FILE: Irish rocker and social activist Bob Geldof is, once again, among the possible nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize

Record ID: 858196

  • Title: FILE: Irish rocker and social activist Bob Geldof is, once again, among the possible nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize
  • Date: 9th October 2009
  • Summary: ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (FILE - JANUARY 9, 1985) (REUTERS) ROCK STAR AND AID CAMPAIGNER, BOB GELDOF, MEETING MOTHER TERESA VARIOUS OF "DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS?" ALBUM COVER/GELDOF AND MOTHER TERESA TALKING LALIBELLA, ETHIOPIA (FILE - JANUARY 9, 1985) (REUTERS) CROWDED TOWN SQUARE GELDOF WALKING THROUGH STREETS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROCK STAR AND AID CAMPAIGNER, BOB GELDOF, SAYING: "The priorities are to keep people alive until such time as massive intervention can be brought in from the governments. That's what I think is the priority of the Band Aid, is to keep people alive as much as possible." BERLIN, GERMANY (FILE - JUNE 7, 2005) (REUTERS) "LIVE 8" NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROCK STAR AND AID CAMPAIGNER, SIR BOB GELDOF, SAYING: "It is the greatest collection of stars there has ever been, and it will never ever, this will never happen again. If you're not there, then you've missed it."
  • Embargoed: 24th October 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location:
  • City:
  • Country:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAC7Z1Y3EEDTH0MTQR96JNO0KB2
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Irish rocker and social activist Bob Geldof is, once again, among the possible nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize.
    Singer and international aid campaigner Bob Geldof is believed to be a contender for the Nobel Peace Prize, to be announced on Friday (October 9).
    Geldof first hit international prominence when he put together a group of musicians called Band Aid, consisting of many leading British and Irish rock and pop musicians, all of whom were at the top of the industry.
    The single "Do They Know It's Christmas" was released just before Christmas 1984, with the aim of raising money for famine relief. The song raised many millions of pounds, and became the biggest-selling single in UK chart history until 1997.
    Using the enormous success of the Band Aid single, Geldof went on to organise the massive charity concert Live Aid, which raised unprecedented sums for the cause in July 1985.
    In the middle of 2004, aware of the approaching twentieth anniversary of Live Aid, concomitant with Britain's presidency of both the G8 and the European Union, Geldof called for a political and intellectual debate concerning extreme poverty and its consequences, which he regards as the great problem of our age.
    In March 2005 Geldof announced the Live 8 project, to raise awareness of issues that he claims burden Africa, such as government debt, trade barriers, and AIDS issues.
    Geldof organised six concerts on July 2, 2005: in London Elton John, U2, Coldplay, Madonna, and Paul McCartney were on the bill.
    The concerts were free and were scheduled just days before world leaders gathered in Scotland for the G8 economic summit, on July 6. 'The boys and girls with guitars will finally get to turn the world on its axis,' Geldof said in a statement.
    In 2008, Geldof visited the G8 Summit in Toyako Japan to lobby leaders on behalf of Africa development issues. He said during his visit the G8 should expand and increase commitment to the world's poorest continent.
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register