This morning I was lucky enough to get to go to the Saddleback Civil Forum here in DC on behalf of ONE. I only found out about this event late Sunday, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I am very glad I got to go, because today was a great day in the fight against AIDS around the globe.

The event was hosted by Pastor Rick Warren (you may know him as the man who wrote A Purpose Driven Life) and was in honor of all that President Bush has done over the course of his Administration to advance the fight against HIV/AIDS. President Bush received the first ever “International Medal of PEACE” from the Global PEACE Coalition for his unprecedented contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS and other diseases. As Pastor Warren, Ban Ki-moon, Tony Blair, Bill Gates and Bill Clinton all said today (in person or in video messages sent from around the world), President Bush has done more than any world leader on these issues, ever.

President Bush was quick to point out that the credit goes to the people who also have a heart for this work and inspired this program, among them Condoleezza Rice and Mike Gerson. The President also credited the dedicated men and women who work tirelessly to make sure PEPFAR is run well and ensure the program’s success, among them PEPFAR’s Coordinator, Mark Dybul. President Bush asked Mark Dybul to stand and be recognized at the event, and I don’t think Dybul would’ve done so if anyone but the President asked; he’s clearly happier being the man behind the scenes who makes sure everything is running right.

PEPFAR is a huge program, and a huge success. There is certainly much credit to go around, and much work left to do. Today, on the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, it’s important to celebrate the progress we’ve made in the fight against HIV/AIDS and to recommit ourselves to the challenges that still lie before us. President-elect Obama sent a video message echoing his own commitments to fight HIV/AIDS, which he often repeated on the campaign trail. In an event honoring what’s been accomplished in the current president’s Administration, it was a great end to the Saddleback Civil Forum to look to the future and see the next president pledging to continue this great program and America’s lifesaving work.

-Kimberly Cadena

President Bush will deliver remarks today at 10:05 am EST commemorating World AIDS Day. We will post the webcast and transcript shortly, if they are made available.

Shortly after delivering his remarks, Mr. Bush will be joined by Mrs. Bush and President-elect Obama (via taped remarks) at the 2008 Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health at 10:30 am EST. Pastor Rick Warren is expected to recognize President Bush for his work around PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief). You can watch a live webcast of the event here.

Also in commemoration of World AIDS Day, Ambassador Mark R. Dybul, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator of the Office of National AIDS Policy will be hosting an “Ask the White House” online forum at 2 PM EST fielding questions from readers about World AIDS Day. Click here to submit your questions now.

We’ll keep you posted throughout the day with any other developments.

-Chris Scott

Check out the full remarks from ONE CEO David Lane, Zambian AIDS activist Princess Zulu, Senator Bill Frist, M.D., Cindy McCain and First Lady Laura Bush.

Some posts from our service project at the DNCC here and here

I captured video of Cindy McCain and First Lady Laura Bush’s speeches and quickly uploaded them to YouTube. You can check them out below. We got higher quality video of the speeches as well, but it may take a couple days to get that up – and I want to share this experience with ONE Blog readers ASAP.

First, Cindy McCain:

Next, First Lady Laura Bush. (You can also read her full remarks here.)

Here’s a photo of (from left to right) Cindy McCain, David Lane, First Lady Laura Bush, Princess Zulu and Senator Frist assembling care kits.

In the course of a couple hours we packed 2,500 kits, all with simple but essentials supplies like flashlights, wash clothes and basic drugstore medications, to be given out to AIDS caregivers around the world. Below is a very short video clip to give you a sense of the what it was like to be in room at the height of kit-assembly commotion.

-Virginia Simmons

Below, some photos I took during prep for the event yesterday.

Many of the questions posed dealt with the President and Mrs. Bush’s recent trip to Africa, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the work that ONE and other NGOs are doing to help the world’s poor. As if talking to the First Lady was not cool enough, the students wore ONE shirts to emphasize their commitment to ending global poverty and disease.

Check out some of the student comments about the experience after the jump.

