The group of amazing people that helped us out in Vancouver during our second night in town. They set the record for total names in one night thus far, getting over 2,400 people to join the Make Poverty History Campaign!
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Vancouver joins the Make Poverty History Campaign!
One of our volutneers signing up Canadians for the Make Poverty History Campaign!
Friday, April 29, 2005
Make Poverty History volunteer signing up U2 fans
Our volunteers last night did a great job, helping us sign up lots of people for the campaign. I got to visit them on their campus yesterday morning, and explain the campaign and our outreach efforts on the tour to them. They were very excited to get involved, and our night one crew was awesome - we are really looking forward to working with tonights group!
Vancouver Make Poverty History volunteers
Our night one crew of volunteers in Vancouver was one of the coolest groups of people we have worked with yet.
They are all undergrad engineering students at the University of British Columbia - which meant that me and my staff immediately asked them to put together some Ikea stools and boxes we had bought for our tables that we had been afraid to assemble! In record time, they had everything put together (take that Ikea!) and still had enough energy to help us sign up over 1900 people for the Make Poverty History Campaign.
They are a campus based branch of the Make Poverty History campaign and do all sorts of outreach on campus and in their community. It's awesome to meet and work with such a great group of people, and we are hoping to work with them again in the near future!
They are all undergrad engineering students at the University of British Columbia - which meant that me and my staff immediately asked them to put together some Ikea stools and boxes we had bought for our tables that we had been afraid to assemble! In record time, they had everything put together (take that Ikea!) and still had enough energy to help us sign up over 1900 people for the Make Poverty History Campaign.
They are a campus based branch of the Make Poverty History campaign and do all sorts of outreach on campus and in their community. It's awesome to meet and work with such a great group of people, and we are hoping to work with them again in the near future!
Call Paul! 613 992-4211
In the states, we have a text message campaign, where Bono asks everyone to text message their name to UNITE (86483) to show their support and join the ONE campaign. In Canada, the push is to get everyone to call Prime Minister Paul Martin and urge him to commit .7% of Canada's federal budget to go towards foreign aid. Here is what www.makepovertyhistory.ca has to say:
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"I'm going to be the biggest pain in his ass"
That's what Bono warned one year ago if Paul Martin didn't follow through on his promise to commit Canada to set a timetable for achieving 0.7 per cent allocation of Gross National Income to foreign aid.
Guess what? A few days ago, Paul Martin decided to back away from that promise - and Bono's not happy. On CBC Radio this weekend, Bono encouraged all Canadians to call Paul to pressure him to keep his promise:
"I want to give Canada his phone number. If anyone's listening, I would call Paul. It's 613 992-4211."
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Bono made the same request last night as well, and thousands of U2 fans took out their cell phone on the spot and made the call to the Prime Minister, which was very cool! Many more took the flyers we had made as well, urging their friends and family to make the same call.
I get to listen to the show and Bono talk about the campaign every night, and last night in particular, I was really struck by his emphasis on the fact that this NEEDS to be the generation that has to decide that enough is enough. Frustration can sometimes be the greatest catalyst for change, and realizing how ridiculous it is to let thousands of people suffer and die every day when that can easily be stopped - to stop people dying from STUPID poverty that can be prevented - might be what it takes to get the rest of the western world to move, what it takes to make my generation and those that came right before and after me to take action.
We need your voice and your support - it is so simple for us to make such a huge difference in the lives of those around the rest of the world and yet so many here and in my own country don't realize the power that their voice, that their frustration and anger combined with compassion, carries. Hopefully, us doing this work on this campaign will help to make thousands more realize that they already have the tools they need to change the world for the better.
And don't forget to call Paul. Never under estimate the power of thousands of U2 fans with their cell phones in hand.
Canadian U2 fans fight poverty
We got 1,914 Canadian's to join the campaign to Make Poverty History last night, no small feat, considering that is one of the biggest nights we have had yet on the Vertigo tour! Though we are quite happy with last nights results, we are hoping we can blow away that number tonight and break 2,000, which would allow us to head back to the states knowing we did our part to Canada to fight poverty.
Make Poverty History - Lokahi goes to 'Canadia'
We were invited to help out our One Campaign counterparts up in Canada, which we were eager to do! After having a very 'lively discussion' with Canadian border patrol, we found our way into Vancouver Wednesday night, and were eager to get to work!
Our Canadian friends up here have a great campaign going, with lots of support on campuses and in communities throughout the country. The campaign here and around most of the world is called Make Poverty History. You can learn more about what they are doing at http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/. We want to thank Pam, Ann-Marie and Kristen for being so generous in allowing us to take part in their campaign, and for providing us with some awesome volunteers!
