A formal meet and greet was held today in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, by Robert Burton and the East Cooper Democrats for Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico. The debate tonight is fast approaching and candidates are beginning to pepper the low country.

We were received well by the host and what turned out to be a good many people who were well aware of the ONE Campaign and our efforts. While waiting for the governor’s appearance, we were able to answer an assortment of questions about ONE Vote ‘08.

Finally appearing to the crowd, Gov. Richardson worked his way around the room shaking hands until he reached us, and exclaimed with a loud voice, “ONE!! It is great to see you guys!”

The governor talked about many issues important to his candidacy, but what I was impressed with most was the way he spoke about the role of the United States in the fight against AIDS and the duty we have to combat extreme poverty. Read his recent endorsement of ONE.

Since ONE launched ONE Vote ‘08 last month I have been keeping an eye out for presidential candidates from both parties to make a campaign stop in Pittsburgh. I wanted to let them know that as an American I want our next president to be a leader in the fight against extreme poverty and global AIDS. I got my first opportunity on Tuesday, July 17, when Senator John Edwards gave a speech at a local non-profit organization, Hill House. So I grabbed my friend Bethany, and we put on our ONE T-shirts and headed out to go use our voices for the world’s poorest people!

I was glad we wore the ONE shirt because when we arrived at the event many people in the crowd came up to tell us that they were members of ONE. Others had never heard of the campaign, so we told them about how they can get involved right here in Pittsburgh in the fight for the billion people around the world who live on less than a dollar a day.

After Senator Edwards spoke he spent time meeting people in the crowd and Bethany and I took our opportunity to speak with him. When it was our turn I said, “Senator! You’re not wearing your ONE band!” As he took the band and put it on he said he had just forgotten his and would take one of mine to wear now. He then mentioned the role the United States must take in fighting global poverty and AIDS and thanked Bethany and I for our volunteer work for ONE.

All in all, it turned out to be an excellent opportunity to support ONE, and I can not wait till the next candidate comes through town! For me, it is not about a candidate or a political party, it is about showing all the candidates, both Republicans and Democrats, that I am just one of millions of Americans who want to make the fight against extreme poverty and the global disease to be a priority in the 2008 presidential election.

Staff and volunteers in South Carolina are gearing up for the Democratic Debate at the Citadel in Charleston today. Our state will be in the national spotlight, giving us a great opportunity to meet and band Democratic presidential candidates. In addition to hosting a ONE table for the event, we will also be out in force at the post-debate party and the various candidate viewing parties throughout the city. If you are planning to go to the debate or a related event, be sure to stop by our table at Joe Riley Baseball Stadium near the Citadel.

Barack Obama opened his Charleston, South Carolina, presidential campaign office on Thursday. Everyone I talked to at the event seemed to be on the same page: that America needs to do more for the poverty and disease global crises. More than a few agreed that fighting extreme poverty and AIDS was a great idea to bolster the image of the United States while simultaneously helping people who desperately need a helping hand. No one was shy when it came to asking for ONE wrist bands either!

Barack Obama’s brother in-law, Craig Robinson, was the main speaker. Although I was unable to introduce myself to Mr. Robinson, I talked with a number of other individuals like Kevin Puelo and Lauren Champagne who are key players in Obama’s campaign in Charleston.

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani opened campaign offices in South Carolina Wednesday, and we made sure to make ONE’s presence felt. My state Field Co-director Mekell Mikell and I took part in the grand opening of the headquarters in Columbia. We talked with the executive directors and field directors, who showed a great interest in ONE and said that they looked forward to working with ONE Vote ‘08 in the future.

On Tuesday evening, two ONE members met with Ann Romney, who was in South Carolina as part of the “Women for Mitt Bus Tour.” Mrs. Romney stressed the importance of family values and afterwards took the time to speak to each person in attendance. They talked with her about ONE Vote ‘08, and she quickly accepted a ONE band, wore it throughout the evening, and thanked ONE for being at the event.

ONE Spokane member Kelly Kiki recently returned from Tororo, Uganda, and had some profound words and great photos to share with me. Kelly is a schoolteacher in Spokane, WA, who traveled to Uganda with 100 pounds of supplies in an effort to reach out to students and teachers at primary and secondary schools. As a teacher, Kelly knows that education is often the ladder which leads to a better tomorrow.

