Look To The Stars News: DATA

Wyclef Jean And Bono Receive ‘Ripple Of Hope Award’

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer Wyclef Jean, and (RED) founder/U2 front man Bono, were honored this week at a ceremony thrown by The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, where each were awarded the ‘Ripple of Hope’ Award.

“As champions of justice, Bono and Wyclef have brought the national spotlight to human rights violations, empowered local activists, and transformed the lives of millions of people living in poverty from Port-Au-Prince to Darfur,” said Kerry Kennedy, founder of the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights. “Their efforts evoke the spirit of my father and we are honored to recognize them.”

Jean was honored for his work to inspire change in his native country of Haiti through his Yéle Haiti Foundation.

“It is an honor to receive this award for so many reasons,” said Jean, who was also the evening’s musical performer. “The Kennedy Family and Robert F. Kennedy have represented and fought for the rights of people around the world, and have paid the ultimate sacrifice for it. I am humbled by their work, and use it as an example in the work I continue to do in Haiti, the United States, Africa and around the globe. I look forward to working closely with Kerry Kennedy and the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights in Haiti as a part of our Yéle Center.”

Bono was recognized for his efforts in the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particular in Africa with the ONE Campaign, DATA and (Product) RED.

“Though we’re not usually that partial to Royals, growing up in Ireland in the 70s, the Kennedy family felt like an Irish royal family. Bobby Kennedy was a super-hero, an Irish scrapper who didn’t see any contradiction between hard-headed pragmatism and an idealism that challenged all of us to change the world. That’s why the Ripple of Hope award means so much. RFK was the blue print for our activism in the ONE campaign,” Bono said. “The image of Bobby that will forever be in my mind is of a man with his sleeves rolled up, hard at work and showing a hint of muscle. His life is an enduring challenge to all of us to do more, get beyond ourselves and send out our own ripples of hope to the world.”

The event was emceed by actor Peter Gallagher, and guests included: Matthew Modine, Matt McCoy, Joey Pantoliano, Gloria Reuben, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Governor Jon Corzine, Harry Belafonte, Martha Stewart, Bill O’Reilly, Ana Ortiz, Aasif Mandvi, Liya Kebede, Earl Graves, Terry Kinney, Rebecca Minkoff, Charles Nolan, Richard Plepler, Tom Freston and Orin Kramer.

The evening ended on a high note as Bono joined Wyclef on stage for a rendition of “Redemption Song,” after which Wyclef performed “Carnival” and brought the entire crowd of over 800 people – including Ethel Kennedy – to their feet singing and dancing.

Eunice Shriver's Charity Legacy

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Eunice Shriver – founder of the Special Olympics – has died at the age of 88.

The fifth of nine children and sister of John F Kennedy, Shriver led a life of service to the community that she handed down to her children. Her daughter, Maria Shriver, is the First Lady of California and is married to Arnold Schwarzenegger. She runs the annual Women’s Conference in California. Her son, Bobby Shriver, is well known for co-founding the organizations DATA (Debt AIDS Trade Africa), the ONE Campaign and (RED) with U2 lead singer Bono. Her other sons are also leaders in philanthropy: Timothy Shriver is the Chairman and CEO of the Special Olympics; Mark Shriver is the Vice-President and Managing Director of U.S. Programs for Save the Children; and Anthony Shriver is the founder of Best Buddies International.

Awarded the US Medal of Freedom in 1984, Eunice Shriver was a founder of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center for Community of Caring in the 1960s. But it was her work with the Special Olympics for which she will be remembered. Her work with the disabled started early – In 1962, she started a day camp, known as Camp Shriver, for children with intellectual disabilities at her home in Potomac, Maryland. From there, she promoted the concept of competition opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. Camp Shriver became an annual event, and the Kennedy Foundation (of which Shriver was Executive Vice President) regularly gave grants to universities, recreation departments and community centers to hold similar camps. In 1968, Shriver was approached to help fund a huge Olympic-style athletic competition for over 1000 people with special needs. The Special Olympics were born, and today it involves over 2.5 million in 180 countries.

