Green Gardener Wins Contest Seeking Best Ideas for New Administration

The Better World Campaign announced today that Roger Doiron of the website EatTheView.org is the grand prize winner of the OnDayOne.org contest—which collected over 4,000 ideas and nearly 70,000 votes to identify the On Day One community’s top recommendation for the incoming Obama administration.

“Over the past year, people from across the country and political spectrum submitted, debated, and voted on ideas for how the President-elect can renew American leadership in the world On Day One,” said David Harwood, acting Executive Director of the Better World Campaign.

“We are inspired by the thousands of Americans who participated in the On Day One community over the past year, debating ideas related to peace, security, the environment and international cooperation.   After considering thousands of ideas, participants decided that global leadership begins at home – on the White House lawn,” Harwood said.

Roger Doiron’s winning idea recognizes the economic, energy and environmental benefits of local, organic food production.  He proposes creation of a small “Victory Garden” on the White House grounds that would demonstrate the many benefits of local, environmentally-sound food production.

“The White House is ‘America’s House’ and should serve as a model at a time of economic and environmental crisis. By planting an organic, sustainable garden at the White House, the Obamas will lead by example and inspire the collective action needed to tackle interconnected challenges such as of food security, climate change and energy dependence,” Doiron said.

As the winner of the On Day One contest, Doiron, of Scarborough, Maine, will receive round-trip tickets and hotel accommodations to participate in events surrounding the 44th President’s Inaugural Ceremony in Washington, D.C.

OnDayOne.org idea submitters included high-profile individuals such as: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Thomas Pickering, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Mohammed Yunus, Vice President Walter Mondale, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Nominee Carol Browner, Senator Robert Graham, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough, United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, President of Americans for Tax Reform Grover Norquist, and former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, among others.

The Better World Campaign will deliver to the President-elect’s team Doiron’s idea, along with eight of the other highest-ranked user-submitted ideas about how to restore U.S. standing in the world. That “Top 9 for ’09” list also includes suggestions about pursuing the global common good, fighting the roots of terrorism, and committing to global nuclear disarmament.

For more information, visit www.ondayone.org.

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The Better World Campaign (BWC), an initiative of the Better World Fund, works to strengthen the relationship between the United States and the United Nations.  It encourages U.S. leadership to enhance the UN’s ability to carry out its invaluable international work on behalf of peace, progress, freedom, and justice.  For more information and to see the winning video, visit www.BetterWorldCampaign.org.