I can’t believe only a month ago we were leaving the Action Lab and making our way back to the crazy, exciting lives that Oaktree volunteers lead. Study, work, meetings, friends, family, emails, phone calls, events, socialising, sleep (?); all in a day’s work for those with a passion to make our world a better place.
The Tasmanian Action Lab delegation jumped straight to work and straight onto Facebook, beginning our 40 day campaign by befriending our campaign targets. We then set about putting into action the campaign timeline we had devised at the Action Lab. 
In week one we researched our targets and refined our plans before we began to make real contact with our political targets in week two. This was done by calling their offices to express our support for the Coalition maintaining their commitment to giving 0.5% in gross national income by 2015. We were delighted to be told that both Senators were completely committed to their party’s policy, but continued campaigning none-the-less.
Week three, four and five built on our initial success. We sent letters to their offices, continued gathering signatures on our online petition and visited and captured support from nursing homes, schools, universities, churches, youth groups and other Make Poverty History partners. We sent our personal stories through letters and photos to our Senators, letting them know why we, ordinary Australians, care so much about ending extreme poverty. We also wrote Letters to the Editor and I was lucky enough to have the following published:
We live in an interesting world where 2 billion people, largely from developed countries, will tune into a televised wedding and all the surrounding hype. Meanwhile another 1.4 billion people in our world are living in extreme poverty, fighting a daily battle of life or death. This is a reality that, unlike the royal wedding, we often ignore. I urge the Government and Opposition to honour the vow that Australia has taken and reflect in the May budget, and Shadow Budget, their commitment to giving 0.5% of Gross National Income in foreign aid by 2015.
With the budget next week we are reaching the peak of our campaign. This week will be spent delivering our petitions to our targets and to the public at our ‘Arrive at 0.5, Headin’ to 0.7′ event to be held in Hobart on Saturday. The event will be a celebration of the campaign, the fabulous work being done by all of Oaktree Tasmania and (fingers crossed) a warm up to the celebrations that will follow an increase in foreign aid at the budget on May 10.
Wow what an inspiration! Go budget