Bono’s NAACP 2007 Speech

to the opinionated and unaware comments that ask Bono to put his money/time where his mouth is…

Bono
Twenty million children have gone to school [last year] as a result of resources freed up from debt cancellation. “The world spoke out and the politicians listened,” said Bono, frontman for the ever-popular Irish band U2 and now an outspoken advocate for poverty eradication.

Bono, co-founder of (RED) The project, called “Red,” will market red-themed products from Converse footwear, Gap clothing and Giorgio Armani, as well as a red American Express card to be offered initially only in Britain, as of next month.

Products branded “Red” will include sports shoes, T-shirts and sunglasses — some produced in Africa, some with African materials. A slice of the revenue — numbers vary by company and product — will go to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The ONE Campaign is a non-profit initiative launched by Bono, the singer and social activist, to raise the voices of citizens to combat AIDS and poverty in Africa. The ONE campaign is a new effort by Americans to rally Americans — ONE by ONE — to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. The ONE Campaign is engaging Americans through a diverse coalition of faith-based and anti-poverty organizers to show the steps people can take to fight global AIDS and poverty. By joining the ONE Campaign, people will have the opportunity to make a difference, to commit themselves — one person, one voice, one vote at a time — to make a better, safer world for all.

Time magazine has named Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and rock star Bono as its “Persons of the Year” for 2005. All three won the illustrious accolade for their tireless commitment to public health and poverty relief and for their personal sacrifices and involvement in humanitarian issues, despite having their own glittering and mega-successful careers. They collectively attempted to eradicate disease and poverty in Africa and alleviate the effects of the devastating calamities that too frequently plague the continent. Editor-at-large Nancy Gibbs said Time wanted to honor the three “for being shrewd about doing good, for rewiring politics and re-engineering justice, for making mercy smarter and hope strategic, and then daring the rest of us to follow”.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the world’s wealthiest charity. It has a whopping $29 billion endowment, about 60 percent of which goes towards public health needs. Irish rocker Bono helped persuade world leaders at July’s G8 summit to double aid to Africa to $50 billion a year by 2010 and erase the debt of the 18 poorest African countries. He also helped arrange the “Live 8” musical and charity extravaganzas with fellow campaigner and philanthropist Sir Bob Geldof. Bono told Time about Bill Gates’ business acumen and his ability to save and change lives. He said: “When an Irish rock star starts talking about it, people go, yeah yeah…But when Bill Gates says you can fix malaria in 10 years, they know he’s done a few spreadsheets.”

this is the tip of the iceberg.. What have YOU done to fight poverty, injustice, prejudice, world economic inequity ?????

Bravo Bono

HE IS TOTALLY AN AWESOME AWESOME MAN. IT IS THIS TYPE OF PEOPLE WHO YOU LOOK UP TO FOR NOT SHOWING OFF THEIR POWER TO DO THE WORLD JUSTICE. HE HAS BEEN DOING HUMANITARIN WORK SINCE I CAN REMEMBER 25 YEARS AND NEVER REALLY KNEW IT TIL THE ARTICLE CAME OUT IN TIME MAG W/ BILL GATES. YOU ROCK BONO.

Shitstirrer: Ireland is one of the wealthiest countries in Europe. Per capita GDP is higher than UK, Germany, France or Italy. Try doing some research… idiot!