dsmith2904
ONE love, blood, life
Bono Helps Former South African President Launch AIDS Awareness Campaign
By Paul Majendie
LONDON (Reuters) - The message from Prisoner 46664 was starkly delivered: "Give one minute of your life to AIDS."
Nelson Mandela, using his old convict number from South Africa's Robben Island, joined forces with veteran pop stars on Tuesday to launch a global phone and Internet campaign to raise awareness of the killer disease.
"One minute can change the world," said Mandela, waving a mobile phone and urging people to call special 46664 phone lines set up around the globe.
Callers can join what organizers hope will be the biggest ever petition designed to issue a wake-up call to governments. They can also donate online at www.46664.com.
"46664 was my prison number for over 18 years," the former South African president told a London news conference launching the initiative with Ms Dynamite, Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics and Brian May and Roger Taylor from Queen.
"I was known as just a number. Millions of people today infected with AIDS are classified as just a number. They too are serving a prison sentence for life," he told reporters, who had greeted him with a standing ovation.
The 85-year-old icon of the apartheid struggle has been at the forefront of the battle to curb AIDS. About five million people are infected in South Africa, making it the worst affected nation in the world.
Dave Stewart said: "We have a wonderful opportunity to raise money through global telephone networks. When you dial the number, you will be answered by anybody from Robert de Niro to Nelson Mandela to Bono to whoever.
"They will then give you a message thanking you for dialing 46664 and donating a minute of your life to stop AIDS."
Callers will also be able to listen to the song "46664: Long Walk to Freedom" that Stewart wrote with the late Joe Strummer (news) of the Clash and completed with Bono from U2.
With recording sessions in London, New York and Los Angeles, a string of stars from Beyonce to Paul McCartney have since joined in to create other tracks.
The highlight of the campaign will be an all-star concert in Cape Town on November 29 which the music channel MTV hopes will reach a global audience of two billion people.
"Enjoy the music," said Mandela as he turned, reached for his stick and left the stage after the launch.
By Paul Majendie
LONDON (Reuters) - The message from Prisoner 46664 was starkly delivered: "Give one minute of your life to AIDS."
Nelson Mandela, using his old convict number from South Africa's Robben Island, joined forces with veteran pop stars on Tuesday to launch a global phone and Internet campaign to raise awareness of the killer disease.
"One minute can change the world," said Mandela, waving a mobile phone and urging people to call special 46664 phone lines set up around the globe.
Callers can join what organizers hope will be the biggest ever petition designed to issue a wake-up call to governments. They can also donate online at www.46664.com.
"46664 was my prison number for over 18 years," the former South African president told a London news conference launching the initiative with Ms Dynamite, Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics and Brian May and Roger Taylor from Queen.
"I was known as just a number. Millions of people today infected with AIDS are classified as just a number. They too are serving a prison sentence for life," he told reporters, who had greeted him with a standing ovation.
The 85-year-old icon of the apartheid struggle has been at the forefront of the battle to curb AIDS. About five million people are infected in South Africa, making it the worst affected nation in the world.
Dave Stewart said: "We have a wonderful opportunity to raise money through global telephone networks. When you dial the number, you will be answered by anybody from Robert de Niro to Nelson Mandela to Bono to whoever.
"They will then give you a message thanking you for dialing 46664 and donating a minute of your life to stop AIDS."
Callers will also be able to listen to the song "46664: Long Walk to Freedom" that Stewart wrote with the late Joe Strummer (news) of the Clash and completed with Bono from U2.
With recording sessions in London, New York and Los Angeles, a string of stars from Beyonce to Paul McCartney have since joined in to create other tracks.
The highlight of the campaign will be an all-star concert in Cape Town on November 29 which the music channel MTV hopes will reach a global audience of two billion people.
"Enjoy the music," said Mandela as he turned, reached for his stick and left the stage after the launch.
