In anticipation of the upcoming G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ONE member Brian Thomas penned this great op-ed to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. ONE volunteers in Pennsylvania and all around the country have an incredibly important role to play in making sure the voices of the world’s poorest are heard at this summit, slated to begin on September 24th.

Excerpts below, full op-ed here

On Sept. 24, 2009, world leaders from the G-20 countries will gather in Pittsburgh to continue a conversation from April in London. The G-20 is a collection of some of the most powerful industrial countries, as well as some of the leading emerging economies, such as China, Brazil and South Africa. They meet against a backdrop of the worst global economic crisis in half a century.

Clearly critical issues need to be addressed in terms of how the financial crisis is affecting the citizens of these nations through falling housing values, rising unemployment and diminishing incomes. Yet the 1.4 billion people living in extreme poverty around the world will likely suffer worst of all if not taken into consideration.

While social safety net programs and stimulus packages are implemented in the United States and other developed countries, poor countries don’t have the same options. The International Monetary Fund has warned that falling trade, remittances and foreign investment are threatening livelihoods in Africa. As a strategy for recovery is determined and acted upon, it must not be done at the expense of the world’s most vulnerable people.

During difficult times there is a temptation to look inward and ignore the needs of others. At the same time, providing for the poor remains central to the values that shape our ethics, our faith traditions, and our identity as citizens. This shared commitment to compassion and fairness is our best hope for finding a way forward in the midst of a struggling world economy.

-Chris Scott

Today, Pennsylvania ONE members kicked off the August recess by attending the 7th Congressional District “Working Families Resources Summit” hosted by Congressman Joe Sestak. We were able to meet briefly with Representative Sestak afterwards to thank him for becoming a Co-Sponsor of the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act (H.R.2139) and give him a ONE wristband. Congressman Sestak said he was very familiar with ONE and indicated that he understands the importance of this legislation. This very reassuring because Representative Sestak is a retired serviceman and currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) which has oversight over the Department of Defense (DoD). DoD provides about 22% of U.S. development assistance so planning and coordination with the State Department which administers another 50-60% of U.S. foreign assistance is critical maximize aid effectiveness. We hope he will encourage his other colleagues on the HASC to also support this bill.

As our members of Congress are returning to their respective states during the August recess we have an opportunity to share our concerns for those who do not have a voice suffering in extreme poverty. This is a great time to get involved and engage your members of Congress! Here in Pennsylvania, ONE members across the state are planning to meet with their elected officials and attend events to advocate on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable. Stay tuned for more PA Congressional engagement throughout this August recess!

-Greg Colker and Matt Schaeffer, PA ONE Members

Hello from Pennsylvania! This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend a Town Hall Forum featuring Representative Tim Murphy (PA District 18). Many members use the upcoming August congressional recess to meet with their constituents, so I took the opportunity to help advocate for ONE and the world’s poorest people. Even before the meeting started, I was able to meet with Congressman Murphy and some of his staff to talk about ONE. I made sure to thank him for becoming a Co-Sponsor of the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act (H.R. 2139)

It does not cost anything to use your voice and time to help advocate for the world’s poorest people, but our elected officials can take concrete steps to help save millions of lives around the world and lift millions more out of extreme poverty.

-Kristi Ferrero, PA ONE Member

2,500 – that’s how many new members of ONE signed up last week in the middle of a field in Pennsylvania to join the fight against poverty.

For the last couple weeks, ONE has been traveling to music festivals all over the U.S., signing up new members. Last week, I was at a festival in PA and this week I’m heading to IL. ONE is partnering with Relevant magazine in this effort in a new project called “Reject Apathy”. You can learn more about it here.

-Kimberly Cadena

Recently I attended a ONE “Call Party” organized by PA ONE Member Alli Mitchell! 10 PA ONE Members convened at Starbucks in Hershey, PA and made calls to their respective members of Congress concerning the “Initiating Foreign Assistance Act of 2009” (H.R. 2139), which calls on President Obama to lead the way towards creating a national strategy on foreign development.

After everyone hung up their phones, Alli led a brainstorming session on ways to raise awareness for ONE. Some of the ideas that were generated include a “Battle of the Bands” event, tabling at “Kapona” (an annual Summer event in Harrisburg, PA that draws thousands of people), and of course ONE advocacy actions. The “Call Party” and meeting was advocacy in action with many new exciting possibilities for the ONE Summer season! More to come!

-Brian Sweeney

As the April recess draws to a close I was fortunate enough to attend a town hall meeting yesterday with Congressman Christopher Carney in Swoyersville, PA. Many representatives use the April congressional recess to host town halls and forums in their communities – so check out their websites for a schedule to meet up with yours. If you can go, wear a ONE T-shirt and use your voice for the world’s poorest people. These events are free and open to the public so it is a great opportunity to let your representatives in Congress know that you care about fighting extreme poverty and global disease.

About 50-60 of his constituents came and spoke directly with Congressman Carney about issues that are important to them. After the meeting concluded, I was able to meet with Congressman Carney and I made sure to thank him for his support of the PEPFAR reauthorization last year which will enable the United States to expand our efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria globally. I also had a chance to ask him to express his support for poverty reduction programs to Chairman David Obey of the House Appropriations. I explained how 86,000 PA ONE Members would really like all Members of Congress to express support for a restoration of the 150 account with a $51.7 billion allocation to the Foreign Operations Bill to support development assistance. Congressman Carney indicated that he would seriously consider the request. Lastly, I mentioned a few of the amazing things our PA ONE Members have accomplished in Pennsylvania and asked for an in-district meeting with him when his schedule permits.

