Bono honored the passing of politician and activist Robert Sargent Shriver, who died on Tuesday, with a heartfelt editorial in today’s issue of the New York Times. Through his work and friendship with Bobby Shriver (cofounder of ONE), Bono knew Mr. Shriver and was inspired by his determination to change the world “more than a few times.”
Read an excerpt from his piece:
“In the background, but hardly in the shadows, was Robert Sargent Shriver. A diamond intelligence, too bright to keep in the darkness. He was not Robert or Bob, he was Sarge, and for all the love in him, he knew that love was a tough word. Easy to say, tough to see it through. Love, yes, and peace, too, in no small measure; this was the ’60s but you wouldn’t know it just by looking at him. No long hair in the Shriver house, or rock ’n’ roll. He and his beautiful bride, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, would go to Mass every day — as much an act of rebellion against brutal modernity as it was an act of worship. Love, yes, but love as a brave act, a bold act, requiring toughness and sacrifice…
Bobby Shriver — Sarge’s oldest son — and I co-founded three fighting units in the war against global poverty: DATA, ONE and (RED). We may not yet know what it will take to finish the fight and silence suffering in our time, but we are flat out trying to live up to Sarge’s drill.”
I seriously can’t believe Thanksgiving is only one week away. I’m usually pretty bad about taking time to reflect and be thankful, but that changed just 13 minutes ago.
13 minutes ago, I hit play on a stop-you-in-your tracks kind of video. It’s longtime ONE supporter Bob Geldof talking before a crowd of folks at the end of the UN Millennium Development Goal Summit in New York City early this September.
I know that doesn’t necessarily sound that exciting, but trust me on this one. It’s a must watch. It’s funny, powerful, hit-you-in-the-gut good. I’ve never seen anyone talk so powerfully about our journey in the fight against poverty — or leave me so inspired to want to do even more.
So, take a look for yourself. It’s a little long, but it’s guaranteed to give you goosebumps. And I’d love to hear what you think after you’ve taken a look. Leave a comment right below!
As world leaders converge on New York for the UN General Assembly meeting this week, ONE cofounder Bono writes today in his column for the New York Times that one test of the meeting’s success will be whether leaders recommit to the Millennium Development Goals, “possibly the most visionary deal that most people have never heard of.”
Bono writes of the many successes achieved in part because of the goals – from millions of lives saved from preventable disease, to tens of millions more kids in school – and calls on leaders to do three specific things: 1.) fully fund the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and the campaign to ensure no child is born with HIV by 2015, 2.) enact transparency legislation in Britain, the EU and across the G20 that echoes the recently passed US legislation requiring energy companies to report payments to government officials and 3.) better track world leaders pledges and progress against them, so we know what has been promised and whether it has been delivered.
Last week, Bono met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev while U2 was touring in Moscow. Russia recently reported its first polio case in thirteen years, and continues to experience high rates of HIV among certain marginalized populations.
Increased political leadership and funding from Russia is important for its own needs and to address these major health challenges globally.
Among other things, Bono and the president also discussed the critically important need to fight corruption and promote transparency, particularly in the extractives industry.
ONE and Bono recently fought hard to help pass legislation in the US that will increase transparency in the extractives industry by ensuring corporations have to report payments to governments for oil, gas and minerals. It is important that similar rules are passed in other world capitals as well.
Bono shared a quote from the day of the meeting, which I wanted to share:
“I was honoured to meet with the Russian President today. We talked about the effectiveness of the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria, which saves 4,000 lives a day and for which Product (RED) raises cash.
If this lifesaver is fully financed the world could stop any children getting HIV in childbirth by 2015, a visionary goal and a great opportunity for Russian leadership.
We also discussed the importance of fighting corruption as part of the effort to end extreme poverty, and I asked for the President’s advice on how to ensure the new energy sector transparency legislation our organisation ONE lobbied for in America, which covers all companies registered on the New York Stock exchange, could now spread to London, Moscow and other global stock exchanges.
He raised Russian leadership in agriculture and we discussed what more can be done to increase world food production, keep down prices and feed the hungry.
There are great opportunities for Russian leadership on all these fronts at the forthcoming UN and G20 meetings.”
Alterna-rockers and longtime ONE supporters Daughtry have been doing some major representing for ONE this past week — and we wanted to take the chance to thank them here on the ONE blog.
Although the band has a seriously crazy schedule filled with press interviews, TV appearances, gigs and all the trappings of fame and stardom, they’ve always found the time to express their commitment to ending extreme poverty and preventable disease.
And this week, celebrity gossip blog PopEater came out with an awesome multimedia story on a day in the life of Daughtry. Scrolling through the video and photos, we were absolutely psyched to see that lead vocalist Chris Daughtry sported a ONE band throughout the day.
Take a look at the videos and if you have the chance, send a Tweet to Daughtry and thank ‘em for supporting ONE.
As part of the “African Century” edition of The Globe and Mail this week, Bob Geldof sat down with David Berman to discuss Africa’s economic potential, and what the future holds for investors in the continent.
While guest editing The Globe and Mail this weekend, ONE co-founder Bob Geldof took a moment to record this message for ONE members in Canada:
Bob talks about why he and Bono guest edited the paper, the importance of the forthcoming G8/G20 summits, and why we need your help to put pressure on the politicians to agree action on maternal and child health, an essential issue in the fight against poverty.
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
As aid agencies warn more than 9 million people could be affected by a food crisis in East Africa, world leaders are failing to keep their 2009 promises to tackle the causes of chronic hunger and support farmers in the world's poorest countries.
