ONE Blog
Rep. Dicks is not the Norm… he’s a champion
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ONE member Heather James reports on a faith event in Washington state.
Saturday morning was incredible. Braving construction chaos and downtown parking, a group of 25 interested (and interesting) everyday citizens of Washington State converged in Tacoma to attend a ONE Faith workshop with Jonathan Young, our regional field director and Adam Phillips, manager of faith advocacy at ONE. We learned about initiatives for global health and poverty relief, and how these things relate to our faith communities. Our goal for the morning? To come away with at least one practical thing a faith community could do to make a difference in the life of one of the 1.5 billion people living in extreme poverty. |
What We’re Reading: UN declares Somalia’s famine over, but says millions still remain in crisis
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Malaria death toll possibly twice as high as experts estimated – A new study funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation suggests that malaria may have killed as many as 1.2 million people in 2010, 90% of whom are in Africa. This figure is twice as high as the World Health Organization’s estimate of 655,000. The study also challenges the belief that children under the age of 5 and pregnant women are the most susceptible to the disease. (AP) UN declares Somalia’s famine over, but says millions across East Africa still in crisis – The United Nations declared Friday that Somali’s famine is over, yet “2.3 million people remain in a food crisis situation in Somalia and still need assistance.” Across the Horn of African, more than 9.5 million people still need aid, and continued assistance is needed to prevent the fragile region from reverting back to famine. (AP) |
ONE Act a Week: Nominate an idea that promotes equality for girls & women
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Action: 28. Time: 30 minutes. Level of difficulty: Difficult. For the results of last week’s action, click here. In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, Women Deliver is calling on international development advocates (like you!) to submit nominations for their Women Deliver 50 List, a collection of the top 50 inspiring ideas and solutions that deliver for girls and women.
According to their guidelines, “these advancements could have been made by an individual, governments, the private sector, or civil society, but they must have helped to improve the condition of girls and women around the world, in one or more of the following 5 categories:
Nominations must be submitted by February 10. The winners will be announced on International Women’s Day and at the Women Deliver 2013 conference in Kuala Lumpur. |
‘Cuts to foreign aid… SHALL NOT PASS’
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OK, I’ll admit it: Last week’s ONE Act was a little crazy. We asked our ONE members to create “I Can Has Cheezburger“-style graphics to persuade people to take action against global poverty. Usually these kinds of things are made to get some laughs and share on the Internet, but we thought it might be cool to use them for something a little more useful. Here are some of our favorites from this week: If you think you can do better, make your own graphic here, and share the link with us in the comments below. |
Five US senators urge SEC to produce strong transparency rules
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This piece is part of a larger blog series on transparency in the extractives industry. Stay tuned for more updates on this topic.
As you know, we have a campaign on transparency in the extractives industry in the works. So what better way start our action than with a little affirmation from some of our Senate champions? In a letter sent Tuesday to Chairwoman Mary Schapiro of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Senators Ben Cardin, John Kerry, Patrick Leahy, Carl Levin and Charles Schumer expressed their concern over the delay in releasing the rules to implement Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank Act, also known as the Cardin-Lugar Amendment. They encouraged the Commission to release a rule that clearly reflects the spirit and letter of Cardin-Lugar. Among the issues they emphasized is the vital importance of ensuring that the new rule applies to all countries and companies with no exceptions. They explained that “any exemptions would not only encourage other countries to enact laws reducing transparency and start a ‘race to the bottom,’ but would also create a dangerous precedent, by making the U.S. lawmaking process subservient to governments around the world, including dictators who do not share our commitment to transparency, good governance, and the rule of law.” They asserted that “greater transparency will discourage corruption, reduce conflict and enhance stability” and cite language in the recently passed 2012 budget spending bill to reiterate the SEC’s responsibility to “stay the course.“ SEE ALSO: By the numbers — the fight for oil and mining company transparency The Committee notes that under the Dodd-Frank Act, public companies are required to provide disclosure to the SEC in matters involving conflict minerals, extractive industries, and mining safety matters. The Committee understands that the SEC will be implementing the requirements, as directed, in the coming months.” Click here to read the full text of their letter and stay tuned as we track developments in the SEC’s decision and alert you to actions you can take to participate in our anti-corruption campaign. |
How well do you know your MDGs?
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The Millennium Development Goals or MDGs are mentioned regularly by ONE (and many other campaigning organizations) — but how well-known are they? Could you list all eight? And do you how many are likely to have been met by their target date of 2015?  The MDGs are a set of poverty-busting targets agreed by 189 nations in the year 2000. They cover hunger and extreme poverty, education, gender equality, child mortality, maternal health, HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, environmental sustainability, and a commitment to global cooperation for development. |
What We’re Reading: The future of foreign aid money
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Famine Crisis Warning for West African Sahel Region – Early warning systems indicate that “famine is imminent” in regions of Mali, northern Burkina Faso and parts of Senegal due to erratic rains and poor harvests. In addition, conflict in Ivory Coast has hindered trade and contributed to a 40% inflation rate for food. (Reuters) The Future of Foreign Aid Money – In a survey of 41 aid agencies, Reuters found that respondents overwhelmingly believed that environmental disasters will be the biggest factors in increasing the need for humanitarian aid, and that disaster preparedness is critical. Aid organizations recognize that “funding for disaster risk reduction…is not very ‘sexy’ for donors,” yet it is the most cost effective way to mitigate more extreme disasters. (Huffington Post, Tom Murphy) |
Blog Contributors
Hot Topics
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Fight the Famine, Feed the Future
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger. -
Crisis in the Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food. -
The Beginning of the End of AIDS
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS. -
Agriculture Accountability
As aid agencies warn more than 9 million people could be affected by a food crisis in East Africa, world leaders are failing to keep their 2009 promises to tackle the causes of chronic hunger and support farmers in the world's poorest countries.
From Our Members
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Rep. Dicks is not the Norm… he’s a champion
Feb 3rd, 2012 | Posted by Field -
Moved by the war in Sierra Leone, an Ohio teenager finds a way to give back
Jan 26th, 2012 | Posted by Guest Blogger -
ONE Peoria links up with local Rotary group
Jan 23rd, 2012 | Posted by Field
From Our Partners
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ONE Act a Week: Nominate an idea that promotes equality for girls & women
Feb 3rd, 2012 | Posted by Malaka Gharib -
United Against Malaria partners with football stars to protect children in Africa
Feb 1st, 2012 | Posted by Guest Blogger -
More than just a purse: Artisanal accessories expand opportunities for women in Uganda
Jan 31st, 2012 | Posted by Guest Blogger
