Die Grammy Awards sind vorbei, und Bono ist wieder unterwegs, um sich dem Schuldenerlass und dem Kampf der Armut in Afrika zu widmen. Am 01. März traf er sich in Washington mit Sprechern aus Politik, Religion und mit Schuldenerlass-Unterstützern. "She spoke very passionately herself about the subjects and knows an extraordinary amount about them for somebody so busy with the war against terrorism, and oddly enough, she sees the linkage", so Bono, zu der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters, über Condoleezza Rice (die U.S. Beraterin für nationale Sicherheit), mit der er sich im Weißen Haus getroffen hatte. Weiterhin hat auch ein Treffen mit Tom Daschle (s. Foto), Mehrheitsführer im Senat, im Capitol stattgefunden in dem Bono um Unterstützung und um Entlastung der dritte Welt Länder gebeten hat. Mit einer Förderung seites des Weißen Hauses hofft Bono eine "Glaubens-basierte" Gemeinschaft zu erreichen. "Our movement is an unusual combination of church and street". Für nächsten Monat plant Bono eine erneute Afrika-Reise. [image] Foto: ©Reuters

U2's Bono Talks African Debt, Terror War at W.House WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fresh from the Grammy awards, U2 singer Bono pressed his case for African debt relief with U.S. national security adviser Condoleezza Rice on Friday, and said "she sees the linkage" between fighting poverty and the war on terrorism. Bono told Reuters he had lunch with Rice at the White House as part of his effort to fight third world debt and poverty. He is due to visit Africa next month on a fact-finding tour. "She spoke very passionately herself about the subjects and knows an extraordinary amount about them for somebody so busy with the war against terrorism, and oddly enough, she sees the linkage," he said. The anti-terror war has raised the profile of his campaign rather than distracted from it, he said. "It's got center stage," he said. "In Africa, there are 10 potential Afghanistans, so it (the issue) is now strategic. It's not philanthropy, it's strategic." The White House has been sympathetic to expanding debt relief, but its proposals are caught up in a dispute with Europe over World Bank aid to poor countries. Bono and the rest of the Irish rock band U2 opened the Grammy recording industry awards ceremony on Wednesday night, winning four awards including record of the year. Bono, whose real name is Paul Hewson, was in Washington on Friday to meet African-American leaders, religious groups and debt-relief campaigners to rally support for his cause. Bono said that with White House encouragement, he was seeking to enlist the "faith-based" community in the debt relief campaign. "Our movement is an unusual combination of church and street," he said. ©Reuters