Bono And Africa

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Bono embraces his ‘inner nerd’ at a TED event recently quoting “Exit the rock star, enter the evidence based activist, The Factivist” when he gave an enlightening fact filled speech on the journey we have taken over 3000 years campaigning against inequality and poverty and the part technology is now playing to bridge the gap and bring the finish line to eradicating these ‘diseases’ within sight.

Bono, born Paul David Hewson, lead singer of U2, Irish, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, knight, humanitarian,venture capitalist and avid supporter of all men being created equal and therefore all men having the right to be treated as such.

His passion for music began in 1976 when him and his friends at school answered an ad to form a rock band. After the band finally decided that Bono was no good as a guitarist and he should maybe sing instead, U2 was born and Bono has written the lyrics for almost all of the band songs since. After going through what was recognised as the ‘rebellious stage’ and the ‘political anger and rage’ stage the tone of U2s music changed and become profoundly personal inspired by the individual band members experiences in their private as well as professional lives. U2s music has continued to inspire through the years with the themes of their music ranging from personal tragedy to political storms and outright cries for help for humanity.

Bono became inspired to begin his campaigning to help impoverished countries (mainly in Africa) after he performed at Live Aid in 1985 and went travelling Ethiopia with his wife, Ali, where they spent several weeks helping out with a famine relief project. The experience left Bono with a steely resolve for change which has led to the formation of the non-profit organisation ‘One’, DATA (Debt, Aids, Trade, Africa), RED and EDUN, all of which contribute in some way to the uplifting of and empowering of the African people and the eradication of diseases and poverty in that country.

Bono is the most recognised celebrity and philanthropic performer in the world and his contributions and ability to inspire action from both the political world and the musical one is not only legendary but also effective. As Bono released his inner nerd at a TED event this past February 2013 in California and relayed factoids upon the crowd it became very evident that all the hard work done has paid off in exponential dividends!

The development and implementation of information sharing devices over the years have been able to help build a powerful momentum that is benefiting millions to the point where humanities long slow journey to equality is actually speeding up. The facts:

• Since 2000 (turn of the century) there are 8 million more aids patients receiving the life saving antiretroviral treatment.
• There are 8 countries in Africa that have had their death rates cut by 75% for Malaria.
• Mortality in children under five years old in down by 2.65 million a year (that is 7256 childrens lives saved per day!).
• The number of people living in back breaking soul crushing poverty had declined from 43% in 1990 to 33% in 2000 to 21% in 2010.

There are of course dangers that can interfere with the progress of this progress, it’s called inertia and it comes in the forms of corruption/inequality/apathy and can only be overturned by momentum which is in the form of technology/transparency/investment. Bono has a message that reverberates through anyone that gets in its way…….’keep doing what we know works and when the obstacles come, and they will, just keep infecting the enemy with this virtuous data based virus we call factivism’. This virus is contagious so infect as many as you can, go out of your way to share it and in doing so you will join the journey of true equality for all.

Bono quoted another inspiring activist Wael Ghonim as he come to the end of his talk: “We are going to win because we don’t understand politics, we are going to win because we don’t play their dirty games, we are going to win because we don’t have a party political agenda, we are going to win because the tears that come from our eyes actually come from our hearts, we are going to win because we’ve dreams and we are willing to stand up for those dreams.”

So, from Bono And Africa……”We are going to win if we do this together as one because the power of the people is so much stronger the people in power!” Watch the whole video below: