Bono, accompanied by his wife Ali and Edge, led 20,000 people held hands to form a human chain
around the Group of Eight summit city on Cologne, Germany, on June 1999,

They together with other musicians joined the effort
organized by the Jubilee 2000 Coalition, an international
church-led movement that wants Western nations to scrap debts owed by less developed countries to mark the new millennium.

Bono then presented petitions to Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, the G-8 summit host, and
was to meet later with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"Bono, as an artist, as an advocate for the poor you have made a real difference. You have crossed boundaries and broken taboos and have taught us that whether poor or prosperous we are one world. Above all you have taught us not to forget the poor.

You have made people listen. You have made people care. You have taught young people that they do have the power to change the world. And you have reminded world leaders that working for a better world is their first duty. Congratulations my friend, and keep up the fight."Kofi Annan

MTV Europe Music Awards on November 11, 1999 tributed Bono the peace lauding 'Free Your Mind Award' for his campaign to rid the world's poorest nations of their crippling debt, and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan gave him a prerecorded tribute on the act. Bono, who has recently become a father again, said he wanted the world his son inherited "to be better than it is now,'' adding that he hoped next week to announce a $100 billion debt write-off by the West.

NET AID. HELPING TO RAISE MONEY TO COMBAT GLOBAL POVERTY.BONO 'S STATEMENT.

"When rock stars speak out on political issues I get nervous, and I am one. When musicians open their mouth to do anything but sing, I generally put my wallet in my boot... and yet music, more than anything has kept my conscience. It's the noise that keeps me awake, stops me falling asleep in the comfort of this wild freedom some of us are enjoying on the eve of the 21st Century.

I'm involved with Net Aid because Net Aid supports the Jubilee 2000 campaign to cancel third world debt. Plus, there are some of us who want to see Live Aid through. In the 80s, I was a proud part of the spoiled generation who brought you Live Aid, Band Aid, We Are The World... all that stuff. It was an amazing thing, that moment in time where Bob Geldof said "fuck" on TV and led a bunch of pop stars to raise $200 million for famine relief in Africa.

I was so proud of it. We walked around thinking we had cracked it. Musicians... we could do what the politicians couldn't... $200 million!!! Then I learned that Africa spends $200 million every week servicing its debt to the West. It's time now to write off the unpayable debt of the world's poorest nations because for every $1 sent in Government Aid to these countries, $9 is sent back in loan servicing.

What they're repaying a lot of the time are old loans made to dodgy dictators and cracked despots a couple of generations ago. It's inefficient, it's barbaric and it's preventing the developing countries from joining the world stage. These countries have a lot to offer in terms of growth and new trade but they can't even get to the starting line.

In Jubilee 2000 we want to take the energy that's going into New Year's Eve '99 and the millennium celebrations and give it a meaningful goal.

It's complicated. But don't let anyone tell you it's "too complicated". Some very smart people are involved.

The politicians have already done some work on debt reduction. They have the script - they just need some prompting from you to go the whole way.

As well as politicians, economists, churchmen of every persuasion have come on board the debt cancellation bus: from Pope John Paul to the Dalai Lama. Jews, Muslims, Christians... Mohammed Ali is going to go back in the ring if it doesn't happen... This is the kind of broad coalition that brought about the end of apartheid or slavery. And that's no exaggeration - this is "economic slavery", whose abolition we are now talking about. Potentially this is a fresh start for a billion people. Now that's a reason to party and a real reason to celebrate New Year's Eve '99...

As for tonight, you have shown your support by being here. What you should do now is stay informed, write to your politician, sign a petition, make yourself heard."