Human Rights Day and the “ONE” Campaign

By Lillian Kwon, Christian Post

On Human Rights Day, Dec. 10, three states and 32 cities across the nation will unite together with the signature white wrist bands to join the poverty and AIDS fighting ONE Campaign.

This Saturday will mark the last of three ONE “White Band Days” of 2005, when people from across the globe will ask leaders to do more to make poverty history. The white band that has been seen on celebrities, faith leaders and the general public will unite people across the nation as one voice fighting against global poverty.

States joining the campaign are Iowa, Connecticut and Illinois along with 32 cities, including Cleveland, Ohio; Hartford, Conn.; Hollywood, Fla.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Nashville, Tenn.; Portland, Ore.; San Francisco, Calif.; and Seattle, Wash.

Founded by 11 of the nation’s most well-known organizations such as Bread for the World, CARE, Medical Corps and World Vision, the ONE Campaign now has the support of over two million Americans.

With millions of wrists adorned in white bands, White Band Day will be observed on college campuses and major cities with local and national events to celebrate the united voice and speak out for the thousands infected with HIV/AIDS and the thousands starving everyday.

White Band Day comes a little over a week after the world made major efforts to spread awareness and take action on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1. The worsening pandemic has increasingly mobilized the world, including the church community, to remove the stigma and do something about the 40.3 million people who are living with HIV and the millions more who are newly infected each year.

The 30,000-membered Saddleback Church recently held its historic HIV/AIDS Conference, breaking the church silence on the inevitable crisis and breaking church grounds to move into action.

“The Campaign to Make Poverty History” is a new effort by Americans to rally Americans – ONE by ONE – to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. ONE believes that allocating an additional ONE percent of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the world’s poorest countries. ONE also calls for debt cancellation, trade reform and anti-corruption measures in a comprehensive package to help Africa and the poorest nations beat AIDS and extreme poverty.