Philanthropists, Politicians, Pop Stars

06 Feb 2002
Philanthropists Politicians Pop Stars
Philanthropists Politicians Pop Stars
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They didn't want Bono on The Oprah Winfrey Show talking about debtrelief, writes Jennifer Barrett of Newsweek.

He was probably the only participant at the World Economic Forum'sconference who wore matching silver hoop earrings and blue-tinted shades.But if Bono diverged from the corporate and political leaders attending themeeting in his choice of attire (and profession), he found common ground inhis choice of subject-matter.

The Irish superstar and debt-relief activist sat between U.S.Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates and formerMexican President Ernesto Zedillo during a standing-room only session onSaturday to discuss third world development
Bono said he finally began approaching politicians last year becausehe couldn't get on TV. "I learned they don't want me on Oprah Winfrey talking about debtrelief...It's more difficult than you might imagine to get attention tothese issues; hence, the unusual juxtapositions," he said, gesturing atGates, who sat beside him in wire-rimmed glasses and a navy-blue suit.

Despite their differences, the panelists seemed eager to alignthemselves with the singer in his push for wealthier countries to committhemselves to alleviating poverty and health problems in the Third World."Now is the time," said Gates. "I hope governments see this as the turningpoint."

Even O'Neill, who defended the Bush administration's reluctance tosubstantially increase foreign-development aid, referred to Bono as "my goodfriend" and agreed that the United States should help close the gap withpoorer countries. "If we want to do something really important, we need tohelp every society in the world to become an income-producing mechanism,"said O'Neill. "We have an in-between question of how do we provide potablewater and elementary education and HIV treatment and healthcare. But theessential question is: how do we help people create the circumstances sothat they become instruments of economic-generation and wealthaccumulation?"

For Gates, the first step is keeping them alive and healthy. Thebillionaire urged the United States to increase the amount it is spending onhealth programs in developing countries from $6 to $40 a person, enough tocover vaccinations for all children in developing nations and save the livesof millions each year who are dying from diseases that are treatable orvaccinated against in countries like the United States.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - the largest in the world withits $24.2-billion asset base - has placed its focus primarily on improvinghealthcare and increasing immunizations in developing countries fromThailand to Tanzania. On Saturday, Gates announced that the foundation wouldaward $50 million in new grants to help prevent the spread of HIV, the virusthat causes AIDS. Cases of AIDS have decreased in the developed world. But15 million Africans have died of the disease and another 25 million Africansare now HIV-positive, threatening to make 40 million children orphans by2010
"It's an everyday holocaust there," said Bono. "These people are toopoor to get out of poverty."

More on this story at www.msnbc.com

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Bono, Highlights , Interviews , TV
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