Social Activism
Bono on Oprah Today for US RED Products Launch
RED, a non-profit organization run by Bobby Shriver, and founded by Bono, is announcing the launch of RED products in the US today. I saw a nice spot on CNN earlier with an interview of Bono and Bobby, and Bono will be featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show today. Check out the short video trailer that you can view right off of Oprah’s home page. You can also access a blog article on (BLOG) RED that gives some details about what to expect on today’s show.
That same blog article has a nice summary of Bono and Bobby’s visit with GW on Air Force One. I couldn’t resist providing that quote below.
A more serious note… after taking over Chicago, the (RED)heads marched up the steps of Air Force One. The President was in town so we carried up the bag of (RED) goodies to show him. Bono and Bobby used the moment to emphasize the critical importance of U.S. contributions to The Global Fund, its G8 commitment, and the need to renew a trade bill with sub-Saharan Africa. I won’t mention what Bobby was doing at the back of the plane, but don’t be surprised if policy wonks and the White House Press Corps start wondering about phrases like, “We are the people we’ve been waiting for!”
Bono posted some comments on the DATA site here about the RED launch today. The excerpt below is a very articulate and concise description of the Red effort and the One Campaign, and how they compliment each other.
Where ONE takes on the bigger, longer-term beast of changing policy and influencing government, (RED) is, I guess, about a more instant kind of gratification. If you buy a (RED) product from GAP, Motorola, Armani, Converse or Apple, they will give up to 50% of their profit to buy AIDS drugs for mothers and children in Africa. (RED) is the consumer battalion gathering in the shopping malls. You buy the jeans, phones, iPods, shoes, sunglasses, and someone – somebody’s mother, father, daughter or son – will live instead of dying in the poorest part of the world. It’s a different kind of fashion statement.
If you are not familiar with this organization, and the initiatives that it is begining to put into motion, please take a little time to go to their site (link above) and read about their mission and strategy. I feel strongly that what RED is doing is worth supporting. You might think so too.
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