The spirit of ONE was evident at Northside College Preparatory High School in downtown Chicago on Wednesday. The student ONE chapter did an amazing job planning a colloquium on global issues that included survivors of the Holocaust, the Bosnia – Herzegovina conflict, and the current war in Darfur. In addition, 1,235 students, faculty, and guests took a stand against extreme poverty.
After the assembly, students broke into small groups and met with members of community groups including the Chinese Mutual Aid Association, the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago, the ONE Campaign, and World Vision. I was honored to be included as a Break-Out session presenter where I was able to share my experiences with the ONE Campaign, report on our current efforts and on all that has been accomplished with ONE. I was very inspired spending this morning with such high caliber students who are committed to ending extreme poverty.
6 spectacular Columbia College students
+ 4 dedicated ONE volunteers
=
393 Chicagoans standing up for the world’s poor and 129 signatures on a petition for the Jubilee Act.
Throughout the day Wednesday, six amazing students from the Artists of Foreign Policy group visited classes at Columbia College in Chicago to count their colleagues who wanted to take a stand against extreme poverty and global disease.
In the evening, they joined with the ONE Campaign and the Critical Encounters “Poverty and Progress” program at Columbia to hold a public event on the Millennium Development Goals and show the audience how easy it is to get active in the fight. They shared the stage with artists in the area who have written performance pieces on the HIV/AIDS pandemic, genocide, and water shortages, as well as speakers on how unfair debt practices have contributed to the crisis.
After the stand, participants made paper clip versions of themselves to put on a map as a permanent exhibit of those that made the stand. And they took the first steps toward action by linking their names together to form a chain that will accompany a petition to their senator asking him to co-sponsor the Jubilee Act to so that impoverished countries can stop repaying debts and start investing in education, adequate housing and basic health care.
Over 200 people Stood Up against global poverty yesterday at the Rockin’ Fish in Chillcothe, Ohio.
Paritioners from church and other churches in the area as well as students from Chillicothe Middle School and Zane Trace High school turned out. Jeremy Siberall, who is running for a City council seat was there and he signed the ONE Declaration. Diane Carnes, City Council member, Rep. Party Head and Mayoral Candidate running against Mayor Joe Sulzer was in attendance as well. They were joined by Mary Elsass, Director of United Way of Ross County, as well as Dr. Ellis Frazier of the Ross County AIDS Task Force.
ONE Chillcothe Group leader Christopher Cooper gave this brief account:
I introduced Mary Elsass and Dr. Frazier Josh sang some more and spoke about the Jubilee Act Jennifer and I passed out the one page info sheets on Jubilee and the take action sheets I read the highlights from last year’s STAND UP Dirk Moore, along with 5 others lead the crowd in the STAND UP declaration I introduced ONE Vote ’08 We showed the ONE Vote ’08 video starring Chris Cooper and that Matt Damon and Bono guy, whoever they are : ) LOL Dirk Moore did an acoustic set of Davenporte songs that had everyone on their feet The ceremony was over and ONE Chillicothe musicians continued with an open mic jam session
The crowd was about half White and Black and an equal mix of the religious “affiliated” and “unaffiliated.” Bev said it was beautiful and she’s never seen anything like it among the youth.
All in all, it was another great ONE Chillicothe event. A Christian venue brings in rock bands and gospel groups who cross lines of faith drawn in the sand and do away with the theological sticking points to let the unifying message of ONE bring us all together.
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
As aid agencies warn more than 9 million people could be affected by a food crisis in East Africa, world leaders are failing to keep their 2009 promises to tackle the causes of chronic hunger and support farmers in the world's poorest countries.
6 spectacular Columbia College students
ONE Chillcothe Group leader Christopher Cooper gave this brief account:
