ONE Campaign Rooted In Arkansas Connections

Michael Elliott, CEO for the ONE Campaign – an international, bipartisan nonprofit working to eradicate poverty and disease and co-founded by rock star Bono – was in Arkansas last week.

Prior to joining ONE, Elliott served as editor of TIME International, Deputy Managing Editor of TIME Magazine, and was also a columnist on the global economy for Fortune magazine.

ONE was founded in 2004 to work with political leaders on the issue of poverty and preventable disease through policies. It is not a grant making organization; instead, it seeks to influence public policy to target foreign aid and foreign aid decisions.

In that respect, there are several Arkansas organizations, such as the Winrock Foundation, Heifer International and the Clinton Global Initiative, with which it works.

And, ONE’s U.S. advisory board includes former U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln  (D) and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (R). Huckabee’s daughter, Sarah, is the ONE Vote 2012 campaign director and Little Rock resident Tyler Denton, a Democratic candidate for Pulaski County Quorum Court, is the Events and Trips Director for ONE.

Talk Business executive editor Roby Brock sat down with Elliott to discuss the group’s mission and its multiple Arkansas connections. Elliott also discussed the organization’s biggest accomplishments and challenges and how he views the outcome of this year’s Presidential election could influence future foreign aid policy decisions.

You can listen here to the full interview, which aired on our NPR partner stations across Arkansas this week.