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№ 2004.014 — University of Pennsylvania — Commencement address
Bono
Field: arts
Bono opens with self-deprecating humor about being a rock star receiving an honorary law degree before challenging graduates to identify and pursue a 'big idea' worth their moral and intellectual investment. Drawing on his experiences in Africa, he frames the AIDS crisis and extreme poverty as an emergency demanding justice rather than charity, arguing this generation has the resources to end it. He celebrates America as an idea built on equality and possibility, and urges graduates to take bold action and shape the future.
Key moments
- 01 Humorous reflection on receiving an honorary doctorate and his lack of formal education
- 02 The poet's line 'if you want to serve the age, betray it' and exposing the blind spots of the era
- 03 Personal story of an Ethiopian father asking Bono to take his son
- 04 Distinction between charity and justice, and the ONE campaign to end AIDS and poverty in Africa
- 05 Praise of America as an idea and call for graduates to take bold measures
Transcript
The full transcript is hosted by the original publisher. Commencement Archive links to the source rather than republishing copyrighted text.
Read the full transcript at source →Provenance
Imported from NPR commencement archive; cross-referenced with Open Commencement DB
NPR archive last updated in 2015; destination availability has not been exhaustively rechecked | Open Commencement DB transcript; not independently verified against the original recording