Bono, U2 lead singer and co-founder of ONE Campaign founding partner DATA (debt AIDS trade Africa) joined philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates in being named Time Magazine’s Persons of the Year for2005. Time calls the trio “The Good Samaritans” and in bestowing the honour declares: “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, Bill and Melinda Gates and Bono are TIME’sS Persons of the Year.”

REACTION FROM BONO, U2 LEAD SINGER AND CO-FOUNDER OF DATA:
“I’m flattered, but it’s the millions of campaigners across America, Europe, and abova all, Africa who really deserve this award. They have made this a great year of promise-making to the poor by political leaders, and it is they who, whith back up vocals from the likes of Bill, Melinda and I, will ensure polititians keep their promises.
There’s much more to do, but last year we had no promise of $25 billion in more effective aid for Africa, no commitments to get AIDS drugs to all who need thm, to beat back malaria and put every child in school. The checks have been signed but to cash them it’s going to take a worldwide movement of people who make a priority of the poor. Every generation has its defining struggle its shot at greatness. This is ours.”

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 17th, 2005 at 9:30 am and is filed under The ONE Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.