On October 4th, former Senator Jeff Angelo had a chance to speak with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie while he was in Iowa for a dinner with Republican Gubernatorial candidate Terry Branstad.
Sen. Angelo congratulated Governor Christie on his appointment to the bi-partisan Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. And there was just enough time for Sen. Angelo to tell Gov. Christie about ONE, and how the Global Fund is one of the most powerful tools we have in the fight against AIDS, TB, and malaria in Africa.
Sen. Angelo slipped him a ONE band, and Gov. Christie said he looks forward to learning more about ONE.
We just touched down in Des Moines, Iowa to take part in the World Food Prize Symposium this week. Driving from the airport, I’m struck by the important role of agriculture in Iowa, which is why holding a summit on fighting hunger and improving our food security here is so appropriate. Later today, we’ll head to Ames, Iowa to visit ONE students at Iowa State University and attend the Norman Borlaug Lecture with Bread for the World’s David Beckmann and Heifer International’s Jo Luck – both ONE partners receiving this year’s World Food Prize.
As part of the Symposium on Wednesday, ONE will be hosting a panel discussion, “Weeding Through Impressions of Hunger,” to highlight the importance of advocacy in promoting advancements in agriculture for the world’s poorest. Simple tools like seeds and farming techniques make a huge impact for farmers in the developing world to not only feed their families, but to also transform their communities with the economic and educational opportunities that agricultural growth brings.
I’m looking forward to learning more about this issue this week and meeting Iowa ONE members as well! We’ll keep you posted.
Former Iowa State Senator Jeff Angelo had the opportunity to meet with Governor Sarah Palin while at a recent Iowa Republican Party dinner.
Before her speech, Sen. Angelo had some one-on-one time with her and used it to advocate for ONE. He explained to Gov. Palin that he is a volunteer for ONE, and told her that ONE advocates to stamp out malaria and reduce suffering from AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa. He went on to tell her that people of faith know that our country remains morally strong in part because of the monumental development efforts in Africa, which were championed by the Bush Administration.
President Barack Obama was talking with Iowans in my neighborhood this morning. Although I was able to get inside the event, three ONE members were lucky enough to be invited to the backyard town hall. They all wore their ONE bands and pins, but unfortunately, they didn’t get a chance to talk with the president individually.
But outside of the event, I stood on the corner across the street with other ONE members in ONE shirts, holding signs that asked the president to support the Global Fund. I was proud to be out there to show support for ONE and the world’s poorest people!
While we were standing there, waiting for the president to leave, a lot of people asked me what ONE was about. We had a chance to tell them about our campaign for the Global Fund, and how we can help ensure that no baby is born with HIV by 2015. One of the women standing next to us was a nurse who had worked with newborn babies, and she too agreed that all babies, no matter where they are born, deserve a fresh start on a healthy life.
Finally, when the President was on his way out, we held our signs up high — and when he saw us, he waved and gave a big thumbs up!
Even though I didn’t get to talk to him, I am glad he saw ONE members today in Iowa and hope he remembers ONE and our signs.
But you can do more than hope that President Obama supports the Global Fund — you can call him right now and urge him to pledge $6 billion to the Global Fund to ensure that no child is born with HIV by 2015!
If my son could talk, or knew anything about the subject, he would want to make sure that babies around the world are born happy, healthy and HIV free. So, I took him to Sen. Tom Harkin’s, (D-Iowa), annual Steak Fry event yesterday in Indianola, Iowa to do his first advocacy work along with a couple ONE leaders from Drake University.
We were lucky enough to meet Senior White House Adviser David Axelrod and briefly ask him to encourage President Obama to make a robust $6 billion commitment to the Global Fund at the replenishment meeting next month. If the Global Fund is fully supported, it can continue its life-saving programs and make sure that no baby is born HIV positive by 2015. Check out our conversation in the video above.
We also had some great conversations with Rep. Dave Loebsack, (D-Iowa), Rep. Leonard Boswell, (D-Iowa), Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, as well as U.S. Senate candidate Roxanne Conlin about continuing to support the U.S.’s historic and heroic leadership of fighting extreme poverty and preventable disease by investing in proven and effective programs like the Global Fund.
Someday, when my son can understand, I am sure he will be proud that he went out on a hot day to advocate for other babies so that they can have a fresh start on life, HIV free. Follow Libby on Twitter for the latest member updates on the ground.
- Libby Crimmings, ONE regional field director
Last weekend, Iowa state Rep. Chris Hagenow met briefly with Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner, (R-Ohio) to talk about our efforts to fight AIDS and poverty in Africa — and even presented him with a ONE band.
State Rep. Hagenow told Leader Boehner that people of good faith know that our country remains morally strong, partly because of the heroic efforts in Africa started by the Bush administration.
He went on to say that Catholic Relief Services has received funds from the Global Fund to help save lives in Africa.
State Rep. Hagenow left Leader Boehner with one last comment: “I hope that under your leadership, our country will continue to support life saving programs like the Global Fund.”
Governor Tim Pawlenty and his wife Mary were in Des Moines yesterday for an event downtown. Colton Davis, ONE’s local Congressional District Leader, and I decided to stop down and say hi, and advocate to him about ONE and the world’s poorest people. Just a day after he saw ONE in Dover, New Hampshire.
We thanked the Governor and Mrs. Pawlenty for making Minnesota a ONE State back in 2008, and gave the them each a ONE bands. We also gave Gov. Pawlenty a copy of On the Move a book of Bono’s speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in 2006 along with photos from his first trip to Ethiopia. We even printed out a copy of the ONE blog from a few weeks ago when Bono received the Atlantic Councils first ever humanitarian leadership award this year and long time supporter Sen. John McCain giving the introduction. I trust that the Governor and Mrs. Pawlenty will find some time in their travels to read through these and know how America is responding to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis with bold leadership.
Like in 2008, ONE members are making sure that all candidates, from all parties, know that continued support and investment in proven life saving programs like PEPFAR and the Global Fund, yield results not only in lives saved, but also in strengthening our national security at home and making the world safer for us all.
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