-Katie Andrews, Field Organizer (KS, OH, MI, MO, WV)

Being an exchange student from Finland I have never experienced how people of so different backgrounds and with so different beliefs just are able to work together for a greater cause. Just thinking about the mix of cultures and beliefs that our group was made up of, and realizing how differently we all see the world was incredible. Sitting in that classroom with other students, teachers and even our school’s principal, almost everybody wearing a ONE t-shirt, listening to Laura Bush made a huge impact on me. And yet, there we were, talking about HIV/AIDS and trying to understand the importance of fighting this pandemic. Uskomatonta (Unbelievable)!

-Natasha Nurmi

The fight against global poverty is surely a daunting task and will be the definitive issue of our generation. It is complex with no single, simple solution. But with more celebrities, volunteers, politicians, students, and nations joining the cause everyday, we can succeed. Twenty minutes of Mrs. Bush’s time was another small step towards this monumental task. While twenty minutes may seem short, Mrs. Bush’s example prompted a dialogue among us students that will continue far past this week. It will amplify poverty awareness among students and take the cause in new and innovative directions. Conversations are the necessary building blocks for change and have the ability to inspire people and encourage action. Most of all they create solidarity among those attacking poverty from different angles. It’s this social dialogue that will ultimately destroy poverty.

-Chase Hrdina

The time and advice Mrs. Bush gave us was definitely appreciated. I think it is so cool that she realizes the potential of high school students. Our age group is usually overlooked because we are seen as moody and unreliable, but Mrs. Bush looks at us differently. I am glad that such a high-ranking woman understands the potential teenagers hold and the importance of getting us involved in helping with the world’s problems.
-Kelsey Eckenrode

Generally, every time we talk to someone and ask them the same question, we get the same response: “Oh, well, I think that it’s just great that you guys are interested in AIDS/Darfur/(insert issue here).” Well, Mrs. Bush said that she’s been to Africa five times, and each time she goes there, she sees improvement. She then said that she is proud that American kids what to help–She’s proud of us! I think that’s really cool! The entire idea behind speaking with Mrs. Bush was intoxicating. During the video conference, I kept thinking to myself, “I can not believe that Laura Bush is having a conversation with us!” She said that we look at huge problems and we think that we can’t address them. But we can. All problems are difficult; it’s hard to get anti-retroviral drugs to people who need them, but their standard of living is drastically increased with the drugs. I think that with continued perseverance, people will win the battle with AIDS. It’s so encouraging and inspiring to be reminded that there are very powerful people out there who care about the same issues that I do; people who others will listen to, people who are influential. I never cease to be amazed how these leaders are willing to talk to a group of kids in the middle of Missouri. But I guess when people like the First Lady tell you that they’re proud that you’re involved and that you care about an issue, it’s easier to believe that we can change the world.
-Samantha Eiffert

Getting to hear from Laura Bush was to me, a once in a life time opportunity. Hearing her views on her experiences in Africa were interesting, because I’ve never been out of the United States. Many of the things she said, for example, about how poverty and poor water supplies were the main sources of the spread of disease in Africa were very similar to a few things we’ve read about in Mountains Beyond Mountains. In a way Laura Bush reminds me of Paul Farmer because they both have the same passion to continue to help people who are less fortunate than us. It was a real eye opening experience to get more information on something we are learning about and be able to connect what Laura Bush was saying to things that I had learned in class.
-April Myers

Bram Sable-Smith (who spent the last two years in the United World Colleges program in Swaziland) Mitch Besser of mothers2mothers dedicates all of his working time towards the mothers program, however a president or a first lady cannot do that. They cannot champion one cause only because they must be the champions of all causes. We should be stoked that one of these champions of all causes has designated a significant amount of time to our cause, and even a small portion of that to us.

