Came across an ad for the One Campaign today. Generally I don't pay much attention to pop-ups or ads I see online for relief agencies...I tend to stick with more of the grassroots, local folks. Perhaps its a bit of skepticism or doubt, as to the legitimacy or intentions of superstars sitting with AIDS babies for photos. Maybe some of it is due to the accessibility of the grassroots campaigns.

Either way, I gave the One Campaign 15 minutes of my time today and became really intrigued. So much so that I signed their delcaration and put a banner on the sidebar of this site. I encourage you to give them a good reading. They do draw in a wide (and I do mean wide) array of celebrities. They also have the now-popular wristband deal going on. Impressingly, their founders are very well-respected Christian (like World Vision and Bread for the World) and non-Christian agencies.

But what really drew my attention was that they have a plan. A goal. They're aiming high, way high to be sure. They're not just saying they want to fight global poverty and AIDS. The One Campaign is going right at the leaders of the richest and strongest nations (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) at the G8 Summit in Scotland this week.

How specific is their goal you ask? I won't go into all of it because One.org does all that. But, they do make a convicting stand: they're asking that the U.S. direct an additional 1 percent of its budget towards the basic needs of those in the poorest countries. Why 1%? Call me naive or too idealistic, but it seems feasible to me. Could be due to the fact that President Bush's proposed budget for the next year includes a nearly 5% increase in spending for the Department of Defense, which would be $419 billion. Or maybe its because Bush is finding it necessary to cut $500 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making its budget a whopping $4 billion. Either way, seems like 1% wouldn't be too hard to find somewhere.

Further, the One Campaign is asking the leaders of the richest countries in the world this week to to give more and better aid, to cancel the debts of poorest countries, and reform trade rules so that poor countries can earn sustainable incomes. A theme found in Jim Wallis' God's Politcs, I certainly back the call. Aid can always be increased. The debt that the poorest nations take on is so ridiculous that it throws them into a harsh and viscious cycle that promises to keep them in poverty. And current trade laws do that for the very people living in those countries!

So, if you get the chance, visit the site. Read through it. As easy as it is to claim ignorance, we really shouldn't...and can't for that matter. The One Campaign, at the very least, gives us a starting point.

For more information, listen to NPR's story from this morning.