Pop Stars Join PSI to Fight AIDS in Africa

Some of today’s hottest pop and hip-hop stars have teamed up with PSI to fight AIDS in Africa in a variety of ways:

• Bono, lead singer of the rock band U2, visited the PSI program in Malawi in January and led schoolchildren in the chant “Get Ready for Youth Alert! Youth Alert! Youth Alert!” Youth Alert is the Malawi chapter of a network of African youth organizations that promotes AIDS prevention and safer sex behavior through entertainment. Bono spoke of his admiration for PSI’s work and the Youth Alert! Program and pledged his ongoing support for their activities.



• Justin Timberlake of NSYNC, Destiny’s Child, Alicia Keys and other pop stars donated their time and talent in December to recording a series of Public Service Announcements promoting safer sex for several PSI African programs.



• Bono put together the biggest line-up of international musical talent since “We Are the World” to record a remake up of Marvin Gaye’s classic “What’s Going On?” with the proceeds going to PSI and other organizations fighting AIDS in Africa.



• On World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, 2001, PSI announced the launch of YouthAIDS, a global initiative to raise funds and awareness to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS among the world's youth. This international call-to-action was launched with a public service announcement featuring the theatrical group STOMP!, a global advertising campaign, an interactive web site (www.youthaids.org), six corporate partnerships and an alliance with Bono’s organization Artists Against AIDS Worldwide. Two major concerts, beamed around the world by MTV, are planned for this year.

The YouthAIDS initiative showcases PSI's HIV/AIDS prevention programs in countries around the world and combines their efforts into one global campaign to achieve comprehensive, international reach. The infrastructure to reach the world's 15-24 year-olds has been in place for more than 15 years, with PSI programs operating in almost 60 countries around the world. Using the power of music and media, YouthAIDS intends to mobilize partners and secure the necessary funding for a collective effort to protect and educate youth.

One of the first manifestations of this effort to reach youth took place in September 2001, when superstar artists gathered in New York City to record a “supersingle” with nine new versions of Marvin Gaye's classic "What’s Going On?" as a call to stop the spread of AIDS in Africa. All the proceeds will go to Artist Against AIDS Worldwide which will share the money with organizations fighting AIDS in Africa, including PSI.

PSI filmed the Public Service Announcements in Las Vegas as the stars gathered for the annual Billboard Awards in December. PSI was able to get Destiny’s Child, Shaggy, Nelly, Eve, Alicia Keys, Jermaine Dupri and Justin Timberlake to take time out of their schedules to record the PSAs. Each artist recorded both country-specific tag lines and generic condom messages for both television and radio.

Bono was in Malawi to attend the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Head of States Summit in Blantyre on January 15th together with top development economist and academic luminary Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Center for International Studies at Harvard University. Sachs spoke to the assembled leaders on the pressing need to dramatically increase spending from the developed world for assistance to the South.

Driving directly from the SADC summit to PSI/Malawi’s offices, Bono and Sachs were greeted by PSI Country Rep Desmond Chavasse. During the lunchtime presentation by Chavasse, several of the typical questions heard from students at Youth Alert! presentations were aired for review: “Is it true that a girl needs the Vitamin K in semen to be healthy?” Astonishment at the level of adolescent ignorance in Malawi was palpable. “What’s Vitamin K?” Bono was heard to say: “There’s no Vitamin K in my cornflakes in the morning.”

The delegation drove by convoy to Nyambadwe Secondary School where a Youth Alert! presentation led by PSI/Malawi Communications Officer Mafumu Matiki was in full swing. In a few minutes Mafumu had the 100 students and the VIPs present howling with laughter. A role play of a strong adolescent girl negotiating how to say no to sex was a hit with the kids and the delegation, as it was peppered with plenty of reality and Chichewa humor.

To cap everything off, local music sensation Ben Michael and his dancers performed the Youth Alert! jingle for the gathering. Bono grabbed the mike and sang his own rousing rendition of the jingle: “Get Ready for Youth Alert! Youth Alert! Youth Alert!”

• Archives

Bono, seen here visiting PSI/Malawi, is one of several pop stars who have teamed up with PSI to fight HIV/AIDS.

Superstar artists have gathered to record a new version of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," as a call to stop the spread of AIDS in Africa.