Her family released the following thoughts reflecting on her life:

“Inspired by her love of God, her devotion to her family, and her relentless belief in the dignity and worth of every human life, she worked without ceasing — searching, pushing, demanding, hoping for change. She was a living prayer, a living advocate, a living center of power. She set out to change the world and to change us, and she did that and more.

“She founded the movement that became Special Olympics, the largest movement for acceptance and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities in the history of the world. Her work transformed the lives of hundreds of millions of people across the globe, and they in turn are her living legacy. We have always been honored to share our mother with people of good will the world over who believe, as she did, that there is no limit to the human spirit. At this time of loss, we feel overwhelmed by the gifts of prayer and support poured out to us from so many who loved her.

“We are together in our belief that she is now in heaven, rejoicing with her family, enjoying the fruits of her faith, and still urging us onward to the challenges ahead. Her love will inspire us to faith and service always.”

Bono Talks World Hunger In Amsterdam

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:30:00 -0000

U2 singer Bono recently took time out from his current world tour to get up-to-date on global hunger by meeting with World Food Programme (WFP) head, Josette Sheeran, in Amsterdam.

During their meeting, Sheeran gave the singer one of the distinctive red cups which symbolize WFP’s ‘Fill the Cup’ campaign to raise funds to help the 66 million children in the world who go to school hungry.

Numbers Rising

Bono noted that the number of hungry people in the world is “rising fast” and expressed admiration for WFP’s work providing free meals to more than 20 million children in school every year.

Sheeran and Peter Bakker, head of WFP’s corporate partner TNT, met Bono backstage at Amsterdam’s ArenA stadium, where U2 played the ninth show in their current European tour to tens of thousands of fans.

When Bono asked about WFP’s work in Eastern Congo, Sheeran explained how the agency buys food from small farmers in that country to give to people displaced by conflict, thus boosting the local economy as well as responding to urgent hunger needs.

Activism for Africa

Bono is widely known for his activism in seeking solutions to the problems afflicting Africa. He co-founded DATA ,an NGO aimed at eliminating third world debt, and the ONE Campaign, which aims to increase US funding for international aid programs.

He has organized and played in several benefit concerts and has often met with influential politicians as part of his efforts to drum up support for development causes.

Bob Geldof Launches One Campaign Report On G8

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A host of leaders and stars helped launch the ONE Campaign’s DATA Report in London yesterday.

Bill Gates, Desmond Tutu and Bob Geldof all talked at the event, which launched the annual report that aims to measure the G8 against commitments made at their 2005 summit in Scotland. But the news is not good, revealing that France and Italy are performing so poorly that they are threatening to cause the G8 as a whole to default.

“It saddens me and angers me that great nations like Italy and France are going in the wrong direction,” said Archbishop Tutu of South Africa. “We must all campaign to encourage the forthcoming G8 meetings to do better and do what is right.”

“That [the Italian] economy is in such a disastrous meltdown condition, they must steal from the poor, rob the ill and snatch education from the minds of the young not only beggars the imagination but must also surely beggar the soul of that most beautiful country,” added Geldof. “Shame on you.”

The report laid out a number of findings:

By 2008, the G8 had delivered only a third of their commitment—just $7 billion of the total $21.5 billion increases promised to Africa by 2010. Some countries fared better than others: the US, Canada and Japan are meeting or beating modest targets; Germany and the UK are striving to meet their more ambitious commitments. France’s delivery is disappointing, and Italy—the host of the upcoming G8 Summit—has utterly failed to make progress on its promised aid.
Looking ahead to 2009, ONE estimates that the G8 will have delivered only a half of their commitment. 80% of the 2009 shortfall will be due to France and Italy. That means that in 2010, the G8 must deliver the entire other half to reach their target.
In 2008, the G8 met in Accra to review progress on improving aid effectiveness. While the forum helped accelerate progress towards achieving better aid, more must be done to reach the 2010 goals.
The steps taken by the G8 since 2005 have brought them close to fulfilling their commitments on debt. At the end of 2008, Africa had been relieved of $92.8 billion of its debt obligations.
But the global financial crisis threatens to overturn these advances. Among the 20 African countries that reached ‘completion point’ in the debt cancellation process, 11 now face a risk of debt distress through reaccumulation of debt.
The G8 are not living up to their promise to “make trade work for Africa.” Despite an increase in exports, Africa accounts for only 3.5% of global trade—the lowest share of any region in the world.

