Liberia's Liberation via One.Org

One little e-mail to the International Monetary Fund**
and see how far we've come !
All I had to do was fill out a tiny bit of info requested, sign
it electronically and hold my breath. And then - the untiring
efforts of One.Org members changed the fate of the
impoverished, struggling West African nation of Liberia !
Here's the heartening e-mail I just received :

Dear Fred, On October 26, ONE members sent emails to the International Monetary Fund asking them to make good on their promises and cancel Liberia's debt. Each individual email might not seem like much, but all together we flooded IMF's email system and it couldn't handle them all. And it worked. We did it. We put on the pressure, and they responded. But you don't have to take my word for it. Yesterday, Masood Ahmed, Director of the IMF's External Relations, posted an open letter on the IMF's website announcing that they finally took the step necessary to move forward. Some key excerpts: I am pleased to inform you that on November 12, 2007, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has secured adequate pledges from member countries for the cost of the IMF's debt relief to Liberia ... We have received a large volume of emails on this topic, so this letter is being posted because it is impossible to respond to each message individually. ... I take this opportunity to also thank all those who have expressed their concerns about Liberia's debt situation. Their strong support to the cause of debt relief contributed to the broad donor support that made this financing possible. Check out the rest of the letter and share your thoughts with other ONE members on the ONE Blog. Congratulations are due to everyone who got involved in this important fight. Of course there is still much to be done for Liberia's debt cancelation, but this is a major step. With Liberia's debt cancelled, the government will have an opportunity to reinvest in their people and their country's future for the first time in more than 14 years. Thank you for your voice in this victory, Josh Peck, ONE.org

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**What the IMF Does

One.Org : A 9,558-way Call

Dear Fred,

I want to thank all of you who joined me, Senators Bill Frist and
Tom Daschle, Ben Affleck and 9,558 ONE members last week for
the conference call that launched ONE Vote '08, an unprecedented
campaign to engage presidential candidates and voters on the issues of extreme
poverty and global disease.
For those of you that missed it, we put a recording of the call online.

The real power, the real energy, the real momentum of ONE Vote '08 is going
to come from people all over the country, in their homes, in their communities,
showing up at debates and events, making phone calls, writing letters to the
editors of their newspapers and talking to the candidates. ONE Vote '08 is in
your hands.
Whether or not this campaign succeeds will depend on you!

Link to Video :
http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=979158880


Last Monday, in Washington, DC, hundreds of you came out to show your support
at a launch event that was standing room only. I said there that Americans are
compassionate people and with a clear call to action, we can unite the country to
tell the next President that saving children and families from hunger and
preventable disease will build our national security and is the right thing to do.
That's why I am confident that over the next 18 months your collective voice will
inspire moral leadership from our Presidential candidates and change the lives
of millions for the better.

So when a candidate is coming to your town, toss on a ONE t-shirt and
go ask them what their plan is to make poverty history. When the
candidates aren't in your area, you can still take action by spreading the word
about ONE Vote '08, and engaging the candidates online.

To help do all of this, the ONE team has put together a new website
www.onevote08.org - where they are building the tools you need to take action.
You'll also find a detailed presidential policy platform there, outlining what we are
asking of the candidates, and our launch video from other ONE supporters like
Tom Brady, Don Cheadle and Matt Damon.

ONE members have built a nationwide, grassroots network that has changed the
direction of American policy and shown that the poorest nations of Africa and the
developing world are an opportunity for great American leadership. ONE Vote '08
is your opportunity to engage the Presidential candidates and ask them what they
are going to do to end extreme global poverty. Working together as ONE, we'll make
sure that the next resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue - no matter who wins in
November 2008 - is a strong ally in the fight to save lives and secure our future.

Thank you,

Susan McCue, ONE.org

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Your Voice and ONE: Changing Politics Forever

Dear Fred,

Every day, every paper in America carries a story about the
2008 presidential election - sometimes as many as two, three,
or four in a single day.

Even more amazing is the fact that we are still eighteen months
away from Election Day!



And while the press is saturating the media with election coverage,
people are dying every single day from extreme poverty and global
disease. This global crisis can no longer be overlooked.

That's why I'm writing to you today. I need your help to bring ONE's
message to the forefront of the 2008 presidential race.

On Monday we will launch ONE Vote '08, an unprecedented national
campaign to make every 2008 presidential candidate take a clear
position on extreme poverty and global disease.

Sign up for the conference call Monday, June 11th at 7:30 pm eastern
time. We are just days away from launching an aggressive field effort,
placing ads on the air, and launching a new website that will track the
'08 candidates on the ground and on the issues like AIDS, malaria,
access to clean water, and universal basic education. But to reach the
widest audience possible, we need to tap in the power of the ONE
community.

I need you to share your vision for an America that leads the global
fight to end extreme poverty and disease. So on Monday I'll be
kicking-off ONE Vote '08 by hosting a conference call with Senator
Tom Daschle, Senator Bill Frist, and you.

Sign up for the conference call Monday, June 11th at 7:30 pm eastern
time. We'll start the call by discussing campaign strategy, and then
quickly open up the floor for your questions and to hear your thoughts.
We've anticipated a huge response, so we lined up some powerful
technology for the occasion. Instead of having to dial into the call,
we'll be calling you. That's right, no dial-in number and no time to keep
track of. Just follow the link below and we'll call you at 7:30 pm eastern
time on the 11th.

Sign up with your phone number to join-in on this conference
call.

Our efforts on behalf of the world's poorest people to raise awareness
and spur our leaders to action have saved millions of lives. Taking our
campaign to the 2008 presidential race means taking our fight against
extreme poverty to an entirely new level. Together, we will ensure that -
no matter who ends up being elected president - the next leader of the
free world will be a leader in eradicating poverty and global disease.

I look forward to hearing from you on Monday.

Thank you, Susan McCue, ONE.org

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Lone Star State Delivery

Dear Texan ONE Members,

Today, you, me, and every other Texan has a unique opportunity to
help fight poverty.

My sister Krishna and I at the Houston ONE training

On Wednesday, as part of a trip to Washington, D.C., I will stop
by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson's office to try and convince
her to sponsor of the Global Resources and Opportunities for
Women to Thrive Act (GROWTH Act), which changes U.S.
international assistance and trade programs to prioritize the economic
opportunities of women living in poverty worldwide.

I hope that you will support me in this effort by writing a letter to
Senator Hutchinson encouraging her to support the GROWTH Act.

If you send a letter today, I will hand deliver your letter to her
Washington office this Wednesday along with the message that Texans
are serious about ending poverty. If you join me in this endeavor, I am
certain we can convince Senator Hutchinson to sponsor this important
legislation.

The innovative provisions of the GROWTH Act remove a range of barriers
that prevent women from participating in their countries' economies.
Research shows that empowering women in the developing world is one
of the best ways to fight poverty. Not only does it improve their lives,
but their children are more likely to live longer and receive an education.

Please join me in urging Senator Hutchinson to fight extreme poverty
by sponsoring the GROWTH Act.

Thank you for your support,

Paresh Patel, ONE member

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