ONE Vote ‘08 Co-Chairs and former senate leaders Bill Frist and Tom Daschle talk about what they’ve seen and learned so far and what message they want to pass along when they return to the States later this week.

The crew of ONE staff and American leaders has touched down in Rwanda. Check out the short video that ONE Vote ‘08 Co-Chair and former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist sent us from the ground:

I often struggle to explain my work on “modernizing U.S. foreign assistance policy” to my family in California. But this week, I had something new to share with them to help convey the crux of the issue in one minute: a new video we helped produce at the Center for Global Development (CGD) called “Bring U.S. Foreign Assistance into the 21st Century.”

My family has been joined by another 8200+ individuals who have watched the video on YouTube since it was posted earlier this week and they’ve started to send us their comments. I’m delighted to report that the overwhelming response from viewers is: this video is “fun”, “short” and “makes the point” but that they want to know more.

Many of the policymakers I talk to in Washington tell me they care about foreign aid and global development but that the “American people” don’t want to hear about it and aren’’t interested in the policy details. So the enthusiastic call from people wanting to learn more is music to my ears. I recommend the following:

• Modernizing Foreign Assistance for the 21st Century: An Agenda for the Next U.S. President and CGD’s Modernizing U.S. Foreign Assistance Initiative, which includes: foreign aid 101, election ’08 issues, foreign aid budget analysis, details on Congress, and polling data.
• Rich World, Poor World: A Guide to Global Development on why global development matters for the U.S. and a range of topics including foreign aid, trade and labor standards, state building, HIV/AIDS, and education.
• Impact ‘08: Building a Better, Safer World. The Center for U.S. Global Engagement’s policy framework calling on the 2008 presidential candidates to elevate and strengthen support for development assistance and diplomacy.
• The bipartisan HELP Commission Report produced for Congress.
• ONE Campaign’s “More and Better Aid” resources and their ONE Vote ‘08 site

And keep your eyes open for the launch next Tuesday of “New Day, New Way: U.S. Foreign Assistance for the 21st Century,” a report endorsed by several of the country’s top foreign assistance and global development experts.

My hope is that the video can help you start a conversation with your own friends and family and demonstrate to your representatives in Congress and the White House that there is support for modernizing U.S. foreign assistance and a growing American constituency interested in improving our global development policies to help build a better, safer world.

-Sarah Jane Staats, Senior Associate for Outreach and Policy, Center for Global Development

Aaron taped this video of ONE CEO David Lane talking to ONE members about the world food crisis and their recent victories. Watch to learn more.

You can also check out this post to see our petition delivery to the White House last week.

(more…)

This Saturday, May 10, starting at 2 pm EST, you can watch 4 live hours of new films and documentaries, plus speakers and musicians, for free at PangeaDay.org

The films were selected from 2,500 submissions from more than 100 countries – and the winning films won out due to “their ability to inspire, transform, and allow us see the world through another person’s eyes.” The idea came from filmmaker Jehane Noujaim who won the TED Prize in 2006 for her goal to create a day in which the world came together through film.

The many who watch the films on the 10th will then be encouraged to join specific groups- among them – ONE.org.

Learn more about the films here, and how to watch the films online, on television or in movie theaters here.

Happy viewing.

-Virginia Simmons

John McCain takes the time to talk about ONE at a rally again, this time while on a campaign stop at the Villages in Lady Lake, FL, yesterday.

In this C-Span clip, the senator passes the mic to our own (unshaven) Steve Wilson! Check out out the clip and some excerpts I transcribed below.

.

Senator McCain: “Could I mention to you in passing, one of the things I want to do is inspire Americans to serve causes greater than their self interests. Now there are some young people over there, if you raise your hands, from ONE. I see you, raise you hands. See these young people there?

There’s an organization called “ONE,”…there are 2 million volunteers in this country of young people who are trying to cure some of the problems that face this nation including, and the world, in under-developed countries, malaria, HIV/AIDS. They volunteer their services, they go to Africa and they try to help, and sir I’ll give you 30 seconds to describe to the people, if you bring the microphone over there, as to what these over 2 million young Americans are doing to serve humanity, mankind and the United States of America. Please go ahead sir.”

[Steve talks here!]

Senator McCain: “Thank you. My friends I’d just like to say again, the greatness of America, the greatness of America I think is epitomized by the people in your organization and they’re not just young people, they’re people from all over our society. My friends, I want to serve America, but I believe that one of the greatest things that I want to accomplish is for people to serve a cause greater than their self-interest. And could I say that I think that you and others epitomize that. I believe it’s the noblest cause you can have.”

-Virginia Simmons

Ambassadors Jenna Morton and Cisco Aguilar were on hand Tuesday night to spin their way through the post-debate analysis. ONE Vote ‘08 was an official co-sponsor of the debate and the logo could be seen every time Chris Mathews did a live shot of spin alley.

ONE Vote ‘08 volunteers fired up the crowd outside and passed out wristbands to debate watchers. Check out the awesome video ONE’s Matt Higginson put together from footage outside the debate.

Great night for Nevadans and ONE!

-Megan Jones

Sen. McCain held yet another town hall meeting in Londonderry, NH on Saturday night. In the middle of the meeting, he asked the room, “Is there anyone from ONE here?” ONE member Andrea raised her hand and I quickly grabbed my camera.

Sen. McCain always recognizes ONE in the crowd and takes time to explain ONE to New Hampshire voters. ONE may not have a campaign bus, but we are hot on the campaign trail with every candidate from both parties to make sure that the poorest people in the world have a voice in the Granite State.

After the town hall, ONE member Sam, who set up a ONE Facebook group at her high school, was able to tell Sen. McCain that she is a member of ONE and thank him for his ideas and efforts.

-Matthew Bartlett, ONE Regional Organizer