In an open letter to the leaders of the G8 countries, the group asked for the G8 to commit to launching a Global Fund for Education. The proposal comes from a pledge made by President Obama himself, which you may have read about here before.

The letter reads:

We are heartened by the commitment of the United States President, Barack Obama, to provide a contribution of at least $2 billion dollars to a Global Fund for Education which would help to eliminate the global education deficit by 2015. Such a bold and ambitious plan should be endorsed by other members of the G8 through a public commitment to such an initiative, which must be launched before the end of the year with full funding. A Global Fund for Education would ensure that the funding shortfall is no longer the main impediment to progress on basic education, and moreover that those investments have the greatest impact on access to and quality of education.

Putting every child in school seems like a tall order, but history has shown that remarkable progress is possible with a combination of dedicated government investment and international support. Ethiopia, for example, was able to double its enrollment rates between 1999 and 2007, leading to a total of 3.3 million more children in school. Increased government spending on education, incentives for girls to enroll and the construction of schools in rural areas all contributed to this impressive progress. Across Africa, stories like this have resulted in 34 million more children in school since 1999.

A Global Fund for Education could help replicate successes like Ethiopia’s by helping to galvanize new momentum toward basic education and reverse the declining investment the sector by international donors. This is more vital than ever given the current global financial climate. In many countries, expenditure on sectors like health and education will be one of the first victims of stretched government budgets, and a skilled, educated workforce will be one of the key ingredients to recovery and fueling long-term economic growth.

We’ll be following the G8 closely next week, so we’ll keep you posted on any new education commitments and hopefully, a plan to launch a Global Fund for Education.

-Nora Coghlan

In the CDC/HHS post, the agency notes, “While HIV infection is a serious health condition, it does not represent a communicable disease that is a significant threat for introduction, transmission, and spread to the U.S. population through casual contact.”

This issue was in the news most recently with the high profile denial of a visa to British activist Paul Thorn who was seeking to participate in the Pacific Health Summit in Seattle. Thorn was denied entrance to the U.S., despite efforts by Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Jim McDermott on his behalf.

The proposed CDC/HHS change would amend the definition of “communicable disease of public health significance” and would remove references to HIV from the scope of medical examinations that aliens must undergo before they obtain admission to the U.S.

ONE will be tracking this development closely, and will let you know what happens.

-Rena Pacheco-Theard

Yesterday Danielle DePas, Sara Paterni and I visited the offices of Senators Martinez and Nelson to ask for their support on the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009 (s. 624).

This important bill will help provide 100 million people with sustainable access to clean water and sanitation. It is shocking to learn that currently more than 1 billion people do not have access to clean water and that 2 out of every 5 people do not have access to basic sanitation services.

I am hopeful that Florida’s senators will take a critical step toward providing access to clean water for the poorest people around the world by cosponsoring this important legislation.

-Alix Gordon, Miami ONE Member

In his home country of Senegal, Youssou N’Dour is a powerful cultural icon and an important voice on social issues. Youssou is also a member of the ONE Policy Advisory Board, reflecting his deep commitment to the fight against poverty.

His new film I Bring What I Love is a music-infused cinematic journey about the power of one man’s voice to inspire change. The film chronicles N’Dour, a devout Sufi Muslim, as he releases a deeply personal and religious album called Egypt in the hope of promoting a more tolerant face of Islam. Director Chai Vasarhelyi follows N’Dour for over two years–filming in Africa, Europe, and America–to tell the story of how he faces these challenges and eventually wins over audiences both at home and abroad.

You can RSVP for the screening here. We hope to see you out!

-Kim Smith

A month ago I received an email from a ONE Member named Gina Kim who simply said she wanted to do a small local event that brings attention to those living on less than $1 a day, and she wanted to do it with ONE. Well, I’d never met Gina before in my life, we lived over 450 miles away from each other, and I didn’t know she was also a ONE member. So, of course I said, “Sounds Great. Let’s do it!” – I called her and together we mapped a game plan over the phone.

Immediately Gina got a couple of friends together and they built a small coalition of people in her community. After just a couple weeks of spreading the word, Gina’s coalition included volunteers from church groups, student groups, local entertainers, a Starbucks and a shopping center called Amerige Heights Town Center. They scheduled a date and a set an important goal: Talk about extreme poverty, the solutions, the successes, and talk to as many people as possible in ONE business day! - AND WHAT A DAY IT WAS!

While 9 different performers drew crowds to the ONE stage, 15 volunteers went to work to start conversations. Computers were set up to show video clips of the work thousands of ONE members are doing around the country. Volunteers wearing ONE shirts handed out wristbands, recruited new members and started global poverty conversations throughout the day. It turns out that Gina’s short email to me, over a month ago, resulted in nearly 1 new ONE Member every 2 minutes that day! — And twice as many conversations! Gina said they were all so proud after their event and in her most recent email, Gina expressed: “..[in] the spirit of reverence toward becoming socially relevant… [a] community found itself chiming into a social agreement to make poverty history!”

ONE members like Gina are getting in touch with their local organizers all the time. Together we are finding creative ways to educate Americans on the smart solutions to fight extreme global poverty. Get involved with us! If you’re not sure how to get started contact your local field organizer, OR you can find a local event in progress.

