Has Bono accomplished anything to really combat poverty and AIDS?

Question

I don't question his sincerity and compassion, but has his plan and solutions actually made any difference?

What exactly is the issue in Africa that causes the poverty and AIDs? How much money can we give Africa to end poverty?

Answer 1

maybe....

1$ could be all it takes..

he sent billions...

theres a pretty good chance

Answer 2

"How much money can we give Africa to end poverty?"

It's not about just money anymore. It's about Africans getting the knowledge and access they need to take care of themselves and their own problems. That takes money to fund the programs necessary to achieve that, but it also takes an approach that gives Africans themselves control over their lives and situation.

"What exactly is the issue in Africa that causes the poverty and AIDs?"

There is no one issue that causes poverty and AIDS in Africa -- and all the issues together can't be named in a YahooAnswer box. Among the many, many things that cause poverty in Africa: history of exploitation (of the people and African resources) by others, corruption, lack of/denial of education, prejudice, huge influx of arms, external influences (the West getting rid of democratically-elected governments and supporting dictators who are more friendly to the West), and on and on. In short, the things that cause poverty are often things that the people themselves currently have no control over.

Why is AIDS widespread in Africa? Oh so many reasons: many men must work far from their homes and, therefore, don't spend most of their time with their families and wives; social acceptance/encouragement of men's promiscuity in many cultures; myths spread about condom use; discouragement by the church regarding condom use; women and girls engaging in unsafe s*x in exchange for food, school grades, benefits for their families; widespread misunderstanding regarding how AIDS is transmitted; and on and on and on.

As for your original question -- Bono has tried to put poverty and AIDS in the news and the international stage more often. And in that, he has been very successful. Does anyone remember either issue being discussed at G8 summits or Davos before Bono started his activism?

Answer 3

People may think i'm rude for saying this but shouldn't we take care of our own first, many americans live at or below poverty level, as well as the homeless.

Answer 4

I can't add much to Jayne's post so I won't even try! But I wanted to say that Bono has really given awareness to the issue. If that's all he does - raise awareness so everyone in the world knows their plight - that's more than most other people have done. Honestly, that's probably his biggest goal. (I've worked in the area of fund-raising before and any "fund raising events" are actually meant to raise awareness and are not expected to raise funds.)