-Brian Sweeney

Greetings from Pennsylvania! It wouldn’t be Spring for Central PA ONE Members without kicking off the outdoor advocacy season held annually at Lebanon Valley College’s “ValleyFest”! This is the third year in a row PA ONE Members have participated in the college’s Spring event and once again as in years past it was a great success! Over 365 people stopped to sign up as new ONE Members with many asking how they could become more involved with ONE’s advocacy efforts.

LVC college band “Double Entendre” rocked the Quad asking people throughout their set to please stop by our ONE tent and join the fight against global poverty and disease. Many thanks to Double Entendre and all of the PA ONE Members who helped make the day an amazing ONE!

-Brian Sweeney

Yesterday Super PA ONE Member Dan Donmoyer and I joined representatives from CARE to meet with PA Senator Arlen Specter’s Staff in Philadelphia, PA.

Senator Specter’s Staff Assistant Mallory Cummings was very familiar with ONE and commented on how she attended Live AId and usually wears the “famous” white band!

Dan Donmoyer made sure that Ms. Cummings knew how much PA ONE members appreciate Senator Specter’s leadership in the Senate and for supporting important programs like PEPFAR, the Millennium Challenge Account, and the Global Fund.

Dan also asked Ms. Cummings to thank Senator Specter for his recent vote on the Kerry-Lugar Amendment which restored funds to the International Affairs Budget.

The meeting continued with us requesting Ms. Cummings to please urge Senator Specter to follow through on the Kerry-Lugar Amendment.

We did this by reading a few sentences from Senator Specter’s own letter he sent me in the beginning of the year (which was previously posted on the ONE Blog).  The sentences read were the senator’s own words concerning an “emphasis on international diplomacy and development being critical to achieving global security and that he would continue to advocate for dialogue with the international community and robust funding for vital U.S. international assistance programs.”  We also indicated that PA ONE Members were encouraged by the senator’s words and hopeful that he would please support a robust increase in the International Affairs Budget  and that he please speak or write to the Ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) to fully fund the 302B for State, Foreign Operations at $51.7 billion.

Ms. Cummings said she was going to relay everything we discussed to the senator’s DC Staff in Washington, D.C. We made Ms. Cummings fully well aware that PA ONE members understand the importance Senator Specter plays as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and more importantly on the State, Foreign Operations Sub-Committee with regards to the International Affairs Budget.

The meeting concluded with Ms. Cummings asking to be kept “in the loop” when other PA ONE members engage Senator Specter’s Staff concerning our issues and the important upcoming Appropriations process. We informed her that we will be seeking other meetings with the Senator’s staff across Pennsylvania to reiterate our requests.  All in all, this was a great meeting for ONE!

-Brian Sweeney, ONE Field Organizer

Yesterday Pennsylvania ONE members Reverend Dan Donmoyer, PA Regional Field Organizer Brian Sweeney, and myself, met with Mr. Zach Border from Senator Arlen Specter’s Harrisburg office for a conference call with one of the Senator’s legislative correspondents, Mr. Will Wagner. The meeting was difficult to arrange because of the demanding schedule currently confronting the Senator’s staff, but after half a dozen emails and a few phone calls between myself and both the Harrisburg and Washington offices, we were successful in securing a date. I remembered something that former Representative Jim Kolbe of Arizona told us at the Power 100 Summit in February. He told us to remember that respectful persistence is the way to be heard by legislators, that often the first attempt at communication can be overlooked.

This time it took us six attempts, but we finally succeeded, and I am pleased to say our meeting went well. Senator Specter has been a strong supporter of ONE’s legislative priorities and we made sure to reinforce that his constituents appreciate his leadership and support. We asked Senator Specter’s staff to please urge the Senator to support the President’s request for an increase in the International Affairs Budget, to please consider co-sponsoring the Lugar-Casey Global Food Security Act, and to please be a vocal leader for ONE’s issues among his colleagues in the Senate. The staff was very receptive to our ideas and Mr. Wagner informed us that he was optimistic the President’s foreign aid requests would be met.

Finally, we thanked Senator Specter’s staff for taking time out of their schedule to hear our concerns and let them know that we would be following up on our requests later in the month.

-Matt Schaeffer, PA ONE Member

Check out this great post from Becky Guldin of North Lebanon High School.

Throughout middle and high school, my best friend Laura Whitman and I have been involved in PASC, the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils. Each year, PA District 8 hosts a conference for student council members and their advisors to share ideas and communicate between schools. Laura Whitman and I have submitted a workshop on the topic of our choice for several years to share with other school’s student councils.

This year we chose to focus our workshop around ONE. On March 6th, we presented our workshop, “Be ONE in a Million,” to 60 students in District 8. Our workshop focused on ONE’s main priorities and growing ONE membership. The students also viewed numerous ONE videos which were all received very well. Each student received two wristbands and two stickers with the promise that they would wear one set and give the other set to a friend. Some students even won ONE t-shirts and ONE lapel pins through a raffle.

This workshop proved to be a learning experience for the presenters and the students, and was also a great experience to connect with other teenagers through tough issues like global poverty. Hopefully, Laura and I will be submitting our workshop to the PASC State Conference in November!

-Becky Guldin, Northern Lebanon High School, Fredericksburg, PA