The report was launched the day before finance ministers from the G8 countries — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States — are to meet for two days of talks in Italy, ahead of the next G8 meeting in July.

“Why do we have the obligation to help another person we will never know and never see,” said Geldof. “Why would [Bill Gates] decide to devote the rest of his entire life and his entire fortune to that end? It’s because that singular condition of poverty can be removed. Indeed, it must be removed [otherwise] we cannot build a new global financial architecture, one that collapsed because 50% of the planet was not included. They live on less than $2 a day – you cannot live on $2 a day! I will repeat that – you cannot live on $2 a day. So you die. So we remove from the world economy, the creative dynamic, the intellectual stimulus, the productivity that these people have. By injecting that into the world economy, they can have their own health systems, they can have coherent governments, they can buy our stuff and we can buy their’s. And we won’t have to give aid any more.”

A video of highlights of the launch can be found here.

Bono Becomes A Man Of Peace

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Aime Pingi

Nobel peace laureates gathered in summit in Paris on Friday 12th December to award Irish rocker-turned-activist Bono the annual “Man of Peace” prize for his struggle against poverty, disease and debt in Africa.

Paul Hewson (born 10 May 1960 in Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland), more commonly known by his stage name Bono, is the main vocalist of the Irish rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his future wife, Ali Hewson, and the future members of U2. Bono writes almost all U2 lyrics, often using political, social and religious themes. During their early years, Bono’s lyrics contributed to U2’s rebellious tone. As the band matured, his lyrics became inspired more by personal experiences with members of U2.

Among his non-U2 endeavors, he has collaborated and recorded with numerous artists, sits on the board of Elevation Partners, and owns a hotel with fellow band member, The Edge. Bono is also widely known for his activism concerning Africa, for which he co-founded DATA. He has organized and played in several benefit concerts and has met with influential politicians. He is the co-founder of EDUN, the ONE Campaign and Product (RED). Bono has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, was granted an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, and was named as a Person of the Year by Time, among many other awards and nominations.

In the presence of five Nobel Prize winners, Bono received his latest accolade from the hand of Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, the host of this annual summit in recognition of two decades of global anti-poverty activism.

“This is a very big award for me because, let’s be honest, this is as close as I am going to get – as close as a rock star is ever going to get – to the Nobel Peace Prize,” the 48-year-old Bono quipped to the audience. “I am an over-awarded, over-rewarded rock star. You are the people who do the real work,” he said to Nobel winners present, who included F.W. de Klerk of South Africa, Lech Walesa of Poland and Northern Ireland’s John Hume.

“So I am very, very pleased to be in such esteemed company.”

Organizers said Bono was chosen for his global campaigning to persuade rich nations to lighten Africa’s debt burden, combat poverty, promote fair trade and raise funds for the treatment of HIV-AIDS and malaria.

“We decided to nominate a man who has given a lot and will continue to give a great deal to the struggle for human rights, to the fight against poverty, with his music and with his words,” said Italian left-wing leader Walter Veltroni, co-host of the event. “He has put pressure on the world’s governments to reach the UN’s Millennium Goals. To give him the prize, is to say that fight will carry on.”

Last year’s recipients of the peace award were US actors George Clooney and Don Cheadle, who have spoken out against the violence in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur.

Nobel winners were meeting in Paris for a three-day summit, coinciding with celebrations marking 60 years since the UN declaration of human rights was adopted in Paris.

Bono, DATA to Receive Liberty Medal via Webcast

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 13:02:12 -0000

U2 singer and activist Bono and DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), the advocacy organization he co-founded to combat poverty and disease in Africa, are scheduled to receive the 2007 Liberty Medal today to at 7:00 p.m. at the National Constitution Center in Historic Philadelphia.

The National Constitution Center, in partnership with the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation and WPVI-TV, will webcast the 2007 Liberty Medal ceremony live, making the event available to a worldwide audience for the first time.

