Last night, close friends and partners gathered to show some love to activist Janessa Goldbeck during the Cycle for Security San Francisco Launch Party. Headlining the event was Lt. Col Paul Clarke (USAF-Ret.), a Truman National Security Project Fellow, who spoke in detail about how proposed cuts to international development assistance would negatively impact a strong national security strategy.
Last weekend, Orange County ONE member Gina Kim opened her home to her community to join her in writing letters to Senator Dianne Feinstein, asking her to oppose any cuts to the FY12 State and Foreign Operations bill. This bill funds ONE’s priorities, including agricultural development, childhood vaccines and HIV/AIDS treatment. Last week, we learned a vote would soon be coming to the Senate floor and ONE members across the country have been calling and writing their senators with a similar message: “International affairs programs help tackle the root causes of conflict and extremism, respond to humanitarian crises, and build new markets for US goods and services, so please oppose any more cuts to the foreign aid budget.”
ONE volunteers recently hit the streets of San Diego for the annual AIDS Walk. Programs here at home help those living with HIV, and the San Diego AIDS Walk raised $377,249.91 as donors walked around beautiful Balboa Park, proving they do care about helping prevent this disease.
Right before Labor Day Holiday weekend, ONE member Michelle Droz and I had the opportunity to meet with Rep. Jackie Speier. Elected as the Representative of the 12th US Congressional District in California in 2008, Rep. Speier has been a vocal leader on several domestic issues and voted to expand our global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria programs, and we asked her to also support childhood vaccines, agriculture development and other poverty-fighting programs.
While discussing the enormous drive of California ONE members and our steadfast dedication to prevent budget cuts to these important programs, Rep. Speier quickly expressed her support for issues ONE members care so much about, and seemed especially pleased with our bipartisan position. Rep. Speier encouraged us to continue educating and informing our neighbors of why these programs matter.
During the August Recess, ONE members from the Fresno and Clovis, Calif. got together to meet with staff from Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif.
We were thankful to meet with Legislative Director and Deputy Chief of Staff Damon Nelson and Field Representative Anthony Ratekin.
During the meeting we had a great discussion about the United States’ role in foreign affairs, specifically the strategic value of our aid dollars in countries with emerging democracies. We were able to emphasize how smart programs that save lives are the right thing to do from a perspective of faith and morality.
Furthermore, we agreed that as a global leader, the United States can help the world’s poorest people lift themselves out of poverty through vital smart, effective and results-based programs that save lives and encourage development. It’s the best of American exceptionalism and a proud American legacy that we must continue.
ONE members in Southern California held a social meet and greet at the House of Blues in Anaheim to celebrate the United States commitment of $450 million over the next three years to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations. Many of the members were meeting for the first time and shared their stories about how they became involved with ONE.
We discussed ways to stay involved and brainstormed ideas to engage our communities to join the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease and engage our congressional representatives as we begin to campaign for smart programs to be funded for FY12. If you couldn’t tell from the excitement at the Anaheim U2 shows we have an incredible group of members, passionate about being involved, spreading some love and making a difference in Southern California.
What a great weekend! I had the privilege of spending two days in sunny Anaheim, California working in and outside Angel Stadium mobilizing new ONE members to take action on our latest vaccine petition at the U2 360 Tour. While the band was doing their sound check, we were hitting the pavement hard. I probably got a little too much sun and I’m definitely beat –- but it was well worth it because we brought in more 7,500 new ONE members who raised their voice to ensure that four million kids get access to the vaccines they will need in the next five years.
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.
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.
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.
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.
