It’s hard to believe that one day soon I could say that I spent time with a Nobel Peace Prize winner.
It could happen if U2’s Bono gets the honor.
Okay, it’s not like I spent the day on his private yacht or anything…
Actually, now that I think about it we didn’t even shake hands, but we did exchange smiles, and I swear, if it weren’t for his security personnel, our hands would have touched. Heck, if it weren’t for his security personnel I would probably still have his autograph preserved on whatever article of clothing I was wearing that night.
That night happened more than a decade ago. U2 was in Madison, Wisconsin (I was attending college there) on a concert stop. I, of course, went to the concert, then was later informed that Bono and crew were staying at the same hotel where my then boyfriend was employed. I raced over to the hotel and happened to be in the right place at the right time. Just as I was walking over to my ex-boyfriend’s station in walks Bono complete with his trademark shades (never mind that it was after midnight and he was indoors) followed by two security officers. I stopped dead in my tracks as he strolled within arms reach of me. Then it happened. He flashed me a smile. It all happened so fast. If I had my wits about me I would have lunged toward him, shoved a pen in his hand, and asked him to sign away. Lucky for him my reaction time was impaired due to fatigue and excitement.
So what does my stroll down memory lane have to do with the Nobel Peace Prize?
Last night Bono, and the organization he co-founded, Debt AIDS Trade Africa (DATA) was awarded the prestigious Liberty Medal for his humanitarian work around the world. The Irish rocker received the award from former Liberty Medal recipient President George H.W. Bush. The singer also collected a $100,000 prize, which he said he would donate to the organization.
It’s no surprise to those who have followed Bono’s career that the U2 frontman would take home the honor. After all, he co-founded DATA in 2002 to work with religious groups on global disease and hunger issues. And three years later U2 headlined the Live 8 concerts held to raise awareness about African poverty. Bono then made it his mission to convince world leaders to cancel debt for the poorest African nations.
The Liberty Medal honors individuals or organizations whose actions represent the founding principles of the United States. Last year, former presidents Bush and Bill Clinton won the award for teaming up to raise more than $1 billion for disaster relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 tsunami in southeast Asia.
Previous winners have also included Afghan President Hamid Karzai and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. But, here’s the part about the award that makes it a headline grabber—-since the medal was first awarded in 1989, six of its recipients have gone on to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Could Bono be next?
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