Bono-ization of Aid

Aired on June 6, 2007
On stage, Bono and Bob Geldof challenged the colonial model of rich people helping poor countries. Celebrity saviours who used their rockstar charm to win over world leaders.

Bono launched the Red Campaign and went on a spending spree with Oprah to raise money for the global AIDS fund. Mega-brands agreed to donate a portion of the profits from red-branded goods.

Concerts, handshakes, shopping. Super-elite negotiations on behalf of the world's poor. Are these really the solutions to hunger and poverty? Paul Vallely, Associate Editor of The Independent and Bob Geldof's travel partner across Africa, defends the Bonoization of development.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Bono
• Africa
• aid
• Bob
• Geldof
• Celebrity
• Red
• Campaign
• AIDS
• Paul
• Vallely

[MrSquiggy95]

hehehe the.



[AmurLeopard8]

Trolololololololololololololol­ololololololololololololololol­ololololololololololololololol­ololololololololololololololol­ololololololololololololololol­ololololololololololololololol­ololololololololololololololol­ololololololololololololololol­ololololololololololololololol­ololololololololololololololol­ololololololololololololololol­ololololololololololololololol­ololololololololololololololol­ololololololololololololololol­ololololololololololololololol­ololololololololololololololol­olololololololololol

[TonyUnplugged]

Bono's anti-poverty foundation ONE is under pressure to explain its finances after it was revealed that only a small percentage of money it raises reaches the needy. The non-profit organisation set up by the U2 frontman received almost £9.6million in donations in 2008 but handed out only £118,000 to good causes (1.2 per cent). The figures published by the New York Post also show that £5.1million went towards paying salaries.

[wickstarr]

bono your a stinking turd . the nerve of people like this so many ignorant fans millions in fact

[whisperthetube]

Bono got sucked into commercialism BIG time on this one...he's only human though, and serves as a good warning to us all about the sticky entrapments of materialism

[megamarsvin]

Bob Geldoff is one of the biggest frauds of our time and Bono a close second :p

[mejsjalv]

The nerve they have, telling me about how poor Africa is in one channel and then on another one showing me how much posessions they have and how they can waste money! They should do us all a favour and keep their "philantropy" and social conscience anonymous, discreet, instead of being media whores. There are indeed millions of truly kind hearted people who silently dedicate their lives to helping their fellow human beings in need, and THEY DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

[mejsjalv]

Celebrities make loads of money for greedy multinational corporations, the sort of companies that exploit the third world beyond belief by irresponsabily extracting their natural resources in order to keep up with the disease of consumerism. Extravagant millionaires and billionaires trying to make me, the average guy, feel guilty for being a westener??? Get real! Behind huge fortunes there's huge injustice. Their luxurious lifestyles are shameful.

[nuclearnight]

ahahaha, reform or revolution?

[iggmister]

Mindless consumerism.