“We are thrilled to provide global access to the 2007 Liberty Medal ceremony,” says National Constitution Center President and CEO Joseph M. Torsella. “This year’s recipients serve as inspirational examples of the power of citizens to elevate important issues to the world stage. The global reach of this webcast allows us to generate greater awareness of Bono’s and DATA’s exceptional contributions, and to support those that strive to ensure ‘the blessings of liberty’ throughout the world.”

The webcast will feature a special introduction by National Constitution Center Chairman, President George H.W. Bush. The live webcast will be streamed on www.libertymedal.org beginning at 7:00 p.m. EDT; a condensed version of the ceremony will be available later that night on www.constitutioncenter.org and www.gophila.com/libertymedal, and will be available for viewing through October.

The prestigious Liberty Medal, and its accompanying $100,000 prize, will recognize Bono and DATA’s groundbreaking work in raising awareness about and spurring a global response to the crisis of AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa.

Established in 1988 by We the People 2000 to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, the Liberty Medal annually honors an individual or an organization from anywhere in the world that has “demonstrated leadership and vision in the pursuit of liberty of conscience or freedom from oppression, ignorance or deprivation.” Since 2006, the National Constitution Center has administered the Liberty Medal, which includes the annual presentation of the award and a host of supplemental programs and activities designed to extend the Medal’s reach throughout the year.

The National Constitution Center, located at 525 Arch St. on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the ideas and values it represents. The Center serves as a museum, an education center, and a forum for debate on constitutional issues. The museum dramatically tells the story of the Constitution from Revolutionary times to the present through more than 100 interactive, multimedia exhibits, film, photographs, text, sculpture and artifacts, and features a powerful, award-winning theatrical performance, “Freedom Rising”. The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach, which serves as the hub for national constitutional education. For more information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org.

Vanity Fair Charity Issue Edited By Bono

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 12:35:00 -0000

Written by Saskia Akyil

Bono is putting his philanthropic energy into Vanity Fair’s July 2007 special issue about Africa. The issue has 20 different cover photos of high-profile individuals, all taken by renowned photographer Annie Liebowitz.

The magazine includes information about the issues and charities supported by actors, athletes, models, politicians, musicians, activists, and billionaire philanthropists, all of whom are using their celebrity status and the publicity they receive to bring attention to the complex set of problems faced by the inhabitants of Africa.

Africa is a continent with great need, and has been given a disproportionately low amount of attention and aid from wealthy nations. It is the first Vanity Fair issue to have a guest editor, and Bono’s highly publicized commitment to aiding Africa makes him an obvious choice for editor of this issue. In recent years, celebrities have used their status to bring a great deal of attention to Africa.

The covers of the Africa issue include portraits of: Bono, Barack Obama, Queen Rania, George Bush, Condaleeza Rice, Muhammad Ali, Desmond Tutu, Brad Pitt, Djimon Hounsou, Madonna, Maya Angelou, Chris Rock, Warren Buffett, Melinda & Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Iman, and Don Cheadle.

The issue features numerous in-depth articles about a variety of subjects concerning Africa, including: Kenya; Desmond Tutu and the fight for equality in South Africa and worldwide; Tunisia’s success and the threat of Islamic extremism; the role of China in fueling some of the conflict in Africa; Jeffrey Sachs dream of how to eradicate extreme poverty; the consumer-action strategy of (Product) Red to make miracle AIDS treatment drugs accessible to the millions who need them; the role of the Congo’s blacklisted airline pilots in keeping trade flowing; Bill Clinton’s stories of Nelson Mandela; African music; Africans defying the status quo of poverty, disease, and corruption; suggestions for platform topics for the US 2008 presidential election; the genetic data that links all people on Earth to Africa; identifying the current literary talents of Africa; Princess Diana’s post-divorce charity work, in particular her mission to ban land mines; and the Africa connection of the high-profile individuals on Vanity Fair’s July 2007 issue covers.

The Vanity Fair website offers links and information about Africa, charities that benefit the continent, and full-text versions of some of the articles.

Bono To Receive Liberty Medal Honours In US

Sat, 26 May 2007 12:48:01 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

The US National Constitution Center is to honour Bono for his charity work in Africa by awarding him the Liberty Medal in September.

