U2 Ambassadors
of Conscience 2005
“I am happy to hear that Art for Amnesty
has chosen U2 as this year’s Ambassadors of Conscience because
that also makes me a member of probably the only diplomatic diplomatic
ensemble in the world where everything will really be in tune. I
appreciate U2’s public stance and congratulate the members
of the band from the bottom of my heart.” Vaclav
Havel
From the day that they showed up at the opening
of Amnesty’s Irish Section offices in 1984, U2 and Manager
Paul McGuinness have arguably done more than any artists to champion
and highlight the cause of global human rights and the work of Amnesty
International.
Younger supporters of Amnesty will have seen them perform at Live8
in July but many will not remember that they were also star performers,
some would say the star performers, at Live Aid in 1985.
In 1986 they headlined the Amnesty International Conspiracy
of Hope tour playing Stadiums across North America. As a result
Amnesty’s North American membership doubled. This tour also
gave Amnesty the confidence to embark upon the global Human
Rights Now! tour in 1988.
They have helped recruit literally hundreds of thousands of Amnesty
members and supporters – providing tabling at all their concerts
and urging their fans to join Amnesty on all their album sleeves
and providing all relevant Amnesty addresses.
Their music has always carried a strong and inspiring human rights
message. Songs like ‘Pride (In The Name of Love)’,
'MLK’, ‘Miss Sarajevo’, ‘Mothers of the
Disappeared’, ‘Walk On’(for Aung San Syu Kyi),
and of course the song which has become an anthem to Amnesty ‘One’,
have helped spread the human rights message to a global audience.
But U2 are and have always been about much more than just music.
They have used their music and their celebrity to full effect not
only in the ‘civil and political’ sphere but also in
the ‘economic, social and cultural’ sphere. They are
champions of Amnesty but also Greenpeace, and through their involvement
with DATA and
The One Campaign they
have brought the issues of debt, aids and trade, particularly as
they affect Africa, to the world’s attention and kept them
there. They have shown that it is not good enough to leave it to
the politicians' and the ‘traditional’ world leaders
to make a difference. They have empowered and inspired millions
of people with their music, their example and their activism.
For this year’s ‘Vertigo’ World Tour,
arguably their biggest and best in a long and glorious career which
has seen them rise to the pinnacle of rock music’s summit
and remain there, they have chosen to feature a video installation
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Seamus Heaney wrote on learning that U2 were to be this years ‘Ambassadors
of Conscience’ “U2 have sung themselves to where great
singing comes from, that place where art and ardency meet in the
light of conscience. They have been exemplary in their committment
to human rights and in their advocacy of a more compassionate and
visionary way of conducting the world economy. No group is more
entitled to the high honour Amnesty has bestowed on them”.
Bill Shipsey
December 10th, 2005
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2005
U2
2004
Mary Robinson
Hilda MoralesTrujillo
2003
Václav Havel
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