Hello from Pennsylvania! On October 1st, ONE volunteers Dan Donmoyer, Abbey Fisher, and I convened at Mayor Stephen Reed’s office to witness him declare our capitol city of Harrisburg a ONE City! The Mayor also agreed to be an ambassador for our ONE Vote ‘08 platform. Mayor Reed was very informed on our issues and understood the importance of helping those most vulnerable in the world.

He also added that it is certainly in our country’s best interest to lead the fight against extreme poverty because things that happen in foreign countries can affect us here at home. Our volunteers were very happy and excited to witness this historic proclamation. AND this is just in time for Tuesday, October 7th when the PA state legislature will declare October 16th as “ONE Campaign Day” in Pennsylvania!

-Brian Sweeney, ONE Field Organizer

Foreign policy advisors to Sens. Obama and McCain lay out both candidates’ policy objectives for Africa in two separate articles posted on allAfrica.com. The articles are excerpted from remarks made at a recent National Press Club Forum, “U.S.-Africa Policy Agenda and the Next Administration.”

Check ‘em out:

• Obama’s Three Objectives for Continent, by Witney W. Schneidman, an adviser on Africa to Obama
• McCain’s Vision for Freedom, Peace and Prosperity, by J. Peter Pham, a foreign policy and national security advisor

-Steve Wilson

Spirits remained high, even after waiting in lines for 2 hours, to represent ONE at a “Change We Need” Rally in Philadelphia with guests of honor, Michelle Obama and Jill Biden. When we met up with Jill Biden, we were able to hand-deliver a familiar gift. Dr. Biden laughed as she put on her ONE wristband thanking me because she had left her “ONE bands at home.” I think her laugh had something to do with the fact that it was the THIRD band I had given her in two weeks!

Dr. Biden has spent a lot of time in the Philadelphia area lately and ONE volunteers have been there thanking her for her support every step of the way! Perhaps she discussed her multiple campaign trail run-ins with ONE with Ms. Obama who will hopefully receive just as many ONE bands from PA volunteers before November 4!

-Lauren Conn

Senator Obama just addressed the Clinton Global Initiative via a live satellite feed and spoke of his commitment to embrace the Millennium Development Goals, “erase” the global education gap, and advance global health.

Below, an excerpt and video from his remarks.

(Senator McCain spoke at CGI a couple of hours ago, and we covered it here.)

We all have a stake in reducing poverty. There is suffering across the globe that doesn’t need to be tolerated in the 21st century. And it leads to pockets of instability that provide fertile breeding grounds for threats like terror and the smuggling of deadly weapons that cannot be contained by the drawing of a border or the distance of an ocean. These aren’t simply disconnected corners of an interconnected world. That is why the second commitment that I will make is embracing the Millennium Development Goals, which aim to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015.

This will take more resources from the United States, and as President I will increase our foreign assistance to provide them. But resources must be focused on the right priorities. No one wants to put good money after bad, or ignore the underlying causes at the root of these problems.

We shouldn’t just settle for a status quo – anywhere – where you can’t start a business without paying a bribe. Corruption wastes our tax dollars. It also ruins lives. This is a human rights issue, and we need to treat it like one.

We shouldn’t help those in need without helping them help themselves. That’s why I’ll partner with the private sector in creating a new fund for Small and Medium Enterprise, so we’re investing in ideas that can create growth and jobs in the developing world.

Above all, we must do our part to see that all children have the basic right to learn. There is nothing more disappointing than a child denied the hope that comes with going to school, and there is nothing more dangerous than a child who is taught to distrust and then to destroy.

That’s why the third commitment I’ll make is working to erase the global primary education gap by 2015. Every child – every boy, and every girl – should have the ability to go to school. To ensure that our nation does its part to meet that goal, we need to establish a two billion dollar Global Education Fund. And I look forward to signing the bipartisan Education for All Act that was first introduced by Hillary Clinton – a true champion for children.

Finally, we must continue the progress that’s been made to advance the cause of global health. I’ve been proud to support the PEPFAR program. I think (more…)

Just before temporarily suspending his presidential campaign, Senator McCain spoke at the Clinton Global Initiative this morning and addressed many of ONE’s issues.

An excerpt, plus a link to a video of his remarks, is below. Senator Obama will also be speaking at CGI later today, so we’ll be covering that here too.

As we deal with this challenge, we must also address the others that imperil our global security. Today too many around the world are excluded from the benefits of globalization. Disconnected from the prosperity that has lifted millions out of poverty, too many societies are plagued by violence, disease, and scarcity.

It need not be this way. And in places where scarcity can breed resentment, despair, and extremism – where problems cannot be contained by borders – it must not be this way. We can never guarantee our security through military means alone. True security requires a far broader approach, using non-military means to reduce threats before they gather strength. And this is especially true of our strategic interest in fighting disease and extreme poverty across the globe.

Promoting development, creating opportunities, and eliminating disease do not only serve our national interests; they also accord with our deepest American values. We are a great and generous country, and we believe that all men and women, everywhere, are created equal and endowed by God with certain rights. In fighting disease, and sparing unnumbered lives across the world, we serve not only strategic interests. We serve our moral interests, and we show the good heart of America.

