New York ONE Members added their voice to those standing up against poverty on Friday, highlighting World Food Day and the Millennium Development Goals.

ONE was joined for the New York City Stand Up event by MercyCorps, a global relief and development organization, and Anita Sharma, North American Coordinator of the United Nations Millennium Campaign. Standing with people from around the world on this day, it was great to see those at the local level also coming together to combat the challenges of extreme poverty.

-Christopher Geer, ONE Field Organizer

On Sunday night in New York City, our friends at (RED) hosted “Hal Willner Presents: An Evening with Gavin Friday and Friends,” a benefit concert at Carnegie Hall.

In part a birthday celebration for Gavin Friday, a notable Irish musician in his own right, the night welcomed an array of performers and was also part of the (RED)NIGHTS concert series, generating support and awareness of (RED)’s goal to eliminate AIDS in Africa. Learn more about (RED)NIGHTS here.

As the evening unfolded, the members of U2, Scarlett Johansson, Shane MacGowan of the Pogues, Lady Gaga and Rufus Wainwright and others all took their turns on stage. Lou Reed also stopped in for an impromptu performance along with his wife Laurie Anderson and numerous other special guests.

What a show.

You can read more about it here.

-Chris Geer, NY Field Organizer

Five NY ONE members met in New York City on Friday to speak with Robin Chappelle, Director of Community Affairs for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. As Hillary Clinton’s New York State political director during her 2008 presidential run, Ms. Chappelle was familiar with ONE. But for Sen. Gillibrand – New York’s newest senator – the meeting still felt like an important introduction.

Seated around an office conference table, the members expressed thanks to Senator Gillibrand for two recent actions: her support and co-sponsorship of the Senator Paul Simon ‘Water for the World’ Act of 2009 and the Senate Foreign Aid Reform bill this year.

Looking ahead, the members asked that Senator Gillibrand join support for the Lugar-Casey Global Food Security Act of 2009, which provides funding for innovative and sustainable agricultural solutions and emergency food assistance to regions in need around the world. The NY group also requested that the senator support climate change mitigation and adaptation measures by dedicating 5% of any revenue generated from the legislation for the developing world as pending climate change legislation is debated in the Senate.

In this short meeting, NY ONE members reached out to a new Senate member and remain hopeful for this relationship and that Senator Gillibrand will use her seat and influence on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to work on behalf of those poorest around the world.

-Christopher Geer, NY Field Organizer

I’ve been on the road for the last two weeks signing up new ONE members at music festivals in New Hampshire and upstate New York. First up was SoulFest in New Hampshire, where we got drenched for two days straight and I ruined two pairs of shoes in what became a giant mud pit. But it was definitely worth it for the more than 1,000 new ONE members we signed up. SoulFest wrapped up at midnight Saturday night and we immediately set out for Kingdom Bound in upstate New York, about an 8 hour drive away. We arrived early in the morning and set the booth, and I’ve never been more happy to see the ONE booth set-up on concrete as I was after the mud pit we just left (though when it wasn’t raining, NH was gorgeous). At Kingdom Bound, ONE signed up another 1,000+ new members. All in all, a great experience and I’m very happy to be back in ONE’s DC office (mud and bug-free!).

-Kimberly Cadena

NY ONE members be proud! On Wednesday, Rep. Nita Lowey (NY-18) stood firm and helped to guide the House State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee fiscal year 2010 funding measure, providing funding to the Global Fund, PEPFAR, and crucial requests for global education, child and maternal health and a host of other important initiatives, to unanimous approval before the subcommittee – passing without any amendments.

Despite the cuts sustained by the 150 account during the budget process, Representative Lowey managed to provide $100 million increase for the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and a small increase for basic education. She was also able to meet the President’s request for PEPFAR, Malaria and for the Millennium Challenge Account. We also commend her efforts to meet the President’s increases for agricultural assistance, even though the funding constraints prevented her from achieving that goal.

Earlier this week, NY ONE members were out in force and met the congresswoman at local grocery stores and coffee shops for her “neighborhood office hours” events. These volunteers were there to thank Rep. Lowey in person for her past work on these issues and to express our support for robust funding for development . Keep it up out there!

-Christopher Geer – ONE Field Organizer

On Monday afternoon, I joined several ONE New York members to meet with Rep. Nita Lowey (NY-18). Already a true friend, Rep. Lowey has consistently worked for our issues and as an influential member in the U.S. House of Representatives and on the House Appropriations Committee, sits in a unique position to promote important initiatives.

Representing the 6,000+ ONE members in her district, we requested that she use her voice and vote on the Appropriations Committee to restore President Obama’s requested funding for Foreign Operations, currently before Congress. More than happy to do so, Rep. Lowey said that she would work to secure that funding and fully supported the budget which amounts to an increase of $4 billion for International Affairs over fiscal year 2009 – critical to the furtherance of the progresses made in the fight against global AIDS and poverty. We went into the meeting knowing we had a strong advocate in Rep. Lowey, but it was great to dialogue with her on the issues and hear directly about her strong commitment to the issues of global health and poverty.