Thanks for the email Gina – maybe ONE day we’ll get a chance to meet in person!

-Roscoe Mapps, ONE California

The need for this facility was first expressed by African finance ministers in 2003, in response to increasing problems from vulture funds.

In a prominent case just two years ago, the fund Donegal International was awarded $15.5 million by the High Court in London for Zambian government debt it purchased for less than $4 million.

The international community has observed that savings from debt relief programs - intended to support health, education and other development efforts - are being eroded as resources are diverted to settle vulture fund claims. This issue is even more important in light of the current global financial crisis, as many countries will be forced to take on new loans to cope with its impacts, and will fall further into debt.

Beyond legal and technical assistance, the new facility is also intended to prevent African countries from being disadvantaged when negotiating resource-centered deals with powerful countries and companies.

-Rena Pacheco-Theard

New York Times Op-Ed: Ban Ki-Moon: Come Together, Right Away
In a New York Times op-ed, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon writes of the G8 summit that “rarely have the leaders of the world’s wealthiest nations come together at a moment of such consequence.” Building on his previous call for a “truly global stimulus package,” he has sent a letter to G8 leaders urging concrete commitments and specific action to renew the world’s resolve to respond to climate change and extreme poverty in vulnerable countries affected by the economic crisis. In the letter he underscored the importance of delivering on pledges of aid to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

Financial Times: IMF Plans Debt Issuance for Bail-Outs
The International Monetary Fund approved plans yesterday to issue its own debt to strengthen its capacity to fund bail-outs. The decision opens the way for China, Brazil and Russia to lend the institution large sums of money on an extended temporary basis, thus retaining their leverage in discussions about future governance of the IMF. Policymakers hope that by lining up ample IMF funds in advance, they can reassure private markets and reduce the likelihood of crises. Meanwhile, the World Bank has said it committed a record $59 billion in loans and guarantees to developing countries in the past year (ending June 30).

Reuters: Recession Must Not Derail AIDS Fight: UN Official
The Executive Director of UNAIDS said yesterday that he was worried that money earmarked at the Gleneagles summit for fighting AIDS in Africa could be diverted, as governments focus on reviving their own economies. Speaking at the African Union summit, he urged that the world’s rich nations not allow the global downturn to distract them from their commitment to help Africa stem the spread of HIV/AIDS. Giving one example of the funding squeeze, he said the Global Fund was $4 billion short of the amount it needed to fund AIDS projects it was already running or had committed to financing.

Huffington Post: the Italian Job: What the 2009 G8 Summit Must Deliver on Health and Aid for Africa
Patrick Watt, advocacy campaigns director of World Vision, writes in the Huffington Post that the London summit of the G20 heads of state in April and the challenges to which it was trying to respond have raised fundamental questions about the future role and relevance of the G8. Highlighting the Gleneagles commitments, he says that it is on Africa and the focal issue of health where Italy in particular, and the G8 collectively, face their greatest credibility test.

Reuters: U.S. Seen Backing Climate Target at G8
The United States will agree to a goal to limit global warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius at next week’s Group of Eight summit, a senior European official involved in preparing the meeting said on Wednesday. President Barack Obama has promised to take far tougher action to slow global warming than his predecessor George W. Bush. The 2 degrees Celsius limit is seen by the EU and some vulnerable developing countries as the threshold beyond which climate change will reach danger levels. Washington had not previously embraced it, but the official claimed it would be in the G8 text.

FT: WTO Sees Global Increase in Protectionism
Governments around the world have continued to erect trade barriers in spite of high-profile pledges at the G20 summit and other forums to resist protectionism, according to a World Trade Organization report to be published today. Over the past three months, the WTO recorded 83 trade-restricting measures undertaken by 24 countries and the European Union - more than double the number of liberalizing measures enacted during the same period. The report also lowered its forecast for world trade this year. It says that agricultural products are among the goods most affected by the heightening protectionism.

-Grace Lamb-Atkinson

25 days. More than 100,000 signatures. A team of 13 partner organizations. A hundred million lives in the balance.

All this, culminating in ONE day on Capitol Hill.

I was a proud part of a team of nearly 40 ONE volunteers, staff, interns and partners who flooded the Senate yesterday with our petition for the Durbin-Corker Water for the World Act, S.624 — a bill to bring first-time, sustainable water and sanitation access to 100 million people by 2015.

The energy at ONE’s DC headquarters, our initial meeting place, was awesome. That’s what happens when you bring together passionate, motivated individuals for a great cause and a real chance to make a difference. This group was buzzing with news about the petition (we hit the 100k mark on Monday after only 25 days of campaigning) and, of course, S.624.

“ONE’s campaign to ensure passage of the Water for the World Act of 2009 is critical,” explained John Sauer, Communications Director for Water Advocates. “Safe drinking water and sanitation are the bedrock of global health, affecting all aspects of development, education, and basic human security. It is time to end the appalling casualty toll of unnecessary death and sickness due to water-and sanitation-related diseases. Proven solutions exist and can be provided. ONE’s efforts today are bringing us closer to adequately addressing this global crisis.”

