But the rough and rugged ONE volunteers braved the wind and the rain, and still managed to sign up hundreds of new ONE members. I was as impressed as I was cold – I’d packed for a summer concert tour and lacked the proper insulation for the 17C windy soggy day.
Everything changed for the second day in Gothenburg. The skies cleared, the wind stopped, and we were in serious business. We doubled the number of people we signed up, and after the concert still had the energy to share a few laughs and a some Swedish gummy candies – Gott & blandat, which I highly recommend if salt liquorice sounds good to you.
It’s now onward back to Germany, where I’m meeting up with a couple members of the German team for a show in Gelsenkirchen. With any luck it’s not going to rain (again).
-Weldon Kennedy
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