ONE - The Campaign to Make Poverty History

ONE is Americans of all beliefs and every walk of life – united as ONE – to help make poverty history. We are a campaign of over 2.4 million people and growing from all 50 states and over 100 of America’s most well-known and respected non-profit, advocacy and humanitarian organizations. As ONE, we are asking our leaders to do more to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. ONE believes that allocating more 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 is nonpartisan; there’s only one side in the fight against global AIDS and extreme poverty. Working on the ground in communities, colleges and churches across the United States, ONE members ask America’s leaders to increase efforts to fight global AIDS and extreme poverty, from the U.S. budget and presidential elections to specific legislation on debt cancellation, increasing effective international assistance, making trade fair, and fighting corruption. Everyone can join the fight at ONE.org.

What is The ONE Declaration?

"WE BELIEVE that in the best American tradition of helping others help themselves, now is the time to join with other countries in a historic pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world overcome AIDS and extreme poverty.

WE RECOGNIZE that a pact including such measures as fair trade, debt relief, fighting corruption and directing additional support for basic needs - education, health, clean water, food, and care for orphans - would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the poorest countries, at a cost equal to just one percent more of the US budget.

WE COMMIT ourselves - one person, one voice, one vote at a time - to make a better, safer world for all."

What does ONE aim to do?

ONE aims to help Americans raise their voice as ONE against the emergency of AIDS and extreme poverty, so that decision makers will do more to save millions of lives in the poorest countries.

Who supports ONE?

ONE is a broad movement of Americans from every state and walk of life – more than 2 million people have lent their voices to ONE by visiting ONE.org and signing the ONE Declaration. More than 3 million Americans are also wearing white bands as a show of support for ending extreme poverty and global AIDS. ONE is Americans spreading the word in churches, coffee shops, on television, college campuses and the Internet.

Why does development assistance matter?

Americans have always been a generous people – look at the outpouring of support for the victims of the tsunami, Katrina and 9/11. Yet, most Americans are surprised to learn that only 1.2% of the federal budget is allocated for the international affairs budget, and less than half of that is spent on fighting AIDS and poverty around the world. Surveys show people think we spend over 15%.

By directing more of the U.S. budget to provide for the most basic needs – and fighting the corruption that wastes precious resources – we can help transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the poorest countries. By increasing effective development assistance, we can help enroll 77 million children into grade school; we can help provide water to almost 450 million people around the globe; we can save almost 5.4 million young children from dying of diseases that could be prevented with low-cost measures like vaccinations or a well for clean water.

ONE believes in a new partnership with the world's poorest countries, where increased assistance flows toward improved governance and initiatives with proven track records. Effective development assistance builds goodwill, hope and opportunity in nations where extreme poverty caused desperation, hate and hopelessness to fester. Development assistance increases our homeland security, economic security and builds a better, safer world.

Who is behind ONE?

ONE is a coalition of over 2 million people and over 100 non-profit, advocacy and humanitarian organizations. ONE was founded by 11 of America's most well-known and respected aid groups: Bread for the World, CARE, DATA, International Medical Corps, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, Oxfam America, Plan USA, Save the Children US, World Concern, and World Vision. For the complete list of all coalition partners, please visit our partners page.

ONE is supported by Americans from every state and all ages, religions and walks of life, including such notable people as: Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks, Pat Robertson, Kate Hudson, pastor and author of the Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren, Jamie Foxx, Jars of Clay, Penelope Cruz, Dave Matthews, Salma Hayek, George Clooney, Bill Gates and many, many others.