Introducing U2’s lead singer at a seminar, the World Bank president lauded Bono’s “perfectly remarkable advocacy job on the issue of global debt” reduction for the world’s poorest nations. Wrapping an arm around the Irish rocker’s shoulder, the suave Wolfensohn also admired Bono’s black suit and trademark “Fly” sunglasses.
A leading campaigner for the Jubilee 2000 group of charities and churches, Bono spoke no less glowingly of Wolfensohn, calling him a “moral man . . . brave, bold and stupid enough to let me into his office to bend his ear.” He expressed sadness that Wolfensohn gets hardly any applause for his efforts to help poverty-stricken countries reduce their debt burdens. On the contrary, Bono said, Wolfensohn is one of the world’s “grooviest” voices for reform.
Once the session ended, however, both men took a step back. Bono said he could not fully applaud Wolfensohn because the World Bank’s debt reduction efforts are only half done. In Bono’s opinion, Wolfensohn needs to reach for “the top of the mountain” - total debt forgiveness for the poorest nations. Meanwhile, minutes after introducing Bono, the groovy World Bank boss gave a press briefing at which he clarified his position: “I did embrace him, but I did not agree with him. I at no stage said that I thought we could get to 100 percent” debt forgiveness. Bummer.