Malaria alone kills more than a million people a year, mostly in Africa. Nearly three thousand children are lost every day just to this one affliction – a disease well within our ability to eradicate. To its lasting credit, the federal government in recent years has led the way in this fight. But, of course, America is more than its government. Some of the greatest advances have been the work of the Gates Foundation and other private, charitable groups. And you have my pledge that, should I be elected, I will build on these and other initiatives to ensure that malaria kills no more.

I will also make it a priority to improve maternal and child health. Millions around the world – and especially pregnant women and children – suffer from easily preventable nutritional deficiencies. As a result, a million children under age five die every year, millions more are born mentally impaired, and entire economies are left to stagnate. An international effort is needed to prevent disease and developmental disabilities among children by providing nutrients and food security. And if I am elected president, America will lead that effort.

As we have done with the scourge of HIV and AIDS, we should embark on a more concerted effort to fight tuberculosis, which accounts for nearly two million deaths each year. We should work to dramatically raise agricultural productivity in Africa: America helped to spark the Green Revolution in Asia, and they should be at the forefront of an African Green Revolution. We should reform our aid programs, to make sure they are serving the interests of people in need, and not just serving special interests in Washington.

Aid is not the whole answer. We need to promote economic growth and opportunities, especially for women, where they do not currently exist. Too often, trade restrictions – combined with costly agricultural subsidies for the special interests – choke off the opportunities for poor farmers and workers abroad to help themselves. That has to change. And by promoting free trade, and ending unfair subsides, I intend to be the agent of change.

Just wanted to let everybody know we just passed 100,000 signers on our petition to get Just ONE Question asked at Friday’s first presidential debate. Thanks to everyone who signed up and got your friends, family, and coworkers to sign up too!

If you haven’t signed up yet, there’s still time! We’ll be delivering the petition today.

As always, thank you for your voice

-Chris Scott

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson came to New Hampshire today to hold a foreign policy town hall meeting and speech on behalf of Senator Obama.

Gov. Richardson is very familiar with ONE from his own days on the campaign trail and this was no different. As soon as he came to the podium he saw ONE members in the front row, and immediately commended us on our tireless efforts throughout the NH Primary, and beyond, to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty.

After a brief speech, ONE’s Marine, Michael Castaldo asked Gov. Richardson if a potential Obama administration would work to ensure the full funding and appropriations for life saving programs like PEPFAR – the newly enhanced and expanded global AIDS, malaria, and TB Bill, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation which partners responsible, but highly impoverished nations with more and better aid for healthcare and infrastructure projects.

You can see it here:

Even in such a divisive political year and in the midst of economic uncertainty, ONE members everywhere should take pride in our non-partisan commitment to the world’s poorest people. Whether it’s at the UN General Assembly, or town halls in the Granite State, good people from both sides of the political aisle are realizing what our nation can do to help save millions of lives around the world.

-Matthew Bartlett, ONE Regional Field Organizer

On Thursday, Senator John McCain came to Iowa for the first time with new running mate Governor Sarah Palin.

The event was held at an air hanger in the Cedar Rapids airport and thousands of people attended, including many University of Iowa students in ONE T-shirts!

After the event, and after Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin toured parts of Cedar Rapids to see devastation from recent flooding, their motorcade pulled up to a long line of people, including ONE members, waiting for the senator and governor to board their plane.

As they walked through the line and shook hands, Senator McCain saw our ONE shirts and said that ONE is a wonderful organization and thanked us for what we do.

Next in the line came Governor Sarah Palin who shook hands with a ONE member who handed her a ONE band. She said “right on!” and immediately put on the band. (See our video). We were so happy to have represented ONE on Gov. Palin’s first visit to Iowa!

-Michele Meyer

It felt like the first day of fall in Media, PA on Tuesday when Senator Joe Biden addressed a crowd of thousands of supporters at the Linvilla Orchards. The outdoor venue was covered with fallen leaves and the stage sat in front of a trailer full of pumpkins. Senator Biden and Dr. Jill Biden stayed to greet the attendees who sat on hay and picnic tables during the speech.

I handed Dr. Biden a ONE band; she thanked me enthusiastically and immediately put it on! When Senator Biden approached and I held out the white band he laughed, “I already have so many ONE bands. I need to start wearing one regularly!” Sounds like a good idea to me!

-Lauren Conn

The ONE Campaign at Baylor University teamed up with Rock the Vote to encourage students to vote in the upcoming presidential election and emphasize issues facing millions of the world’s poorest people. After a one week delay due to Hurricane Ike, Baylor’s Rock the Vote concert was held on Wednesday, September 17 in one of the most heavily traveled portions of campus. Baylor ONE members tabled at the event, passed out ONE Vote ‘08 information, and encouraged students to join the campaign.

The featured musical artist Trey Duck, Shapes Stars Make, and Sleeperstar wore ONE bands as they performed their music to a crowd of Baylor students. While the concert was going on, students were encouraged to depict what voting meant to them through their artistic abilities and sign a wall with messages of the importance of voting. Overall, the night provided a great opportunity to highlight the importance of voting and the ONE Campaign to hundreds of college students.

Sic ‘Em ONE!

-Justin Kralemann, President of the ONE Campaign-Baylor