COLUMBIA, S.C.…. South Carolina ONE members are wasting no time in engaging candidates and voters alike in their home state, working to build awareness for the candidates’ commitments to fighting extreme poverty and preventable disease around the world as the state’s presidential primaries approach.

“South Carolina ONE members have been preparing for this week for months, meeting the candidates at every town hall and diner and college campus.  We want them to know that South Carolina voters across the political spectrum are united in this effort to erase extreme, brutal poverty from our world and to save the lives of the millions of people who suffer under poverty’s oppression,” said U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, the Republican co-chair of ONE’s South Carolina election effort.

South Carolina residents have proved that they are tireless advocates for the millions of people around the world living under the oppression of extreme poverty – poverty that forces a person to struggle to survive on less than $1 a day.  For instance, Seaton Brown, a junior at the College of Charleston, has been a leader in the ONE Campus movement, leading the effort at his school to make ONE an integral part of campus life – from World Hunger Day events to classroom instruction to engaging students in candidate outreach.

“Imagine living on less than a dollar a day.  That sounds impossible, but it is a real-life reality for millions of people.  Imagine a child dying every three seconds – three seconds! – from entirely preventable diseases like malaria or TB or diarrhea.  It shouldn’t be happening in this 21st century.  When we open our eyes to the problems around us, we can make a difference.  America can save their lives and, when we do, we can make our own future more secure,” Seaton said.

ONE is a grassroots advocacy and education group made up of 20,000 South Carolina residents and more than 2.4 million Americans nationwide committed to fighting brutal poverty and preventable diseases in the world’s poorest regions.

“In 2000, our country made a commitment to eradicate extreme poverty, ensure basic education and provide health care access for everyone — all by the year 2015. ONE was created to make sure we keep those commitments.  This election, that means pressing the candidates to stand up for the world’s poorest people,” explained Jim Hodges, ONE’s Democratic co-chair for the South Carolina election initiative.

“ONE brings together people from all walks of life.  I’ve met pastors and police officers and military families who are part of ONE.  I’ve talked with skateboarders and school teachers who are part of ONE.  It isn’t about politics or political party; it’s about changing our world,” Hodges said.

The leading Republican and Democratic candidates have made public commitments to combat global poverty and disease.  They are included in ONE’s On the Record Challenge, where visitors can see the candidates answer specific questions about HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty.  The candidates’ written answers to an expanded list of questions is also available.  A comparison tool allows visitors to create side-by-side comparisons for the proposals from as many as three candidates at a time, print those comparisons, or email them to others.  The videos and candidate answers are available at http://www.onevote08.org/ontherecord.

The On the Record Challenge brought together ONE members in South Carolina and across the country to deliver more than 57,000 petitions to the candidates urging them not only to come forward with their proposals to fight poverty and disease, but then to also hold them accountable for their plans should they be elected.

ONE supporters in South Carolina include Palmetto Family Council President Oren Smith, former state Secretary of Education Inez Tenenbaum, Columbia Mayor Bob Coble, Greenville Mayor Floyd Nicholson, and state Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Hunter Howard.

To volunteer to help ONE in the primary election, email [email protected].

ONE is a grassroots effort of more than 2.4 million Americans, rallying Americans and pressing our leaders to fight the emergency of extreme poverty and preventable global disease.  For more information, visit ONE.org.

On The Record is a project of ONE Action to educate voters about the presidential candidates’ plans on issues of importance to ONE Action’s members. Only 501(c)(3) activities are funded by the ONE Campaign.

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