ITALY: Musician and anti-poverty campaigner Sir Bob Geldof receives "Man for Peace" award in Rome

Sir Bob Geldof received the "Man for Peace Award 2005" in Rome on Thursday (November 24) for his efforts to reduce poverty in Africa and in promoting peace across the world. The award was presented during the 6th Nobel Peace Prize winner summit for Peace, attended by former Nobel laureates including former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, former Polish President Lech Walesa and Guatemala human rights activist Rigoberta Menchu Tum. The musician Sting was also present along with members of Geldof's family. Geldof who also won a human rights award in Portugal early this week said it was easier to feel proud after receiving music awards. "The ones I love getting are music awards, 'cause then I feel very proud of something I've done, you know' Geldof said. "But these are political and they should be used politically. This is from the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, so it should be used towards resolving political, you know, conflicts", he said. Geldof widely referred in his acceptance speech to the next World Trade Organisation (WTO) summit in Hong Kong on December 13-18 2005, as a crucial moment to carry on the campaign against hunger in Africa. "Europe must break the deadlock in the negotiations in Hong Kong and today they are refusing to do that", said Geldof, accusing Europe of blocking negotiations to change trade agreements with developing nations. "And I urge the media and the political class of Italy to persuade their government to do something immediately and now. (Giulio) Tremonti (Finance Minister), (Alberto) Michelini , Gianni Letta (Foreign Office Secretary), (Silvio) Berlusconi (Prime Minister), I want them, I want them to lead Italy into breaking this deadlock between the Europeans and everybody else", added Geldof.

ITN Source | December 1, 2005

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