November 6th, 2008 at 1:05 pm | posted by Chris.Scott
Libby Crimmings, as you may know is the ONE Campaign’s Regional Field Director in Iowa and Minnesota. She’s done fantastic work around ONE Vote ’08 this election season, and wanted to reflect and share a few thoughts with us:
I came into work yesterday and hardly knew what to do with myself. The unbelievable feeling that the elections are over finally sank in. It seems like the elections have been 90% of what I have thought and talked about for the past year and a half. Now what?! After the initial shock I realized this is only the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.
For almost two years thousands of ONE members have been attending almost every political rally, town hall, meet and greet, and other events such as straw polls or steak fries, raising awareness and asking the presidential candidates tough questions about their commitment to the world’s poor. I remember quite a few early events where members drove hours to a town hall event in a small town in Iowa, where it would be a presidential candidate, a pot of coffee and about 5 people. Those were early days where ONE members got a lot of face time with the candidates. Toward the end the events were huge rallies with thousands of people, less face time but more people to talk to about ONE! Somewhere along the line the candidates started wearing bands, recognizing ONE members, pointing them out in crowds, and sometimes letting them speak!
November 5th, 2008 at 5:57 pm | posted by Chris.Scott
To all the ONE volunteers and activists who’ve worked tirelessly around our ONE Vote ’08 efforts this (very) long election season, thank you. Each one of you have made invaluable contributions to our effort to make sure EVERY presidential candidate spoke up about their plans to combat global poverty and disease. By holding our elected officials accountable, we’ve ensured that the issues ONE cares so passionately about will be aggressively and vigorously addressed. The 2008 presidential election may be over, but our work to end global poverty is only beginning.
Below is a video of ONE organizer Matthew Bartlett speaking with John McCain a few days ago at what could be his last town hall meeting in New Hampshire as a presidential candidate. It aired on CNN and Matthew’s impassioned and articulate message is spot on. Congrats Matthew and all of our ONE Vote ’08 activists.
November 5th, 2008 at 10:05 am | posted by Virginia Simmons
In December of 2007, after months of campaigning, ONE members got eleven Democratic and Republican presidential candidates to go On The Record with their plans to fight global poverty.
Among those eleven was Senator Barack Obama- who is now, as of last night’s election - President-Elect Barack Obama.
We still have a great deal of work ahead of us in our fight against extreme poverty and preventable global disease, but we expect these On-The-Record plans will play a key role in the years ahead. You can find all of his plans, and his exclusive videos to ONE members, on our On The Record microsite - and below.
On his legacy to the world’s poor: ( Recorded Dec. 2007)
On doubling foreign assistance: ( Recorded Dec. 2007)
(NOTE: In the wake of the economic crisis, Senator Obama has said that we “may have to delay [a doubling of foreign assistance] a little bit.”)
His message to ONE members: ( Recorded Dec. 2007)
On reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis:
I’ll double annual foreign assistance from $25b to $50b by 2012. I was a co-sponsor of the Lantos-Hyde Act that authorized $48 billion by 2013 for HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB. I support lifting the 33% cap on US contributions to the Global Fund, ensuring at least 4.5 million people are on ARV treatment by 2013, and preventing 12 million new infections.
On eradicating malaria:
I will support the goal of ending deaths from malaria by 2015 by building on the $1billion per year commitment to malaria in the recent PEPFAR reauthorization and dramatically expanding access to mosquito nets that for less than $6 will lower the risk of getting malaria and save lives. I will also expand access to ACTs - at the relatively inexpensive cost of $2 per dose - to treat people who get malaria.
On improving child and maternal health:
I will increase funding for child and maternal health and ensure that increases in other important areas - including HIV/AIDS - do not come at the expense of child health and survival programs. I will expand access to vaccinations, increase research into new vaccines, and expand access to reproductive health programs.
On achieving universal primary education:
Worldwide, an estimated 100 million children - including nearly 60 million girls - are not attending school. By 2010, getting these children into school could cost $10b annually. To meet our share of that sum, I look forward to signing the Education for All Act and will request the funding levels needed to carry it out.
On cutting in half the number of people without clean water or enough food:
More than 1b people lack access to clean water, and that number will increase with the impact of climate change. The US has an obligation to increase access to clean water and sanitation. Through increased funding of up to $1.3b annually and innovative programs like ‘play pumps,’ I will expand access to clean water and sanitation.
On additional commitments to the world’s poor:
I’ll make the Millennium Development Goals American policy. By the end of my first term I expect to see progress to meeting the MDGs, including reducing by half the number of people living on less than a dollar a day and suffering from hunger, and reversing the number of new HIV infections and malaria cases.
November 3rd, 2008 at 6:02 pm | posted by Chris.Scott
As you you know, tomorrow is the 2008 US presidential election. With millions of citizens—and a ton of ONE members amongst them—heading to the polls in a matter of hours, we wanted to remind you that both presidential candidates have gone On The Record for the ONE Campaign, and told us in great detail what they plan to do to fight extreme global poverty.
November 3rd, 2008 at 5:08 pm | posted by Chris.Scott
With the election fast approaching (tomorrow!) Brian Sweeney wanted to reflect on some of the great accomplishments ONE volunteers and activists have achieved in the great state of Pennsylvania this election season.
