HEROES - Part One

So many people are doing so many good things, but still only a fraction of the world's population are willing to get their hands, and their reputations, dirty. For the next few days, it's my plan to recognize some of these heroes who have impressed me with their willingness to go the distance.

BONO -

"We cannot fix every problem, but the ones we can, we must."

1984/85 - Band Aid and Live Aid participant
1986 - Conspiracy of Hope tour for Amnesty Int'l.
1999 - Drop the Debt campaign begins, to free third-world countries from their unpayable debts
2001 - participant in Amnesty benefit concert
2002 - meets with President Bush about human rights
2002 - tour of 4 African countries
- sets up DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa)

"I'm looking forward to the moment they tell me, 'Bono, you're Irish. Go home. We've got it handled.'"

2003 - nominated for "Nobel Peace Prize"
- donated a series of original paintings to raise funds for the "Irish Hospice Foundation"
2005 - meets with Prime Minister Paul Martin about foreign aid
- launches EDUN line, to encourage fair trade in Africa
- Live 8 organizer
- TIME magazine's "Person of the Year"
- nominate for "Nobel Peace Prize"
2006 - encourages the care of socio-economically depressed people at Nat'l Prayer Breakfast
- nominated for "Nobel Peace Prize"
- launches "RED" charity to help fight AIDS, TB and malaria in Africa
- receives "German Media Prize" for his work against poverty in Africa


"We may have fancy shoes, or in my case flip-flops, and we may be the worst examples of the excesses of the West but in these meetings we represent the poor and I take that job very seriously. I try to use my celebrity as a loudhailer for those who have lost their voice."