Having Mrs. Bush talk to us was, well, awesome. Who can actually say, “Oh yeah, so, today in school, we talked to the First Lady on the phone?” She was really down to earth. But personally, I think the best part about the whole conversation was that not ONCE did ANYTHING come to politics or different views. I didn’t feel tension in the room from the different parties, we were all there for ONE reason (please excuse the pun). It was really refreshing. I am so lucky to be surrounded by young minds that all want better for our world, and I am grateful for getting the opportunity to talk to people who have really gone out there and made a difference, like Mitch Besser, Paul Farmer and Mrs. Bush.
-Alex Harrison

Yesterday, at my high school, we had our first ever video conference. It was in a classroom of about 100 kids. The astounding thing about that is that the conference was with Laura Bush. It was quite amazing to be a part of that. She was very knowledgeable and passionate about everything she said. And when we asked her how to help, she encouraged us by saying that just by keeping up on the times and caring that that was a start. Then, by acting on the care, we would be able to help immensely in Africa.
-Lauren Orscheln

It was a day of firsts for me. My first time meeting a sitting president. My first time racing through streets in a presidential motorcade. My first time seeing malaria education set to music.

President and Mrs. Bush made malaria a big focus of their stop in Ghana, where they were joined by American Idol Winner Jordin Sparks and Malaria No More. Sparks opened a noontime event at the U.S. Embassy with a Super Bowl-sized rendition of the national anthem that made the speakers whimper and moved patriotic listeners to tears.

President Bush took the mic to praise American Idol for raising $17 million for malaria during last year’s Idol Gives Back charity special and share some exciting news:

This spring, Fox and American Idol will once again appeal to viewers to help defeat malaria. On April 9th, the show will raise money to fight malaria in Africa and support other worthy causes in the second round of “Idol Gives Back.” Laura and I hope, and Jordin hopes, that America’s generosity will still pour forth, and we ask our fellow citizens to contribute to this worthy cause. (Applause.)

(Read the full transcript here, including the President’s shout out to Malaria No More.)

It was a short event – half hour all told – but plenty long for us to sweat through our suits in the soupy afternoon heat. “This reminds me of what it’s like to campaign in Texas in August,” quipped a glistening Commander in Chief. Still, he took the time to press the flesh with the hodge-podge audience of scruffy PeaceCorps volunteers, Ghanaian women in traditional dress, and Idol-loving tweens.

Lunch was served on the Embassy lawn flanked by mini-golf versions of the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument while the bar offered bottles of Schweppes tonic in a subtle (okay, probably unintended) homage to the days when the quinine in tonic was used to ward off malaria.

From there, we raced off to Maamobi Polyclinic on the outskirts of Accra where Jordin and Mrs. Bush were greeted by a traditional durbar—a Ghanaian community gathering complete with song, dance, and umbrella-wielding day-glo chiefs.

Jordin and Mrs. Bush did a bed net demonstration and kids sang a malaria song withwith mosquito-wing choreography. It’s what happens when well-intentioned public health professionals try their hand at pop song. Sample lyrics:

From home to home
From school to school
Children are saying
Give us treated bednets
To keep us protected
But if malaria attacks
For lack of protection
Give us early treatment
To save our lives

Somewhere Simon Cowell is scowling fiercely. For my part, I’ll stick with Jordin’s single “Tattoo” which I’m rocking on my (Product)Red iPod as I write this.

-Martin Edlund, Malaria No More

-Taylor Royle

When the trip starts, I’ll do my best to pass along whatever we hear is happening each day, and our policy folks will help fill in some background information on some of the programs and countries that the president and first lady will be visiting.

-Virginia Simmons

The short conversation that ensues is about halfway through the clip below. (You’ll need Windows Media Player to watch it and it may take a minute to load.)

I also transcribed some excerpts from both Laura and George Bush.

First Lady Laura Bush:

“Economies depend on a … workforce, people who are in good health. If your workforce [is] sick with malaria half the time it’s very difficult. Or sick with AIDS. So… making people healthy is really helpful also for those African economies that are trying to build a better life for the people in their countries.”

President George W. Bush:

“I think government has a responsibility to protect the American people. It’s just part of an overall strategy to protect us. And the United States has to make up its mind – if it’s going to confront the conditions that cause radicalism and protect ourselves, or retreat and withdrawl and say, ‘well you know it costs too much money, therefor we’re not going to try to help others.’”

-Virginia Simmons