The United States has recently given $91 million in emergency food funds and $21 million in humanitarian aid to Ethiopia, one of the countries hardest hit by the food crisis.

From AllAfrica.com:

According to press statement from the US embassy in Addis Ababa , the donation was in response to Ethiopian government’s revised June 2008 Humanitarian Requirement Report.

This new donation coupled with last month’s announcement of $80 million in emergency assistance brings the total US assistance in response to the drought to [nearly] $200.

“The donations have come in response to continuing humanitarian needs in Ethiopia, where poor end erratic rainfall distribution, high food prices, ongoing conflict, arid limited humanitarian access have negatively impacted food, water, and pasture availability, resulting in increased malnutrition rates, food and water shortage, and heavy loss of livestock,” the statement said.

A majority of the funds will be divided between non-governmental organizations already performing on-the-ground relief work, such as UNICEF and the International Rescue Committee. Through their work, the funds are expected to help over 1 million people, including over 50,000 malnourished children.

-Betsy Avila

Greetings, ONE members!

My name is Maisie Pigeon and I’m the new ONE Student Coordinator. Right now, I’m working non-stop to make this year’s ONE Campus Challenge a success. The ONE Campus Challenge is a nationwide competition between universities where schools have the opportunity to earn points by taking actions against poverty. (Actions range from signing up your friends and family, to “ONE-ing” your campus mascot, to writing letters to your members of Congress.)

Currently we are working to get everything ready for the OCC 2008/2009-kickoff. The competition between schools last year was pretty steep, in the end Western Kentucky University won out over more than a thousand schools nationwide. This year the competition only looks to intensify. We can’t wait to see what tricks you guys have up your sleeves!

This will be my second year working with OCC, as I was a Regional Outreach Ambassador (aka – ROA) last year. I want to let you know that we’re currently looking to fill positions for this year’s crew of Regional Outreach Ambassadors. ROAs are active student leaders who help college students across the country promote ONE and fight extreme poverty by acting as liaisons between ONE staff and ONE student leaders across the country.

Find more information on becoming a ROA and pick up an application here. And stay tuned to the ONE Blog for more updates on OCC in the coming weeks.

-Maisie Pigeon, ONE Student Coordinator

Our Comms Director Tom Gavin just sent back this final video from the ONE Rwanda trip.

“Our visit wrapped up with a long meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame. He talked about his development plan, called Vision 2020, that would result in strong steps forward in education, health, and business growth. At the end, many of our delegation members talked with Rwandan journalists about their meeting and the trip overall. - Tom Gavin”

In the clip:

Democratic strategist John Podesta calls Rwanda’s progress “very, very impressive,” citing the number of people now on ARVs (AIDS treatments), their success in bringing Rwandan citizens into the healthcare system, and the country’s remarkable reduction in child mortality rates.

And Republican strategist Jack Oliver tells the journalist: “We’ve been extraordinarily impressed by the people of Rwanda…[We’re] just encouraged, excited and ready to be advocates on behalf of Rwanda.

The new version of PEPFAR just passed the House, 303-115!

Now $48 Billion in global AIDS, malaria and TB funding is just one presidential signature away.

Moments ago, Senator Barack Obama stood before a crowd of tens of thousands in Berlin (estimated at 200,000), to give a speech titled: A World That Stands As One.” We know there were ONE members, in ONE shirts, in the crowd - and we hope to get a post from them soon.

The speech itself drew upon many themes related to ONE’s work. Below some excerpts:

The poverty and violence in Somalia breeds the terror of tomorrow. The genocide in Darfur shames the conscience of us all….

That is why we cannot afford to be divided. No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat such challenges alone…

This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has been a cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will not be able to sustain this growth if it favors the few, and not the many. Together, we must forge trade that truly rewards the work that creates wealth, with meaningful protections for our people and our planet. This is the moment for trade that is free and fair for all…

This is the moment to stand as one.

And this is the moment when we must give hope to those left behind in a globalized world. We must remember that the Cold War born in this city was not a battle for land or treasure. Sixty years ago, the planes that flew over Berlin did not drop bombs; instead they delivered food, and coal, and candy to grateful children. And in that show of solidarity, those pilots won more than a military victory. They won hearts and minds; love and loyalty and trust – not just from the people in this city, but from all those who heard the story of what they did here.

