Press Release - May 17, 2004

PHILADELPHIA - Activists including Dikembe Mutombo of the New York Knicks and representing the NBA, Grammy award winning Christian musician Michael W. Smith, religious leaders, and rock star Bono held a rally in front of Independence Hall Sunday to launch the "ONE" campaign, a new effort to rally Americans and encourage political leaders to help fight global AIDS and extreme poverty. Even as they gather, politicians in DC are making crucial decisions which may cut money promised for fighting global AIDS and extreme poverty.

They called on Americans to take step ONE and sign the ONE petition at theONEcampaign.org and then make ONE call upon elected leaders to do more.

The ONE campaign will be promoted with the help of a diverse coalition of faith-based and antipoverty groups and through partnerships with AOL, House of Blues, the NBA and other celebrities.

"I'm here drawing attention to the incredible movement of Americans who want to win the fight against global AIDS and extreme poverty. Politicians on both sides need to spot what's happening here in Philly and across America - and get ahead of it - or they'll be left behind. I'm just one noisy rock star, but with one big powerful movement in America for global justice and compassion we can get much more effective assistance to the places that need it and save millions of lives. One by one, building a movement, Americans can achieve this," said Bono, lead singer of U2 and co-founder of DATA.

"Each day, more than 8,000 people die of AIDS and another 14,000 are infected. AIDS has created more than 14 million orphans worldwide," said World Vision President Rich Stearns. "Now is the time for all of us to join together as one and call on Congress and the administration to do more to turn the tide on AIDS and global poverty. That's why World Vision is pleased to support the Better Safer World and the ONE campaign -- we all need to do more to make a "better, more secure world."

"It is time for each of us to be ONE," said Rev. David Beckmann, President of Bread for the World. "I enthusiastically support the ONE campaign because working together, we can be the generation that stands up and says no more shall children in God's world die from hunger; no more will people's lives be shortened by the AIDS pandemic; No more!"

Grammy Award winning recording artist Michael W. Smith came to the ONE campaign launch representing the coalition of top names in the Christian music industry who have become "DATA Artists" committed to fighting AIDS and poverty worldwide.

"It is so easy to become distracted and lose sight of really important things. We can't lose focus on the incredible AIDS tragedy in Africa. I'm pleased to be in Philly doing whatever I can to help the ONE campaign draw awareness. One by one, we can all make a difference. " Smith said.

Mutombo, born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is building the first new hospital there in 40 years.

"Building a health care center in Africa is one way to make a difference, but it's not the only way. I support the ONE campaign because all change starts with the power of one, and step one is to sign the petition. All of these individual efforts will build a movement of Americans to fight global AIDS and poverty," Mr. Mutombo said.

The ONE campaign is a new effort by Americans to rally Americans -- ONE by ONE -- to fight global AIDS and extreme poverty. The ONE campaign will recruit Americans everywhere we gather -- in churches and synagogues, on the Internet and college campuses, at community meetings and concerts. It will be promoted with the help of a diverse coalition of faith-based and antipoverty groups, celebrity spokespeople as well as corporate partnerships with AOL, House of Blues, and the NBA, and by local ONE Campaign organizers. The goal of the campaign is to show the steps people can take, ONE by ONE, to fight global AIDS and extreme poverty, and show the tremendous good dedicating ONE percent more of the US budget to effective assistance could achieve in the poorest countries.

The first step is to sign the online petition at theONEcampaign.org which will allow Americans to show our leaders that we want to do more to respond to the crisis.