ONE campaign lift-off on U2 world tour
Social justice charity ONE is getting a high profile on the current U2 world tour, writes Aidan Carroll ...
The charity, an advocacy organization fighting extreme poverty, announced that it is launching a recruitment drive for new members.
As part of the U2 360° tour, the recruitment drive will use its presence and profile through the tour to raise awareness, and let people know about the critical progress being made against extreme poverty and preventable disease in Africa.
U2 singer Bono co-funded the organization, which launched in the US in 2004 and went global in 2008, and will be present at the venues and featured in the show throughout U2's current world tour, which visited the UK this summer.
South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, ONE's International Patron, features in a video on the giant expanding cylindrical screen above the stage, likening the fight against extreme poverty to the fight against apartheid in South Africa, and calling on people around the world to work together as ONE on this next challenge.
As part of the video message, the Archbishop says: "Because our voices were heard, millions more of our brothers and sisters are alive thanks to the miracle of aids drugs and malaria drugs ...Yes, there are many obstacles ... there are always roadblocks in the way of justice ... But God will put a wind at our back and a rising road ahead, if we work with each other as ONE."
During a video link up, between the band and the International Space Station during the opening show, astronaut Frank De Winne of the European Space Agency – a UNICEF ambassador – signed up to ONE from space and has become the first new ONE member from the tour.
ONE will operate sign-up tables, shared with sister organization RED, and "Kiss the Future" photo booths at the tour venues. People joining ONE can get their photo taken in the booths and, as part of the preamble to the song One, a selection of the photos will be shown that same night on the overhead video screens.
U2's concert at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in California on Sunday (25 October) will be streamed live on video-sharing website YouTube at 03.30 GMT. Clips will be made available on the site after the concert.
PHOTO: Bono is pictured above with Christian rock band Third Day in Atlanta. Both bands are actively involved with ONE. From left: David Carr, Mark Lee, Tai Anderson and Mac Powell with Bono
