Bono Rallies TED Technorati

Bono's acceptance speech at TED 2005 celebrated the entrepreneurial spirit of America and pleaded for a focus on the HIV/AIDS in Africa.

He acknowledged that "we are very good at charity. Americans, like Irish people, are good at it. Even the poorest neighborhoods give more than they can afford. We like to give, and we give a lot. Look at the response to the tsunami. It's inspiring."

The video is mesmerizing... not only in the power of the message and the honesty of the messenger, but in the Obe Won Kenobe-like hologram of Bono himself at the podium interacting with the audience in California (his likeness was beamed from a secret location somewhere in the world).

Bono's acceptance address (selections)
Bono's acceptance address (complete)
Transcript of address

Excerpt:

But justice is a tougher standard than charity. You see, Africa makes a fool of our idea of justice. It makes a farce of our idea of equality. It mocks our pieties. It doubts our concern. It questions our commitment. Because there's no way we can look at what's happening in Africa and, if we're honest, conclude that it would ever be allowed to happen anywhere else.

As you heard in the film, anywhere else, not here, not here, not in America, not in Europe. In fact a head of state that you're all familiar with admitted this to me, and it's really true. There is no chance this kind of hemorrhaging of human life would be accepted anywhere else other than Africa.