Bono Threatens To Rattle And Bang

Irish rock star Bono threatened Tuesday to join a campaign of civil disobedience if rich countries don't do more to combat world poverty.

"The people I represent — the activists from my community — will take a very, very different tack in the next few years if these trends are to continue in Africa," the U2 frontman said at the Dublin launch of a U.N. report which warned that international programs to help poor nations out of poverty are failing in many countries.

"I am ready to march with my activist friends in campaigns of civil disobedience," he added. "We are about to get very noisy, we are about to bang a lot of dustbin lids. This issue is the defining issue of our time and some of us are ready to really work on it."

Last year, Bono traveled to Africa with U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, bent on convincing the skeptical politico, O'Neill, that Africa puts Western development aid to good use.

The idea of a joint trip was hatched when the two men met in O'Neill's office. Bono, who has campaigned for years to focus the attention of rich nations on the plight of Africa, asked for the session.

Bono has campaigned to get the Group of Eight top industrial countries to provide greater debt relief for the world's poorest countries.

The G-8 comprises the leaders of the world's seven richest countries — the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada — plus Russia.

In an effort to learn what kind of aid really works, O'Neill and Bono, visited AIDS clinics, schools and projects sponsored by the World Bank and other development agencies.

In May, President Bush signed a $15 billion global AIDS bill that would more than double U.S. contributions to the worldwide fight against AIDS.

Supporters, including Bono, said the money could bring relief to millions of people with AIDS and prevent the deadly disease from infecting millions more.

DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), an advocacy group founded by Bono, said the bill would prevent 7 million new infections, provide care for 10 million HIV-infected individuals and AIDS orphans, and give antiretroviral therapy for 2 million.