Our joint campaign is already getting results. We learned from Shannon Penberthy, Associate Director of Global Government Relations for ONE partner organization Procter & Gamble, that Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) recently agreed to join Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) as new cosponsors for S.624. That brings the total count to 10 cosponsors, thanks in large part to the hard work of P&G, Water Advocates, ONE and all our partners. ONE’s Government Affairs team estimates the bill needs at least 20 cosponsors to move forward in the Senate, so we’re already halfway there!

After that exhilarating news, we deployed in small groups to Capitol Hill, where we delivered our petition (with a thank-you note to those senators who already signed on as cosponsors) to all 100 Senate offices.

“The impact of ONE members visiting offices and personally delivering this important message on behalf of the world’s poorest people is immeasurable,” explained Arjun Mody, ONE’s Assistant Director of U.S. Government Relations. “You can’t duplicate the passion and power of ONE members armed simply with a wrist band and a voice. We made an impact today with each and every U.S. Senate office.”

Thanks to our efforts and those of our partners, we believe the Water for the World Act is now poised to reach our goal of 20 cosponsors, and eventually become law. But while that may take more time to achieve, I for one already consider this campaign a huge success — in raising awareness about the 884 million people without access to clean water and 2.5 billion without access to adequate sanitation worldwide, bringing U.S. citizens together on this critical issue, and getting senators and their staff to at least look twice at a simple bill that only exists to do good in the world.

Our volunteers echoed my sentiments. “I am thrilled for ONE, those who participated in the campaign, and all those who will benefit from the eventual passing of this bill. It’s a strong and vital piece of legislation, and I’m proud to have done my part,” said Ola Kareem, a volunteer from Washington, DC.

A heart-felt thanks to all our volunteers, our hard-working partner organizations, and everyone who took a few moments out of their busy lives to sign our petition.

Together, we are changing the world.

-Emily Stivers

Thanks to U2’s support of ONE, we’ve been given a chance to work with their current 360 tour. We’ve been working on this for months now, and finally, yesterday, we saw the first show.

I arrived last Friday to put together ONE’s booths at the concert and coordinate our volunteers. I’ve never seen a rock concert in the making, much less a stadium show for a crowd of 90,000. Within 10 minutes of arrival I was standing at the front of the stage looking out into an enormous sea of empty seats. The scale of the whole thing was overwhelming — and that was without lights, sound, or a crowd.

Between Friday and the first show yesterday, I worked on getting together the ONE booth and lining up volunteers for the shows. We have two booths at the venues where volunteers explain ONE and invite people to join up. New members get one of our special edition ONE wristbands, and can have their photos taken as part of “The Future Needs a Big Kiss” - a concept that fits perfectly with ONE’s optimistic view of shaping and embracing the future. The band are using these pictures in a segment of the show, so there is a chance that the best kissers and huggers will end up seeing themselves on the ginormous IMAG screen during the show.

Monday afternoon we ducked outside of the front gates where loyal fans had been queuing for days to ensure they got the best spot next to the stage when the gates opened. The fans came from all over the world, from Spain to Ireland to Chile. Lots of smooching going on. I think some new aquaintances may have occurred. One fan appeared at the photo booth dejected that she didn’t have anyone to kiss. A group of willing volunteers wasn’t far behind offering to help remedy that problem.

Tuesday was a long time coming, and my adrenaline kicked in as I watched the gates open and the fans rush in. For the next few hours we signed up as many fans as we could physically talk to, and took over 300 pictures of people giving their kiss to the future. As U2 started up, we packed up our booths as everyone was inside the stadium, and it was high time that we joined them.

The concert itself was stunning. I’d heard the rehearsals, but the show itself was an order of magnitude more powerful, punctuated by a stadium literally shaking as fans jumped up and down to the music. There were some amazing moments of the show that talked about ONE. First, they linked up to the International Space Station and Bono asked Frank de Winne, the UNICEF ambassador and astronaut, to join ONE, which he enthusiastically agreed to — a spaceman has signed up for ONE!! Later on a giant Archbishop Desmond Tutu appeared on the screen, talking about the people who’ve made great social changes throughout history and how we all are those same people, especially when we act together as ONE. And finally, Bono introduced the song “One” with the Kiss the Future photo montage, urging the audience to sign up as they watched the ONE pictures floating across the screen.

I left the show with a silly grin on my face as I packed up all our stuff and headed home for some much needed sleep. With all the excitement I hadn’t realised how much being on my feet all day in the 34 degree celsius heat had taken out of me. It was the best type of tired there is.

Ill be blogging from every show… Next time I’ll be shorter I promise, just wanted to catch you up.

-Weldon Kennedy

We got a little creative to get some attention for ONE as the Cornerstone Festival officially opened tonight. Right after they signed up, some new ONE members helped build a small wall of ONE bands. The wall attracted a lot of attention, and we signed up a bunch of people when they stopped to check it out.

Things really get rolling tomorrow, with a full slate of bands on all of the stages. We’ll keep you posted how we’re doing growing the movement in corn fields out in Illinois.

-Kimberly Cadena