“Job creators and innovators are just the key, and
aid is just a bridge,” he told an audience of 200
leading technology entrepreneurs and investors at
the F.ounders tech conference in Dublin. “We see
it as startup money, investment in new countries.
A humbling thing was to learn the role of
commerce.”
Bono’s work with ONE was borne out of a charity
he co-founded in 2002, DATA, which sought to
raise awareness around debt, AIDS and trade in
Africa; it created ONE in 2004 and the two
organizations were merged under the name ONE
in 2008. (Disclosure: Bono is a managing partner
of Elevation Partners, a investment firm that owns
a stake in Forbes Media.) As part of his work on
the board of ONE, Bono has lobbied American
congressmen, presidents and other leaders from
developed nations.
he co-founded in 2002, DATA, which sought to
raise awareness around debt, AIDS and trade in
Africa; it created ONE in 2004 and the two
organizations were merged under the name ONE
in 2008. (Disclosure: Bono is a managing partner
of Elevation Partners, a investment firm that owns
a stake in Forbes Media.) As part of his work on
the board of ONE, Bono has lobbied American
congressmen, presidents and other leaders from
developed nations.
The singer, who dropped by the F.ounders
conference on Friday in between working on
songs for U2′s next album, said he’d had other,
similarly tough realizations: that there are
“enormously useful,” people on the left and
right. “You just have to reach them.”
conference on Friday in between working on
songs for U2′s next album, said he’d had other,
similarly tough realizations: that there are
“enormously useful,” people on the left and
right. “You just have to reach them.”
Hence the “unusual” people he has on the board
of ONE, including the former U.S. Secretary
of State under the Bush administration,
Condoleeza Rice, Desmond Tutu and the finance
minister of Nigeria, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
“People go, ‘Huh? Why?’” said Bono. “Our single
idea is that normally these issues we fret about,
which are seen as left-wing subject matter, we
figure, ‘Why divide our audience in half?’ So we
work with left and right.”
of ONE, including the former U.S. Secretary
of State under the Bush administration,
Condoleeza Rice, Desmond Tutu and the finance
minister of Nigeria, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
“People go, ‘Huh? Why?’” said Bono. “Our single
idea is that normally these issues we fret about,
which are seen as left-wing subject matter, we
figure, ‘Why divide our audience in half?’ So we
work with left and right.”
Bono has also had realizations about how useful
the Internet can be for transparency. “The
strongest and loudest voice with moral punch on
the continent at the moment is a nerd,” Bono
said, pointing to the tech company founders in
the audience, many of whom were programmers.
“He’s a tech innovator.”
the Internet can be for transparency. “The
strongest and loudest voice with moral punch on
the continent at the moment is a nerd,” Bono
said, pointing to the tech company founders in
the audience, many of whom were programmers.
“He’s a tech innovator.”
Websites like ipaidabribe.com, a site founded in
India where citizens can report incidents of bribery
and corruption, and another African site in which
school kids can report if their teacher hasn’t shown
up to class, were fighting the “biggest killer disease
of them all: corruption,” said Bono. “It kills more
kids than AIDs, TB and malaria. Right now in
Africa we spend time with groups in civil society,
with groups who are using technology to inform
themselves better on what governments are doing
and holding them to account.”
India where citizens can report incidents of bribery
and corruption, and another African site in which
school kids can report if their teacher hasn’t shown
up to class, were fighting the “biggest killer disease
of them all: corruption,” said Bono. “It kills more
kids than AIDs, TB and malaria. Right now in
Africa we spend time with groups in civil society,
with groups who are using technology to inform
themselves better on what governments are doing
and holding them to account.”
Bono spoke of the “network effect” and a radical
shakedown affecting hierarchical institutions,
particularly among repressive regimes in regions
like the Middle East. “It’s affecting everyone from
the Tea Party to Occupy,” he said, adding that his
organization and others like it needed “an ethical
online activist army pressing buttons at the right
time… The next wave will come online. There’s a
lot of smart people with smart ideas. “
shakedown affecting hierarchical institutions,
particularly among repressive regimes in regions
like the Middle East. “It’s affecting everyone from
the Tea Party to Occupy,” he said, adding that his
organization and others like it needed “an ethical
online activist army pressing buttons at the right
time… The next wave will come online. There’s a
lot of smart people with smart ideas. “
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