Said Kelly on his motivation for going: “On my first journey into Western Uganda, I read a quote on the side of a small school that read: “Education Saves Lives!” This statement has created a passion in my heart that has urged me to ask questions like: How can I help? How can we help?”

ONE members can also help by encouraging their members of Congress to support the Education for All Act, legislation that will enable 77 million children to have access to a primary education.

Over 2,000 ONE members took action after last week’s email action by submitting a letter to the editor to their local paper on farm bill reform.

So far, 15 papers across the country have printed our members’ letters. Those 15 papers generated over 507,722 media impressions, and I expect more to come…

Today

Give Small Farmers Hope (Tyler Morning Telegraph, TX)
This summer while you’re hopefully enjoying some much needed vacation time and hitting the pool or a barbecue with friends, Congress is considering the farm bill. I’m pretty sure we have the better deal.

Farm Bill needs reform (Gainesville Sun, FL)
This summer, while you’re hopefully enjoying some much needed vacation time and hitting the pool or a BBQ with friends, Congress is considering the Farm Bill. I’m pretty sure we have the better deal.

Help the push to change the U.S. Farm Bill (Glenwood Springs Post Independent, CO)
This summer, while you’re hopefully enjoying some much-needed vacation time and hitting the pool or a barbecue with friends, Congress is considering the farm bill. I’m pretty sure we have the better deal.

Time to act on farm bill (Longview Daily News, WA)
Considered once every five years, the farm bill is in desperate need of change and this year is the time to tell Congress to take action.

July 18

Small farmers around U.S. would benefit from Farm Bill reforms (The Maui News, HI)
This summer, while we’re hopefully enjoying some much needed vacation time and hitting the pool or a barbecue with friends, Congress is considering the Farm Bill. I’m pretty sure we have the better deal.

Fight poverty on farm (Scranton Times-Tribune, PA)
Editor: This summer, while you’re hopefully enjoying some much-needed vacation time and hitting the pool or a BBQ with friends, Congress is considering the Farm Bill. I’m pretty sure we have the better deal.

Stop punishing small farmers (The Hill)
The current system does not even primarily benefit America’s small farmers. Reforms should also provide better support for U.S. farm families of modest means as well.

Farm Bill reform will benefit small farmers worldwide (Amarillo Globe News)
This summer, while most of us hopefully are enjoying some much-needed vacation time, hitting the pool or barbecuing with friends, Congress is considering the Farm Bill.

Reform Farm Bill to help small farmers (Berkshire Eagle, MA)
The U.S. Farm Bill is an important piece of legislation and a big opportunity; Congress has the opportunity to significantly improve the livelihoods of small farmers around the world, including here in the United States, by instituting reform in the Farm Bill.

Farm Bill affects us all, not just farmers (Chillicothe Gazette Chillicothe, OH)
It is in the best interest of America to take care of our own. It is also in keeping with the best of American tradition that we help others to help themselves. The reformation of the Farm Bill will accomplish both. It is important we all understand what is at stake.

The Farm Bill (Minnesota Daily, UMinn Twin Cities)
Congress is discussing the Farm Bill this summer, which has the power to improve the lives of millions of small farmers in the United States.

July 17

Changes need to be made to Farm Bill (Evansville Courier Press, IN)
All kidding aside, the Farm Bill is an important piece of legislation and a big opportunity. Congress could significantly improve the livelihoods of small farmers around the world, including in the United States, by instituting reform in the Farm Bill.

Current laws work against small farmers (The State News, Mich. State University)
The U.S. Farm Bill is an important piece of legislation and a big opportunity. Congress has the opportunity this year to reform the bill and improve the livelihoods of small farmers around the world, including here in the United States.

More

Support changes to the farm bill (The Tuscaloosa News, AL – July 16)
All kidding aside, the farm bill is an important piece of legislation and a big opportunity. Congress has the opportunity to significantly improve the livelihoods of small farmers around the world, including here in the United States, by instituting reform in the U.S. Farm Bill.