Now the world will watch and remember what we do here – what we do with this moment. Will we extend our hand to the people in the forgotten corners of this world who yearn for lives marked by dignity and opportunity; by security and justice? Will we lift the child in Bangladesh from poverty, shelter the refugee in Chad, and banish the scourge of AIDS in our time?

Full script here.

Embezzlement and kick-backs, bid-rigging and extortion, manipulated water policies and corrupted enforcement of rules against water pollution plague the provision of drinking water, irrigation and hydropower all around the world. This is the key message of “the Global Corruption Report 2008: Corruption in the Water Sector.”

With more than thirty experts and practitioners exploring corruption issues in all areas of the water sector, the report is a first of its kind and its central insight is as clear as it is alarming: Corruption in the water sector is a root cause and consequences of a global water crisis that leaves more than one billion people without access to safe drinking water and poses a major impediment to inclusive human development and environmental sustainability. Fixing the global water crisis requires fixing corruption in the sector. A wide array of case studies from all world regions shows how rampant and devastating corruption is in the water sector:

• In India, for example, corruption is estimated to inflate the costs for water infrastructures by 25 to 45%. In global context such a corruption burden means that achieving the Millennium Development Goals in water will be almost US$50 billion more expensive.

• In Kenya, 66% of households in a survey report that they have experienced corruption in water service provision.

• In Mexico the largest 20% of farmers reap more than 70% of irrigation subsidies.

• In China, Indonesia and Zambia, fraud and manipulation have plagued resettlement programs in big dam projects.

But there is hope. Taking action against corruption in the water sector is possible.

The Report also presents a large number of innovative initiatives that have had a demonstrable effect on tackling corruption in the sector. More transparency and citizen participation, more collective action and stronger accountability mechanisms are identified as the basic ingredients for rolling back corruption in the water sector and for making water governance work for sustainable human development.

-Dr. Dieter Zinnbauer Chief Editor - Global Corruption Report Policy and Research Department TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL

The House vote for PEPFAR is expected this afternoon.

PEPFAR is legislation to fund global AIDS, malaria and TB programs with $48 billion for the next five years.

I’ll keep you posted as we hear updates.

Sen. McCain held a town hall meeting in Rochester, NH, yesterday to campaign for President. And just like we did for all the candidates from both parties during the NH Primary, and just we did in Unity, NH, last month - ONE was there to help advocate for the world’s poorest people.

As you can see from earlier posts, Sen. McCain recognized ONE at the start of the town hall and even briefly mentioned how Cindy McCain was joining ONE on a bi-partisan trip to Rwanda.

Later during the town hall meeting, ONE’s Marine, Michael Castaldo raised his hand and spoke with Sen. McCain about US efforts to fight AIDS and poverty in Africa and how it relates to Def. Sec. Gates’ recent call for more funding for humanitarian aid to help win hearts and minds around the world.

Programs like PEPFAR and the Millennium Challenge Corporation, are helping to save millions of lives around the world and lift millions more out of extreme poverty. But it also helps to create a safer and more secure future for those in need, and for us at home.

-Matthew Bartlett

Senator Frist is sending in daily posts from ONE’s recent trip to Rwanda. Below is the post he wrote about Sunday.

SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST-CATHEDRAL

The drive to Saint John the Baptist-Cathedral in Ruhengeri is about two hours. It is a windy, but beautiful, road. Rwanda is known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, and this journey explains why. The hills are green, and the trees are even a darker green, separated by roughly plowed hillsides; every inch of land is used. It’s lush. The worn, dusty brown walking paths switch back like big “Z’s” painted on the sides of steep, steep hills, climbing to the sky. Every mile seems more picturesque than the previous.

Bishop John gave the service. He recognized all of the visitors and preached about self-sufficiency, entrepreneurship, and service.

Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday, former President Bill Clinton announced an upcoming trip to Ethiopia, Rwanda, Liberia and Senegal to promote the Clinton Foundation’s new programs to fight AIDS and malaria. Earlier this month, the Clinton Foundation “reached an agreement with several pharmaceutical companies to slash the price of the top anti-malaria treatment by 30 percent.”(AFP)

President Clinton travels to Africa once a year and his first trip was while he was president in 1998. Due to ONE members’ “Visit Africa” campaign in February, both Senators McCain and Obama have pledged, that if they’re elected, they’ll visit the continent during their presidency. Check out their pledges here.