Bono In Africa
Debt-relief foes in Congress have warned that the benefits of debt cancellation would never reach the poor. We found the opposite. In each country that we visited on this trip – Malawi, Uganda, Ghana – the government is pursuing a meticulous and transparent process to ensure that budgetary savings from debt relief are actually channeled into urgent social sectors. The problem is not waste or corruption, the problem is that the extent of help from the United States and Europe is so meager in the face of the enormous crisis.
A piece about AIDS in Africa by Bono’s current brother-in-arms, Harvard economist Jeffrey Sachs. The piece goes on to mention a solo performance by Bono of ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’ in Malawi last February, during one of his fact-finding missions. (Thanks to our anonymous tipster)
Lunch with Satan
The Guardian explains how Bono wooed Washington, and Bono comments on the threat of losing his street cred: “Edge was pleading with me not to hang out with the conservatives. He said, ‘You’re not going to have a picture with George Bush?’ I said I’d have lunch with Satan if there was so much at stake.”
On the other side of the pond The Voice of the Turtle – an online journal of left-wing politics and culture, is running a Bono ‘Pro and Con‘ piece.
Who’s reading whose lips now?
AP: President Bush has proposed a three-year, $5 billion program to provide aid for developing nations. Cause Bono told him to. We can but grin, shake our heads in disbelief and mumble ‘jaysus, it’s surreal, so it is’.
{ The leader of the free world, and Mr Bush on their return to the White House from the Inter-American Development Bank }
WEF TV
Macphisto.net have uploaded ten minutes of fantastic footage of Bono addressing the World Economic Forum delegates, captured from German TV. Hear him speak out on Oprah Winfrey, Paul O’Neill, his recent trip to Africa, AIDS activism… it’s all there, and it’s all coherent (!). (stream / download)
He Is The World (Economic Forum)
Bono has certainly been making his presence known at this week’s controversial World Economic Forum meeting in New York City. A quick Yahoo! News search turns up several new articles and photos, and such surprising tidbits as a joint press conference with Bill Gates (where the man Bono dubbed “the pope of software” pledged $40 million to African AIDS relief) and this memorable quote: The lead singer of best-selling Irish rock band U2 has lent an air of popular legitimacy and urgency to this week’s gathering of the world’s rich and powerful that prime ministers and top corporate chieftains only wish they could attract. Screw the world leaders; it’s all about the pop stars.
Bono to meet African leaders
Bono will be attending the Southern African Development Community (SADC) next Monday in Blantyre, Malawi. He will be lobbying regional leaders to use debt relief to fight poverty and AIDS. [ source: Irish Times ]
The BBC reports on it too.
Debt Relief: Voice of Dissent
William Easterly, senior advisor in the Development Research Group at the World Bank, speaks out against debt relief, starting out his piece in ‘Foreign Policy’ with ‘Sorry Bono, but debt relief is not new.’
BONO, THE GRADUATES’ CHOICE
Harvard’s website reports on Bono’s Class Day Speech on June 6. [ thanks to Allard ]
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