Last Thursday, 22 ONE members gathered together in Nashville to learn how to become better advocates for the world’s poorest people. Both new and veteran volunteers received training from ONE DC staff on effective methods of using their voice to ensure the world’s most vulnerable populations have the support they need to get themselves out of extreme poverty.

Writing letters, making phone calls and signing on to petitions addressed to our representatives are very important tools to let Congress know their constituents care about the world’s poor.

We can save millions of lives if the US and other countries will just make small investments in smart programs that are proven to work.

For instance, we learned about two new vaccines that have the capability to significantly reduce mortality rates due to pneumonia and diarrhea, illnesses which kill more children around the world than tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS combined.

Diseases such as polio have been eradicated because of vaccines — plus they are affordable — so we know they are one of the best buys in global health.

ONE members also learned about the food crisis in the Horn of Africa and how supporting agricultural programs can help prevent these tragedies, while encouraging sustainable economic growth in poorer countries. By allocating the necessary funds to these programs (less than 1 percent of the US budget) we can save millions of lives!

At the end of the training, all 22 members wrote letters to Senator Corker, who serves on the International Affairs committee, thanking him for his past support and asking that he continue to invest in smart programs that fight extreme poverty and preventable disease. It’s so easy — just pick up your pen and do it too!

-Abby Sasser, Congressional District leader for Tennessee’s 5th District

After all these trainings, I thought I would share the materials that the other field organizers and I developed for these trainings with everyone interested in raising awareness on global poverty.

Download this document to learn about ONE, the issues and learn what books you can read to get more information.

Then look at this document for ideas on bringing the fight to your community, ONE volunteer guidelines, ways to engage your elected officials and the media on behalf of the world’s poor, and much, much more!

(Pictured – Indiana University students practice tabling for ONE.)

-Annisa Wanat

“…I also would like to take the opportunity to thank you for everything I learned from you and the other speakers. I learned so much from basic understanding of what my power is as a citizen, which my public education fail to effectively teach me, to specifics of the ONE Campaign to which I have actively began to gain a deeper understanding. This is a worth wild battle, Thanks for the tools to stand with the many supporters of ONE!!!

Thanks so much!!!

Joe Ehrke

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that there are over 2.4 million ONE members out there. If you want to connect with other members in your community, contact your region’s ONE field organizer. Events and activities are much easier to plan when you’ve got some help.

-Katie Andrews, ONE Regional Organizer

This past Saturday ONE volunteers came out for an advocacy training in Los Angeles. Hosted at the University of Southern California, over 65 people gave up some holiday shopping time to come out and learn how they can make a difference in the fight against extreme poverty.

Volunteers learned about ONE’s history and mission as well as coming together to brainstorm and plan future ONE LA activities. There were some great ideas on how to recruit new members to the campaign, educate their community on the issues of global poverty, and encouraging the presidential candidates to be leaders in the fight for the world’s poorest people. Amy Quinn, one of LA’s most active volunteers, said that, “It was so exciting to see so many new faces at the training, 2008 will be the best yet for ONE LA!”

ONE’s allies CARE and Heifer International were also present at the event, sending representatives to share their unique stories with attendees. John Bostick, who along with his wife was named Heifer International’s “Volunteers of the Year” for their region, spoke at the training. John spoke of Heifer’s innovative programs to fight hunger and poverty around the world and the amazing effect of “Passing on the Gift.” When Heifer International provides an animal to a family it not only provides an income, food, and self sufficiency but the family also gives offspring to others in need within their community. This creates a cycle of sustainability that usually provides animals, knowledge, and skills to five or six families for each initial animal that is given.

Edward Kibirige from CARE also spoke about the organization’s work in the developing world and their special emphasis on women as part of their “I Am Powerful” Campaign. Women and children are disproportionately affected by extreme poverty and focusing on helping women lift themselves out of poverty can create lasting change in their communities. Edward also asked attendees to try and consider living on one dollar a day and how daunting it would feel to try and raise your family with so few resources. He noted that no one would have been able to attend the training that day because travel and parking cost well over one dollar.

All in all, the training was a success! Volunteers came together to find out how they can make a difference in the fight against extreme poverty and they found out that working together as ONE, we really can make poverty history!

-Kim Smith, ONE Field Organizer