Beyond Bono

"Where you live in the world should not determine whether you live." Bono

The first I heard of the One Campaign was when Audrey told me about hearing U2 frontman Bono's plea to the 2005 TED conference , a meeting of the brightest and best thought leaders in the world. He was that year's recipient of three wishes granted by TED attendees , and he made them all for Africa. It's a powerful speech that I hope you'll bookmark and listen to.

While there's nothing like a celebrity to draw a crowd to a cause, for me it's still about one story at a time, one unique person doing something with his or her own individual gifts -- Jeff Sachs studying the economic failures of the past, Ze Frank considering possibility, Chris Baty getting friends together to write novels and build libraries. One story at a time about people-- who don't have billions or celebrity-- who are creating, connecting, and changing things gets me thinking about what I could do.

So, as much as I love Bono, let me introduce you to another One volunteer, Kelli, someone actually working the One Campaign to end poverty and AIDS. Kelli calls herself a volunteer the way you would say you are a writer or a lawyer. Even though Kelli has a job she supports herself with, it's the volunteering that defines her. She started in high school, traveling with church groups to Mexico and Russia, then to Bolivia while she was in college, teaching children whose mothers were in prison. The cause that touched her longing to help was child advocacy.

Kelli earns money as a lifestyle model (you've probably seen her hand in the ads for iPods, or if you live in California you may have seen her in print ads), but she uses her modeling job mostly to fit around her volunteering -- first with local county child advocates, and then at the One Campaign. At a local charity event she heard about One.org and knew she wanted to help.

What she likes about One is it takes on the human issues of health care, child mortality, poverty, disease, and fair trade all at once -- because they're all connected.

Five months later, Kelli has worked One tables at conferences, political rallies, and local events. She raises awareness about the One Campaign, which depends on her and the other thousands of volunteers to get the word out. She has organized other committed volunteers to participate in local charity sports events and was most proud of the 45-person One team organized for a recent AIDS walk. As she put it, "It's a way to make a difference while I'm here."

When I asked Kelli what the most important message I could give from her to you about the One Campaign, she asked me to ask you to sign the declaration. She said they don't want your money, or even your time (unless it's one of those causes that touches your heart), they just want your voice , your intention, in the campaign against extreme poverty. If you want to do more, click around on the One.org site and see what ideas they have for you, or visit our own HumanKind Challenge #1. And in the meantime, here are those celebrities we all love to add a little support to Kelli's cause:

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