Our Canadian friends up here have a great campaign going, with lots of support on campuses and in communities throughout the country. The campaign here and around most of the world is called Make Poverty History. You can learn more about what they are doing at http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/. We want to thank Pam, Ann-Marie and Kristen for being so generous in allowing us to take part in their campaign, and for providing us with some awesome volunteers!
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Seattle joins as ONE
Be sure you visit our booths at any U2 show - sign the Declaration and wear the white band, as these Seattle fans are doing!
Seattle U2 fans join the ONE campaign in mass!
More people signing the Declaration to make poverty history in Seattle! Sunday (4/24) night we were able to get a record 1,940 people to sign the Declaration (not counting those that signed via the text message campaign). Then, last night (Monday 4/25) we broke our own record, having our biggest night yet, getting 2026 people to sign the Declaration in a single night! Thanks to everyone in Seattle that was so supportive of our campaign, and all of our volunteers for all of their hard work in helping us to make that happen. That puts us at 3,966 people that signed the ONE Declaration with us at U2 shows in Seattle alone, and our tour total now stands at 17,096! We are looking forward to breaking our new goal: 3,000 more people pledging their voice to this important campaign with us in our booths at one U2 show. Chicago, are you listening?
Seattle U2 night two
Seattle U2 fans sign the ONE Declaration with us Monday night...joining the Declaration shows your support for the campaign, and means that we are more effective when it comes to lobbying both the US as well as other governments to increase aid and change our habits when it comes to dealing with poverty and disease around the globe. We are more powerful when we act together as one! You can sign the Declaration with us at our booths at any U2 show, or sign up online at www.one.org.
Seattle U2 ONE supporters
Some of those that joined the ONE Campaign with us night two of U2 in Seattle. Notice that they are both wearing their white one bands which are available with us at any U2 show this year...
Monday, April 25, 2005
Seattle night one volunteers
We had a great group of volunteers our first night in Seattle! Myself and my crew want to thank each and every one of them! Ocean and Arlene Williams are DATA volunteers that work with regional coordinator Tersita, while the rest of the crew: Brad Stave, David Carothers, Penny Gruener, Emily Gackle and Amanda Carlson are affiliated with World Vision, an organization that is a part of the ONE Campaign. World Vision (http://www.worldvision.org/) is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. During the 4.24 Seattle show, Bono mentioned a few special people being in the audience, one of whom was World Vision's Steve Reynolds, of whom he has said in the past "Honestly, there is no chance that I would be doing this stuff if he hadn't asked me to make a journey that changed my life forever" (http://www.worldvision.org.uk/worldviewarchive/worldview45.html). Bono also thanked Bill and Melinda Gates for their continued support of the One Campaign.
Signing up in Seattle...
DATA volunteer Arlene Williams talks to ONE supporters and U2 fans in Seattle Sunday night. Together, our four Lokahi staff members and seven volunteers got a record number of sign ups last night!
Carlos in Seattle
Lokahi staff member Carlos Lourenco holds down the booth in his home town of Seattle on Sunday night.
Starting out in Seattle...
This was our total number of signatures through Denver. Night one in Seattle brought us a record 1,940 more voices - (just from our two booths, not counting names and emails of all the people that text messaged!),- people that want to join the campaign to make poverty history. We are hoping we can break the 2,000 mark for the first time tonight! If you haven't joined the ONE Campaign already, please do so - go to www.one.org or join with us at any U2 show this year!
Saturday, April 23, 2005
A little late getting started... Seattle, WA
We are here in Seattle right now, in what could be described as our first day off since the start of the U2 tour nearly four weeks ago, if we were really taking the day off. Instead, I'm using this time to finally update our blog and website to fill everyone in on exactly what we have been up to these last few crazy weeks...
Here is what has happened so far in an nutshell: Over the first 12 dates of this tour, we've gotten over 13,500 people to join the One Campaign (www.one.org) by signing the declaration and picking up literature and information from one of the two booths we have had and will have on each date of the U2 Vertigo tour this spring. Those 13,500 are people that have stopped by with us - thousands more have also texted their name to UNITE and joined the campaign via their cell phones. We've also distributed nearly 30,000 of the white ONE bands that show your support for the campaign to make poverty history. If you'd like one, again, stop by and see us at any U2 show this spring - they are a $1 donation and a great way to spread the word.
It's been exciting to take part in a campaign such as this, and even more exciting to see that our efforts are making an impact - we get to meet amazing people every single night that want to take the message of the ONE Campaign to everyone they know, taking stacks of our literature to pass out on their own, loading up on the white ONE band, ready to donate their time to us to make a difference.