Farm Bill (Shakopee Valley News, MN – July 14)
As a member of the ONE Campaign, I urge Congress to make the necessary changes to the Farm Bill – smart trade reform helps everyone.

ONE’s presence in Second Life is growing, and much more is on the way.

This past weekend, I spoke to a gathering of Second Life (SL) residents about ONE and how they can get involved, both in SL and in RL (real life). They were especially excited about the possibilities of ONE Vote ‘08 in the upcoming presidential election. Afterwards, some of the listeners participated in a Q and A session, and we also discussed the best ways to mobilize ONE supporters in SL like we do in RL. Most exciting was the passion I found for ONE’s message, especially in Angela Eclipse (SL name), the resident who organized the event and runs the Take Action group in SL. She posted a transcript of the event on her website.

Coming up: a new version of the ONE Console, the opening of ONE’s in-world HQ, and more member-organized ONE events. If you are in SL, message ONE Binder for more info.

I received this post from my good friend, Nicholas Talarico, who is now in Africa working as the Operations Director for FORGE, a partner group of ONE. It was just a few years ago, as a ONE volunteer, that I sat down with Nick to discuss the ONE Campaign, and plan how two New Hampshire natives should take action on behalf of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

Now – Nick works on the ground, and hand in hand with Africa refugees, while I am stateside with groups of ONE members letting our elected leaders know about the new and fresh partnership between America and Africa.

I always find it inspiring to hear some of the many success stories coming out of Africa and I hope you enjoy Nick’s post too.

I’m leaving Congo, headed back to Zambia.

It’s 2:30 in the morning and I haven’t slept more than a few hours each night for the last few weeks. Yesterday, I drove for fifteen hours and only made it 380 kilometers. Where there should be thoroughfares facilitating travel and trade, DR Congo has the worst roads I’ve ever driven. rocky and potholed, littered with destroyed army tanks and dismantled armored cars. This country, the size of Western Europe, has a grand total of 300 miles of paved roads.

I’m tired and my body hurts, but as I look down at The ONE Band on my wrist, I’m reminded why I’m here. I’m here because a couple of years ago, a friend gave me a ONE Band and implored me to explore the related issues. The past 26 months have been a whirlwind of circumstances that have brought me to far-flung places and set me in front of thousands of different people.

Leaving a lucrative job, I joined FORGE and now work hand-in-hand with refugees from DR Congo, Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, Somalia, and Uganda. In what I thought would be service work, I’ve learned that my refugee partners help me up as often as I help them up. I’ve learned that we really are all connected and that we share ONE fate. Some people find themselves in a better lot than others, and it’s our duty as those with access to resources to create opportunity for those who lack such chances.

In Congo I saw firsthand what these chances mean to refugees. A year removed from a democratic election, thousands of Congolese refugees are returning home. Because FORGE has given them a shot at education, many are getting jobs and beginning the process of rebuilding their nation.

Yes. I’m exhausted, but seeing these things makes it worth the work. The tide is shifting.

And all this because of a white, plastic band given to me in May of 2005.

-Nicholas Talarico, Operations Director, FORGE

Kofi Annan was appointed Chairman of the newly-created Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) this week. The Alliance is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya and was established last year with a $150 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. In a speech Tuesday, Annan pledged to build on the lessons of the first Green Revolution (see Green with Envy post earlier this week):

“Africa is the only region where overall food security and livelihoods are deteriorating. We will reverse this trend by working to create an environmentally sustainable, uniquely African Green Revolution. When our poorest farmers finally prosper, all of Africa will benefit.”

According to Dr. Akin Adesina, vice president of Policy and Partnership at AGRA, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa is inspired by the successes of the original Green Revolution that dramatically boosted agricultural productivity in Asia and Latin America but also seeks to learn lessons from some of its weaknesses.

“The first Green Revolution more than doubled cereal production and saved the lives of hundreds of millions of people,” said Dr. Adesina. “However, that experience also highlighted the critical importance of ensuring that small farmers are the primary beneficiaries of our efforts and consumer and environmental health considerations are made part and parcel of agricultural development process.”

Check out the press release for more information.