University of Michigan, having a ball

The University of Michigan’s ONE chapter has had some trouble this year navigating through the bureaucracy of our administration.After awhile we came to the realization that the larger scale projects we’d been hoping to implement were not going to happen any time soon. Instead of getting discouraged we tried to think outside the box and put together some fun, small actions that would get the ONE name out to students.

Since football is one of the greatest traditions here,we thought it would be a great place to start. With that, one of the favorite things students like to do at games here (and many other places) is blow up beach balls and send them flying throughout the crowd. Piggy-backing on this idea – we got together and spray painted beach balls all black and then painted the ONE logo in white on them. We did this at an awesome pre-game tailgate with our ONE members.

When we launched the balls in the air we got a lot of questions about what the logo meant and why we were doing it. It made for a fun picture and was definitely a great way to get the word out. Just because the administration or faculty are being difficult doesn’t mean there is nothing left to try – think outside the box a little and it can end up being the best action you take.

-Stephanie Parrish, University of Michigan ‘11

Detroit ONE members meet with Rep. Knollenberg

Today, along with other ONE and RESULTS members, I met with Congressman Joe Knollenberg (MI-9) and asked him to include additional funding for the Global Fund in his “wish list” letter to the chair and ranking member of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee. (As a member of this committee, Congressman Knollenberg is uniquely positioned to send a “wish list” letter detailing his key funding priorities for fiscal year 2009).

This year the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB & Malaria needs $6 billion to fight three of the world’s most devastating diseases, HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB. I asked Congressman Knollenberg to include $2 billion for the Global Fund in his “wish list” letter because 1/3 of the $6 billion is the United States’ (proportionate) share.

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Sen. McCain Citing ONE on the Trail

Yesterday and today McCain talked about ONE during town halls in Michigan. The one on Saturday was live on C-Span, today’s was live on CNN. Watch the clips below.

-Virginia Simmons

Once You Start, You Don’t Stop

It started with the NAACP National Convention in Detroit, then it was Art in the Park in Plymouth and this weekend it was the Ann Arbor Art Fair–I tell ya’, the ONE groups in Michigan are on fire. Not only that but the groups banded together to make sure that all of the events were covered by ONE volunteers–Detroit, Ann Arbor, Livonia and Clinton Township! Great work everyone. Here’s a re-cap on the Ann Arbor Art Fair from Yvonne Wyborny, ONE and RESULTS (a ONE partner) member:

“Well, the materials are all packed up, the tent has been disassembled and the 2007 Ann Arbor Art Fair is over. Many more people now know about ONE. The final count is that 563 people signed the ONE declaration over 4 days. For some of the ONE volunteers, it was their first time chance to work a table at an event!”

Highlights include: WCBN-FM, the University of Michigan student-run radio station, came around on Wednesday afternoon to interview ONE and RESULTS member, Lisa Treumuth. The interviewer asked if the U.S. increased foreign aid by 1%, what should it be used for? (Lisa probably thought, “I’m so glad you asked.”) She told listeners about the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, the importance of funding global education (and why many children are not in school due to school fees), and microcredit (where poor women get small loans to start micro-businesses to feed their families).

The Michigan groups are now unstoppable and I hope they serve as an inspiration to ONE groups everywhere!

- Katie Andrews, ONE Regional Field Organizer