The 'background music' we hear as we do our work each night hasn't been too bad either, we have gotten a chance to work with some awesome volunteers across the country that we can’t wait to talk about, and have already had our fair share of ‘on the road adventures and near disasters’ but more on all of that later...
Here is what has happened so far in an nutshell: Over the first 12 dates of this tour, we've gotten over 13,500 people to join the One Campaign (www.one.org) by signing the declaration and picking up literature and information from one of the two booths we have had and will have on each date of the U2 Vertigo tour this spring. Those 13,500 are people that have stopped by with us - thousands more have also texted their name to UNITE and joined the campaign via their cell phones. We've also distributed nearly 30,000 of the white ONE bands that show your support for the campaign to make poverty history. If you'd like one, again, stop by and see us at any U2 show this spring - they are a $1 donation and a great way to spread the word.
It's been exciting to take part in a campaign such as this, and even more exciting to see that our efforts are making an impact - we get to meet amazing people every single night that want to take the message of the ONE Campaign to everyone they know, taking stacks of our literature to pass out on their own, loading up on the white ONE band, ready to donate their time to us to make a difference.
The 'background music' we hear as we do our work each night hasn't been too bad either, we have gotten a chance to work with some awesome volunteers across the country that we can’t wait to talk about, and have already had our fair share of ‘on the road adventures and near disasters’ but more on all of that later...
Friday, April 22, 2005
Denver volunteers
Laura and Sara, two of our Denver volutneers hang out in the ONE Campaign booth with Lokahi's own Preston and Mary.
Denver joins the ONE Campaign
Shel Hume, one of our Denver volunteers, helps us get Denver natives to join the One Campaign.
Denver volunteers
Shane Smith, Brooklyn and Justin Burns were three of our volunteers night two in Denver. The guys are high school friends whom had a 'friendly competition' going, seeing who get more to join the One Campaign. We think Shane won, but don't tell Justin that...
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Denver volunteers
Denver volunteers helping us out on night one, where we got some 1200 names of those that signed the ONE Declaration!
Carlos in Denver
Lokahi's Carlos Lourenco in Denver, proving he is indeed the 'King of the white ONE bands'. White bands are available in our booths and at the merch booths at any U2 show for a $1.00 donation.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Madison Elementary joins us as ONE
In addition to our concert outreach, Lokahi also runs other outreach programs for our non-profit partners, and our own voter education and after school programs (www.turningtables.org). I develop the curriculum and teach in these after school programs myself, and recently we presented a several week long curriculum to our students at Madison Elementary School in Pasadena, CA about poverty and disease around the world and what they as kids could do to help (check out www.turningtables.org for more info and for the soon to be published curriculum!). I also used this lesson to explain to them why I would be in and out over the next few weeks - they love their other teachers from Lokahi/Turning Tables but are always bummed when I leave to work on a tour for a while! - and as a gift I gave them all a ONE band and explained the importance to them. They were very excited and are still wearing the bands every day (albeit they are sticky and dirty by now...) and are eager to continue to work and help in their own capacity on the campaign.
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Brett and Lisa
Brett Young, an old friend of mine that I hadn't seen in forever, and his girlfriend Lisa Marek rounded out our crew of volunteers in San Jose, helping us have one of our biggest nights ever, with over 1600 people joining the ONE Campaign in a single night!
Made it to the bombshelter...
The 'bombshelter' is also known as that circle area on the floor between the main stage and the cat walk at U2 shows that requires a most special wristband aquired only through the most special means to get in. San Jose volunteers Lauri Saltveit and Jennifer Turner not only did an incredible job helping us set up our booths and got lots of people to join the ONE Campaign, but while watching the show from the back of the floor in their ONE shirts, they were spotted by U2 manager Paul McGuinness, whom gave them the wristbands to the bombshelter as a token of appreciation for their help. Needless to say, they were quite happy by nights end: they did an awesome job for an important campaign AND got a once in a lifetime chance to see U2 up close and personal! They wanted me to say thanks to Mr. McGuinness as well, which I had a chance to do the following night.
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
The two Christina's
Christina and Cristinia helped us out at Staples Center in LA where they signed up lots of people for the ONE Campaign AND they got to meet Brad Pitt on the floor during the show, which just goes to show that volunteering with us is pretty much the coolest thing you'll do all year!
Volunteer Michael gets people to join...
Volunteer Michael Abe got lots of people to join the One Campaign during his two nights of volunteering. After his first night, he also learned that wearing flip flops while working a show wasn't all that hot of an idea...
Jamie and me in LA
My friend Jamie came to help out in LA at night two at Staples, and is going to use her vacation time from her regular job to come hang out and work with us at the east coast shows, so be sure you stop by and say 'hi' to her!
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
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