"Say No to Stupid Poverty"

I caught Bono on Meet the Press tonight. He's an inspiring man, and quite the diplomat. The video clip is worth taking a couple of minutes to watch. The title of this post is drawn from one of Bono's more pithy statements. He was asking Americans to help in the fight against poverty at the G8 Summit that begins July 6.

Last night, George Clooney and Pat Robertson were on Nightline, supporting the same thing. That's not a typo. Clooney and Robertson.

What's uniting such diverse personalities? The potential to really make a difference in the world at the G8 Summit. Here's The One Campaign's brief explanation;

WHAT IS THE G8 AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?

The G8, or the ‘Group of Eight’ Summit is an annual gathering of leaders from the world’s eight wealthiest and most powerful countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States). This summer, these leaders will gather in Scotland to decide the fate of an entire generation living on less than ONE dollar a day. On July 6th - 8th, President Bush and other G8 leaders will discuss the major social, political and economic conditions that leave nearly ONE billion people living in extreme poverty – nearly half of whom live in Sub-Saharan Africa. With your support and voice, President Bush and other world leaders will know just how important these issues are, and together as ONE, we can Make Poverty History this July.

Here you can send a message to President Bush asking him to;

Help the poorest people of the world fight poverty, AIDS and hunger at a cost equal to just ONE percent more of the US budget on a clear timetable;

Cancel 100% of the debts owed by the poorest countries;

Reform trade rules so poor countries can earn sustainable incomes.

The free Live 8 concert in Philadelphia on July 2 is being held to call attention to the hope that we can make poverty history at this historic G8 Summit.

Philly is only 30 minutes away. I'll probably go. Here's the line-up so far;

Will Smith
Bon Jovi
Dave Matthews Band
Destiny's Child
Jars of Clay
Jay-Z
Kaiser Chiefs
Keith Urban
Linkin Park
Maroon 5
Rob Thomas
Sarah McLachlan
Stevie Wonder

Ok, confession time. My CD collection consists of Hendrix, Tull, CSN&Y, Traffic, Steve Miller, Bob Seger, Moody Blues, Blue Oyster Cult, Joe Walsh and U2. I recognize some of the artists on the above list; Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews, Jars of Clay, Sarah McLachlan and Stevie Wonder. But who are the rest of them? Are they any good? Help out this old man trapped in a time warp.

J.