Statement by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson Praising ONE Campaign, Calls for a Marshall Plan for the 21st Century

SANTA FE, NM -- Democratic Presidential candidate Governor Bill Richardson released the following statement today, praising the ONE campaign and calling for a sustained effort to eradicate poverty in the developing world:

"Millions dead from disease in the developing world, mothers who go to bed hungry every night, children who have never seen the inside of a classroom -- this is our burden. Our belief is that we can and must do better.

"I am proud to support the ONE campaign in its efforts to alleviate suffering and transform the developing world. Accomplishing these goals will require an enduring will and an abiding faith in the dignity of every human being. I am confident that we will be successful.

"As a former UN Ambassador and a diplomat, I know that just as poverty-stricken neighborhoods produce crime, poverty-stricken states produce terrorism. Ending world poverty is thus not only a moral imperative, it is vital to the security of the United States. ONE's specific targets -- fighting HIV/AIDS, improving education, providing housing, ensuring the health of mothers and children, and providing safe, clean water -- are critical for the developing world and America alike. Our next President must actively support these goals at home and abroad.

"We need a Marshall Plan for the 21st century. Developed nations, public organizations, and private companies must coordinate a sustained, focused, intensive effort to wipe out the developing world's most pressing problems. The original Marshall Plan lifted Europe from the ravages of war and established the United States as the dominant economic player in the world. I believe that during the coming century, our nation's economic security -- and the security of the world economy -- depends on replicating that success in the developing world.

"I applaud the ONE campaign for beginning the hard work that the world community must collectively finish. Only if we can work together will we have the strength to solve this problem."