ONE Campaign

ONE is an American non-partisan and internationally active lobbying and campaigning organization dedicated to fighting extreme poverty and preventable diseases. Focus of the work is sub-Saharan Africa.

Unlike the vast majority of Development NGOs, ONE focuses exclusively on political work. The organization itself operates no projects of relief or development cooperation, but is particularly active against the G8 countries committed to reduce the structural obstacles to development of poorer countries.

Location of organization 's Washington, DC, European headquarters is London. Additional offices are located in Berlin, Brussels, Paris, Abuja and Johannesburg.

History

The origins of ONE start in 2002 with the founding of the organization DATA, a development policy lobbying organization, the ONE 2008 merged.

Following their activities within the framework of the global relief initiative Jubilee 2000 - Drop the Debt, Bono, Bob Geldof, Bobby Shriver, Jamie Drummond and Lucy Matthew founded the advocacy organization DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa) in spring 2002. DATA should increase the pressure on the governments of developed countries to play their part in the fight against extreme poverty in Africa. Emphasis was on debt relief, the fight against HIV / AIDS and the reform of unfair trade rules. DATA translated his symbol with " democracy, accountability, transparency ." - Namely democracy, accountability and transparency because the citizens of the countries affected by poverty should also be supported in the enforcement of their right to the effective and transparent use of any promotion in the sequence. founded DATA first offices in Washington, DC and London to appeal to political decision-makers from the G8 countries for the purposes of the Organization. DATA in Germany, opened in early 2007 an office in Berlin.

In the U.S. in 2004 DATA and ten other leading development organizations came ( Bread for the World Institute, CARE USA, International Medical Corps, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, Oxfam America, Plan USA, Save the Children, World Concern and World Vision United States ) together to form a new, bipartisan campaign organization. This should mobilize especially the public for the fight against extreme poverty and preventable diseases. The first aim was to give the efforts against poverty in Africa ahead of the G8 summit in Gleneagles in 2005 new boost. By working closely with Bono and Bob Geldof DATA was involved with it, to organize the Live 8 concerts. These activities, together with the Global Call to Action Against Poverty is ascribed an important role in building political pressure on the G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland. At Gleneagles, the G-7 countries committed to first aid commitments into concrete amount within a specific time frame to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations. Following the organization began publishing the annual study "The DATA Report ," in which the implementation of the aid pledges by the G7 has been reviewed and recalculated to the countries of Africa continuously.

2007 decided DATA and ONE to contribute their complementary strengths ( lobbying and campaign ) in a common, internationally operating organization under the name ONE. The merger was formally completed in 2008 and DATA in Germany changed its name in September of that year to ONE.

Operation

ONE's activities can be divided into policy work, public relations and scientific activities. As an advocacy or lobbying organization for the removal of structural obstacles to development, the organization maintains direct contact with policy-makers important G7 countries. This ONE advertises towards politics for the expansion of proven effective methods to combat extreme poverty and preventable diseases in the poorest countries of the world. A team of developmental experts carries this work as well as a committee of renowned scientists and African personalities. ONE also relies on close cooperation with the longstanding African activists Bono and Bob Geldof and a strong network developmentally interested personalities, which enables the exchange even with very high-level political decision-makers.

In the area of ​​public relations, the organization of a wide range of instruments operated on campaign activities and supporters opened opportunities for participation, eg on participation in online petitions, coordinated telephone campaigns or other activities with which pressure is to be generated on political decision makers. According to the company, the organization has two million voluntary supporters who engage in this fashion world. In the U.S., ONE has also in many parts of the country full-time staff, coordinate the activities of voluntary regional Grassroots supporters for political work with local congressman.

To support the political work of the development policy experts create the organization of scientific studies or enter them into order. Most important study of the organization is the annual DATA Report since 2006.

ONE does not call publicly for donations.

Political demands

The aim is to leaders to remember promises made in the area of ​​poverty reduction, which is why ONE demands a strong political support of the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations and compared with the donor countries continually to be committed to fund development policy according to the pledged at Gleneagles height. The organization remains committed to efficiency gains of existing development policies and calls for the implementation of the Paris Declaration and supporting relevant reform projects on the part of donor countries. Thematic priorities are health, education and the reform of world trade, to reduce structural disadvantages of developing countries. Due to the history of the organization debt relief has traditionally been a further focus.

ONE also emphasizes efforts to improve the rule of law, accountability and transparency in developing countries to ensure that strategies to eliminate poverty sustainably implemented.

Known supporters

Besides the well known African activists Bono (U2) and Bob Geldof supports a wide range of internationally- known personalities work of ONE. So the Nobel Peace Prize and former South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu serves as international patron. In Germany, among others, Katja Riemann, Jan Josef Liefers, Benno Fürmann, Jana Pallaske, Michael Mittermeier Meier, Minh - Khai Phan - Thi, Rea Garvey and Chernomorets Jobatey set for a ONE. The organization stresses but not to be a celebrity campaign, but strongly rely on the commitment of voluntary supporters.

Criticism

Co-founder Bono (U2 ) is already frequently been criticized because it taxed a portion of its revenue held in Ireland in the Netherlands, where he has to pay only a fraction of the Irish taxes, but at the same time, the industrialized countries in the context of ONE to increase their development aid prompts.