Representative Lowey also taped this great message to ONE members. Enjoy!

-Christopher Geer, ONE Field Organizer, New York

I spent the last two days in the New York metro area meeting with volunteers and laying the groundwork for our field presence out there. As the new field organizer for the region, I can’t tell you how encouraging it was to see the energized enthusiasm of the ONE members of New York and New Jersey. My schedule was packed on the trip, as I met with several NYC based volunteers as well as ONE members in Westchester and Rockland counties. On Monday night, I attended a forum on sexual violence in The Democratic Republic of the Congo hosted by the Women’s Enews organization, which included Faida Mitifu, Ambassador from the DRC to the United States, as a panelist, and was moderated by ONE member Dominique Soguel.

ONE member Ruby Thomas near Columbia University Medical Center, Uptown, Manhattan

Next, it was out to Highland Park, NJ where I met with Simon Davis, an area high school student and ONE member that has been doing some really great things lately. He is working on putting together a National History Day project on ONE at his school as well as helping to organize the naming of the Highland Park community as a “City of ONE.”

ONE member Simon Davis, in Highland Park, NJ

It was great to connect some of the active volunteers in the New York metro area and I can’t wait to get on the ground permanently in the next few weeks.

-Chris Geer, ONE Field Organizer

I thought I should share some inside skinny on the week we spent in New York September 22-26 at the UN’s special summit on the Millennium Development Goals. We went there to try to attract some attention to – indeed celebrate – the efforts against extreme poverty in recent years, and to call for an acceleration of that progress.

Bono was frantically blogging for the Financial Times in every spare second throughout the week on his way to and from meetings with various leaders. The meetings were many: with Spanish President Zapatero to plan for their E.U. presidency in 2010; with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia to discuss their remaining private commercial debt (think that’s sorted now); with UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to push on the overall Millennium Goals project; and with President Sarkozy of France and President Barroso of the EU to push Europe on delivering an extra billion euros from the EU budget to fight hunger and invest in agricultural productivity in Africa. Bob Geldof arrived a few days into the melee and participated on the opening panel of the Clinton Global Initiative, popped up on CNN, and met with Mayor Bloomberg, Bill Gates and others along the way.

One highlight was unveiling our “Celebrate Accelerate” video to a crowd of activists and leaders (including Bill Gates, Bob Geldof, Jeff Sachs) honoring the “quietest storm in town”: the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. Another, was dropping in on the “In My Name” launch where we regrouped with will.i.am and other activist allies.

An important part of the week was passing over ONE members’ hunger petition, with 50,000 signers, to Bob Orr, the Assistant Secretary General. The petition targets Ban Ki-moon, and all the G8 leaders, asking them to finance the current $1 billion gap in worldwide agricultural financing.

In addition to all of this, Kim Smith and a team of staff and volunteers brought the ONE Bus to town and, thanks to Mayor Bloomberg, parked it in some highly visible locations in the city.

By September 26th, it was clear it had been a decent week. In total there were $16 billion worth of commitments, some old, and some new, focused largely on building upon success to get more kids in school; eliminating malaria deaths by 2015 (yes, that’s got chutzpah – but by acting together it can be done); and renewing efforts against maternal mortality and hunger.

By investing in the fight against extreme poverty we can create new and stable markets where currently there are none; build strong global growth engines that can keep the global economy going when some of us falter; ensure strong health systems; and ensure that other’s instability doesn’t become ours. Above all – because it’s morally the right thing to do.

So now this piece of the campaign goes on to upcoming votes in Brussels on agriculture funding, and a key meeting about financing for development that is happening in Doha, Qatar, in the Middle East, at the end of November. We’ll keep you updated on both.

-Jamie Drummond

For the weekend of September 20th and 21st the ONE Bus took the Big Apple by storm! New York City was hosting a week of meetings surrounding the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and ONE decided to get a head start on the meetings and hit the streets to get the word out about the fight for the world’s poorest people.

On Saturday we were on Fifth Avenue and 58th street and on Sunday we were right on Broadway and 52nd Street- both proved to be great locations with lots of people to talk with about ONE and the MDG’s.

-Kim Smith

On September 25th, world leaders will convene in NYC for a United Nation summit to renew commitments to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

While all aspects of the MDGs are critical to our work, the reality is that if world leaders don’t immediately address the ongoing devastating world hunger crisis, all other poverty-fighting victories will be blunted.

There are 30 countries in immediate need of emergency food assistance and essential seeds and fertilizer.  These countries have created specific plans to feed the hungry and prevent future crises by enabling people to provide for themselves. Meeting these emergency needs requires $1 billion in funding by the end of this year.

Please click here right away to sign our petition to world leaders.

Petition text:

Please provide life-saving food and essential seeds and fertilizer to the 30 countries that need it most by filling the 2008 food and agriculture funding gap of $1 billion without delay.

As world leaders gather at the UN Summit on the 25th, let’s close the book on the world hunger crisis.

-Virginia Simmons