Bono's address: U2 singer Bono has pleaded with the world's newspapers to devote more space and resources to the issues of AIDS in Africa and Third World debt.
At the World Association of Newspapers conference in Dublin yesterday, the singer in a highly emotional speech said the newspaper business was about "story-telling" and the defining story of this generation was the AIDS crisis in Africa.
He said a rock star championing causes such as AIDS was an "awkward one". "It's an awkward image, a rich, spoilt-rotten rock star with a starving child, begging for his life. It makes me feel very uncomfortable."
He said 7,000 Africans were dying each day from AIDS and $1 was all that was needed to save each one of them. He said before newspapers wrote off him and his supporters, he asked that editors and reporters think about the messages behind the campaigns.
He thanked the media for giving extensive coverage up to now. "When I've got a point to make, you help me," he said. "People say facts speak for themselves, they don't. They have to be put into a shape. Explained. Newspapers do a great job in story-telling. They turn statistics into people," he said.
Bono said just as civil rights was the defining issue of the 1960s, AIDS in Africa would be the defining issue of the new century. "An accident of longitude or latitude should not decide whether your child lives or dies. AIDS is a treatable disease," he said.
Quoting the founder of CNN, Mr Ted Turner, the singer said the media should not just report facts, but also propose solutions.
He said the media should be tackling issues like debt cancellation, fixing unfair trade rules and getting drugs for people in poorer regions.
Bono congratulated the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, for Ireland's recent allocation towards eliminating TB, malaria and AIDS. He said unlike a lot of countries, the Republic's €13 million came in on time. "We are very appreciative of that".
Bono said politicians around the world were prepared to meet him and while George Bush was initially reluctant, he came through when he recently announced a $15 billion fund to tackle AIDS in Africa and related issues. He said it was now up to the EU to match that and Jacques Chirac and Tony Blair were "trying to search the coffers of the EU" to come up with the money.
Bono emphasised this point later. "The EU had better match it. The US money is conditional on it being matched by the EU." He said the war on terror was bound up with the war on poverty and the best way to deal with potential terrorism was to devote money to impoverished regions of Africa and elsewhere. "Peace is expensive but war is even more expensive."