I wanted to take the opportunity to thank all of our Pennsylvania ONE Volunteers for all of their hard work in helping to raise awareness for ONE’s initiatives! The ONE volunteers seen here with Congressman Tim Holden are Dan Donmoyer, Marie Smith, and Renee Allen. All three volunteers have been extremely active and have been very successful in energizing people around them to get involved with advocacy.
I also want to mention volunteers Abbey Fisher and Matt Schaeffer. Abbey does a lot of work with Jubilee USA and helps support ONE by attending as many events as she can. Matt Schaeffer is a senior at Lebanon Valley College where he has started a ONE Chapter and participates in our OCC program.
Thank you to all of our amazing Pennsylvania ONE volunteers who also participate by making phone calls and signing petitions to help the world’s most vulnerable! Many people are contributing in various ways and I simply cannot say enough or give enough praise to everyone who has given their time! THANK YOU ALL!
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:42 pm | posted by Chris.Scott
Here’s a brief update on some of the exciting activity going on in Ohio
Candidates and campaigns are jockeying in the final days until Election Day to earn votes and get their message across. ONE is also working hard to get our message across to not only voters, but also to the candidates.
Over the past six months, Ohio has become ground zero for the presidential candidates. As the candidates have crisscrossed Ohio, ONE has been there, discussing the issues surrounding global poverty. In the week leading up to the election ONE has been to several McCain and Obama events, each time drawing the attention of the crowd, the media, campaign staff or even the candidate.
While ONE in Ohio will spend the next 48 hours making its presence known, ONE’s work does not end on Election Day. Just last week ONE delivered petitions to the state campaign offices pushing for whoever is elected to keep their promises of ending global poverty.
October 31st, 2008 at 4:42 pm | posted by Brian Sweeney, ONE Volunteer, Jonestown, Pennsylvania
With less than a week before Election Day, ONE volunteer Dan Donmoyer and I joined volunteers across the country in dropping off petitions at various state offices. We stopped by both the Obama and McCain headquarters in Harrisburg, PA to help remind both presidential candidates of the commitments they made to help the world’s poorest people when they went On the Record with the ONE Campaign.
During these times of economic instability in both domestic and global markets, we must not forget about the world’s poorest people who are especially vulnerable during times of economic hardship. We should continue to support smart, affordable initiatives that are making a real difference for millions around the world.
This month over 68,832 ONE Members nationwide and 2,849 in Pennsylvania, signed a petition asking that:
As you work to find a solution to the global financial crisis, please do not waver in your support for the world’s poorest people. It is now more important than ever to stand up for effective, efficient solutions that save millions of lives, strengthen the global economy, and win the hearts and minds of people around the world. I’m keeping my commitment to fight global poverty, and I ask you to do the same.
Even when we face challenges here at home, we must continue to lead, work to strengthen America’s global reputation, and make our world a safer and better place.
October 30th, 2008 at 3:09 pm | posted by Virginia Simmons
I want to share ONE’s ‘Final Report’ on Senator McCain’s and Senator Obama’s public commitments to address global poverty.
When you go to our On The Record microsite today, you can see McCain’s and Obama’s most up-to-date plans side-by-side. While you’re there, make sure to check out our exclusive video interviews with John McCain and Barack Obama.
ONE is a nonpartisan organization that does not endorse or oppose any candidate, but we do want you to know where the candidates stand as you go to the polls on Tuesday.
October 30th, 2008 at 11:27 am | posted by Chris.Scott
South Florida ONE volunteers were hot on the campaign trail yesterday, representing ONE at back-to-back rallies for Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama.
In the morning we went to the Everglades Lumberyard in Miami to hear Senator McCain speak. He was accompanied by fellow Republicans Governor Charlie Crist, Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart and Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Florida’s former Governor and current ONE Vote ’08 Co-Chair, Jeb Bush.
Just a few hours later Senators Obama and Biden held a campaign rally at the Bank Atlantic Center in Fort Lauderdale. Just when we thought we were not going to be able to get in, the security guards let us through and we found great seats just behind the stage.
With the election right around the corner, ONE volunteers are working harder than ever to maintain their strong presence on the campaign trail in Florida and to show the candidates that regardless of party affiliation, fighting global disease and extreme poverty must be a priority in the next administration.
October 24th, 2008 at 2:21 pm | posted by Chris.Scott
America.gov this week featured two articles outlining and detailing each US presidential candidate’s policies in regards to combating poverty and disease in Africa. Each article features a major campaign surrogate discussing his respective candidate’s plans—Howard Wolpe for Obama, Herman J. Cohen for McCain. Both are rather illuminating and definitely worth the read.
A McCain administration would place even more emphasis on promoting private-sector economic development in Africa, Cohen said.
“The Millennium Challenge Corporation is very strong on private-sector [development], and I think you will see the United States Agency for International Development moving to finance even more private-sector activity to help even more Africans themselves become investors,” he predicted. “Now that Africa is becoming more open to the private sector, they need the infrastructure to make it work. “
An Obama presidency will “greatly facilitate the diplomacy required to try to make some progress on these difficult issues,” such as the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan or the political situation in Zimbabwe.
In the long term, Wolpe said, the central challenge facing Africa is the building of cohesive states. An Obama administration would be particularly focused on helping Africans search for common ground and eliminate conflict across the continent, he predicted. “Unless you can tackle that issue, the prospects for long-term sustainable economic development will be constantly compromised,” he said.
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.
