And Bilingual ones at that!!

We’re watching again and again.

ONE Miami shows us How a “Global Day of Action Against Poverty” event is done.

Their videos are pouring in.

On Saturday, with 400 community members and 40 ONE volunteers in attendance, Mayor Joe Sulzer declared Chillicothe a “City of ONE.”

The Chillicothe Urban Crime Prevention Initiative helped to host our first, perhaps of many, ONE CommUNITY day. The event included the support and help of many community partners: City of Chillicothe, Chillicothe Metropolitan Housing Authority, United Way, Chillicothe Fire Department, Ross County’s Sheriff’s Department, Red Cross, NAACP, YMCA, Ross County Community Action and many more.

My partner in comical cavorting Jarrod DePugh and I arrived at the South End Playground for the event at about 11:00am. We packed our J. J. Sunshine’s fliers and portfolios and set up a table in a nice patch of shade.

Things came together about 12:15p.m. and the event kicked off as the first band, Rose Lane Band, took the stage. The crowd grew steadily as the minutes passed happily. Rhythm Stitches were up next and it seemed like the reports of rain would pass us by as the day grew sunnier and warmer. Alas, it would not be so.

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Missouri Political blog, PubDef Blog, blog is covering the Missouri “State of ONE,” St. Louis “City of ONE” event.

Posted on the site, a nine-minute video of Governor Blunt’s and St. Louis Mayor Slay’s speeches.

I am glad to congratulate the State of Missouri and the City of St. Louis on joining a worldwide movement to recognize the challenges faced by the world’s poorest nations and people.

Without question, disease, famine, and poverty are rampant afflictions that take the lives of millions every year while depriving many millions more of a future full of their potential. Solving these problems is a common interest in our state, our nation and our world. Regardless of political convictions, religious upbringing or personal background, those who fight for the world’s less fortunate are bound by their commitment to service and their concern for humanity.

I have long worked on hunger issues as a member of Congress, and there is one incomprehensible contradiction in this fight: the difference between our ability to fight hunger and our efforts to do so. Eliminating this difference requires us to follow up on the pledges made today with actions that target the sources of poverty’s ills. We can seek solutions through public policy, by contacting our elected officials, in our personal lives, and with faith-based institutions.

The challenges before us are significant, but our response is full of a uniting promise. I appreciate Governor Blunt and Mayor Slay for joining the efforts of ONE, and I thank you all for raising awareness about global poverty.

-Jo Ann Emerson, Member of Congress, 8th District – Missouri

I’m sorry that the congressional schedule would not allow me to attend the ONE Missouri event yesterday. But please know that you have my complete support and admiration for your efforts.

Ghandi once said that “poverty is the worst form of violence.” He was right. We hold in our own hands, the power to prevent and treat AIDS, end hunger, erase the burden of crushing debt, and move millions from dependency to self-sufficiency.

I commend the ONE Campaign for uniting people from all faiths and backgrounds, from all over the world, in this holy mission to alleviate suffering and bring wholeness to humanity.

Thank you for making St. Louis a “City of ONE.”

With best wishes for your mission.

-Wm. Lacy Clay, Member of Congress, 1st District – Missouri

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Blunt, Slay unite with Oliver, et al as ONE

Gov. Matt Blunt and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay presented a united front against extreme poverty this morning, as both presented proclamations declaring that the city and the state share a ONE commitment to join the fight.

Both were featured speakers at a news conference at Washington University, where they were joined by several dozen students and other ONE volunteers.

KWMU (NPR)

Missouri and St. Louis join fight against poverty

ST. LOUIS, MO. (2007-09-06) The state of Missouri and city of St. Louis are joining an effort to bring attention to global poverty.

The world-wide movement is called One: a Campaign to Make Poverty History.

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay signed on Thursday becoming the ninth state and 120th city to do so.

Student Life, The Independent Newspaper of Washington University in St. Louis since 1878

Governor, mayor commit to fight global poverty

This Thursday morning, Governor Matt Blunt and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay convened on the Washington University campus with other prominent members of the St. Louis community to declare their solidarity with the ONE campaign in the fight against global poverty and disease.

“As Americans living in the twenty-first century, we enjoy an unprecedented level of freedom and prosperity that really is unequaled in the world,” said Governor Blunt. “But prosperity and freedom are not the only qualities that distinguish us. There is also a can-do attitude that leads more American to service than any other nation in the world.”

Jeff Yanecek, Natalie Sugira, and our newest ONE staffer Wes Peterson trekked to Waterloo, Iowa, on Tuesday for a sit down meeting with Mayor Tim Hurley. Because Waterloo is one of the largest cities in Iowa and hotbed of political activity we wanted to make sure that the city’s leader was aware of the ONE Campaign’s work.

During our meeting, we expressed the importance of getting community leaders involved. By having Waterloo sign up as a City of ONE we would send a strong message that the citizens of Iowa care about those in poverty no matter where they live. Mayor Hurley had researched ONE before our visit and told us that he recognized many of the partner organizations as being active in his city. The talk went well enough to have the mayor invite us to speak in front of the entire city council to discuss Waterloo becoming a City of ONE.

-Sarah Sauber

Volunteers often worry that getting a city or state to make a proclamation can be really tough, but sometimes you just have to ask.

For example, consider the City of ONE proclamation issued by Corvallis, Oregon. ONE Campaign group leader, Chester Bateman, works with a organization at Oregon State University called The Grassroots Learning Project, which uses internet innovations (such as podcasting) to engage communities in learning. The Mayor of the City of Corvallis, Oregon (population 53,900) is also part of the Grassroots Learning Project.

In the context of “making a difference at the grassroots level”, Chester shared the story of the ONE Campaign and a short time later, with the Mayor’s help, Corvallis became a City of ONE.

City of ONE/State of ONE is a national effort that encourages localities to proclaim their dedication to addressing the global emergency of extreme poverty and preventable disease. To date, 10 States and over 110 Cities have issued the ONE proclamation.

Below, see the video of Chester’s comments at the announcement of Corvallis, Oregon’s City of ONE proclamation.

[In photo at top, left to right, Levi, Chester and Mayor Charles Tomlinson]

Hillary Clinton held a town hall meeting in Pahrump, NV, on Monday and ONE volunteer and Pahrump resident Sharon Whalen was there to ask Senator Clinton about her commitment to ONE.

During the Q and A Sharon asked Senator Clinton what she would to do as president to educate the millions of children around the world who do not have access to free primary education.

Senator Clinton noted Sharon’s ONE t-shirt and what an important issue this is to her, she went on to say how familiar she is with ONE’s efforts to raise awareness about the issue.

Hillary told the audience that education is a key element to alleviating extreme poverty and that many of these children end up receiving their education through extremist Islamic madras’s. “Educating these children is an issues of national security,” Hillary told the crowd.

Sharon gave Senator Clinton a ONE wristband and we were able to thank her again for her efforts to educate children throughout the world.

From Pahrump to Elko, to Reno, to Vegas, ONE Nevada will be there to meet every presidential contender and infuse global poverty into the national debate.

-Matt Higginson