Award winners are those who have “demonstrated leadership and vision in the pursuit of liberty”, and six past Liberty Medal winners have also received the Nobel Peace Prize.

The award carries a 100,000 dollar prize, which will go to Debt AIDS Trade Africa (DATA), the charity founded by Bono in 2002.

National Constitution Centre President Joseph M Torsella announced the award, saying, "Working hand-in-hand with DATA, Bono has become the ultimate civic entrepreneur – but on a global scale that the Founders could have only imagined.

“Bono and DATA don’t just raise awareness, important though that is. They challenge the world’s richest nations to do better by Africa, and challenge African nations to do better by their own people.”

Bono said: “This is a real honour for myself and my bosses at [”DATA":http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/194-data] – I am very proud of their work."

He later commented that each of the 2.4 million American participants in the ONE Campaign should receive a medal too.

“I don’t suppose there are enough Liberty Medals to go around, but in truth, those people should all be wearing one, too,” he told the BBC.

Bono and Heather Mills Lending Their Celebrity to Raise Awareness of Genocide in Darfur

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 09:09:18 -0000

Written by Robert Powers

Adding to the efforts of celebrities like George Clooney and Bob Geldof, Bono and Heather Mills have recently spoken out in efforts to raise awareness of the ongoing genocide occurring in the Darfur region of western Sudan.

Speaking to reporters in London, Bono described the actions of Sudan’s Khartoum government as “an affront to decency.” It has been estimated that since 2003, when fighting broke out, 2.5 million people have been displaced from their homes and over 400,000 people have been killed by militias sponsored by the Sudanese government. The government has flatly refused calls to allow a UN peace-keeping force into the region, which Bono referred to as having “broken every shred of dignity possible in a government,” calling the situation in Darfur “preposterous,” and stating that “governments need to take up [their] slack in dealing with the situation.”

Bono’s charitable organization devoted to matters of debt, AIDS, trade, and Africa (DATA) earlier this year issued a statement on their website (data.org) concerning the atrocities in Sudan, saying that “the mass atrocities occurring in Sudan and across this region of Africa call upon our consciences and demand our action.”

Heather Mills has been reported to be in talks with Aegis Trust to visit Darfur as an acting sponsor. Aegis Trust is an international charity that was founded in the year 2000 to prevent and support action against genocides worldwide. She has linked to the charity’s “Protect Darfur” project (protectdarfur.org) on her personal website.

“Twelve years after Rwanda and eleven years after Srebrenica,” she recently said at a charity event in London, “we are on the verge of seeing it all happen again.”

“I urge you, wherever you are, to do what is in your power to help Darfur’s people. Speak out. If you don’t, these people will die and once again, it will be too late,” she added.

Forbes' "Most Generous Celebrities" List

Fri, 19 May 2006 14:04:20 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Forbes Magazine has published a list of “Generous Celebrities”, highlighting the incredible generosity of some of the world’s most public faces.

The ten celebrities listed are:

Bono supports AIDS charity DATA and many others
Sandra Bullock gave $1m to the American Red Cross after the 9/11 bombings, and has also donated to the Tsunami relief fund
Nicolas Cage supports Chrysalis, an LA charity for the homeless, and gave $1m to Katrina relief
Jackie Chan is a UNICEF ambassador, founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation, and gave $100,000 to Chrysalis
Céline Dion is Celebrity Patron for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and donated $1m to the American Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina
Angelina Jolie has given more than $3m to the UNHCR
Paul McCartney supports the Adopt-A-Minefield charity, and he and wife Heather Mills jointly donateed $1.9m to Tsunami relief
Arnold Schwarzenegger supports the Special Olympics, and in 2001 he donated a total of $4.1m to the Twin Towers fund, After School All Stars and Nelson Mandela’s children’s fund
Steven Spielberg is a patron of the Righteous Persons Foundation, founder of the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, and gave $1.5m to the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts
Oprah gave $52m to charity in 2005 alone, and wrote a personal cheque for $10m to help victims of the Katrina disaster

Look To The Stars News: DATA

Wyclef Jean And Bono Receive ‘Ripple Of Hope Award’

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