Paul Hewson

(http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/bono ())

"One love
One life
When it's one need
In the night
One love
We get to share it
Leaves you baby if you
Don't care for it.
One love
One blood
One life
You got to do what you should...
With each other
Sisters
Brothers" (Hewson).
One is a powerful word. It symbolizes the unification nations need to undergo to leave behind a better world. There is only one way to eliminate the deadly diseases, widespread poverty, and heartbreaking suffering that exists in our world, and Paul Hewson sees how to do just that. Hewson changed during the many trips he took to third-world countries to volunteer and help others. He experienced what poverty and unhygienic living can do to people, and he wants to help improve these issues. In 1984, he contributed to Band Aid singing in their single "Do they Know it's Christmas?" In the following year he also performed in Live Aid (a concert hosted by various bands to raise money for charity). More recently in 2002, Hewson cofounded DATA (Debt, AIDS, and Trade for Africa), a nonprofit organization whose aim is to eliminate debt, end AIDS, and improve trade in Africa. Soon after, he helped found the ONE Campaign. The ONE Campaign's goal is to improve the quality of life for the people of Africa by raising money to treat AIDS, ending malnutrition, and preventing deadly diseases. In 2006, Hewson cofounded Product Red, a company that teams up with major retailers who then creates a product with the Product Red logo and donates a portion of their profits to charity. Not only did Hewson play a key role in forming all of these campaigns, organizations, and companies, but he also spent much of his free time persuading politicians and other influential people to support his efforts. He travels across the globe to support his cause and help people live better lives. One must be willing to sacrifice their time, effort, and resources to be a hero. They must possess the social skills needed to bring a broad range of people together and unite them towards a common cause. Inspiration, intelligence, selflessness, dedication, and bravery all come to mind when think of a hero, and Hewson perfectly fits that description.  Hewson is the lead of one of the most successful, beloved band in the world and still acts like a hero should; he is a hero because of his selflessness, his courage and bravery to stand up for his beliefs, and the virtues and traits he holds that everybody needs and more importantly should have.

(http://www.concernusa.org/public/WhoWeAre/Content. ())

Paul Hewson's selflessness is exercised from the beginning of the band to the time now in which he performs at sold out concerts. When Hewson was young, he had no direction for his life and he had to "[find] something to give his life meaning and a sense of importance" (Bono). Music provided an escape from the death of his mother and Hewson incorporated his mourning, beliefs, and opinions, in his song lyrics. With his music, Hewson did so much more than he thought he could have. He found a way to help others and inspire the world. Hewson spends much of his time on humanitarian work. In the last decade he spent many years raising awareness for the problems the world today is facing. In one interview, Hewson said: "'I get very little time entirely alone.'" (Tyrangiel). Because he spends so much time travelling the world for humanitarian work, there is a minimal amount of time he has to himself. Hewson could be swimming in an Olympic sized pool, or taking a vacation in the beautiful state of Hawaii. But he chooses to spend his time doing good in the world and he is happy to do it. Only the most selfless, compassionate person could give up their personal time to gain nothing for themselves to give priceless aid to others.

 Hewson has the bravery to stand up for his beliefs and isn't afraid to argue with others, even when faced with the most powerful opponents. He is fighting against powerful influences and important people like President Bush who, taking office in 2001, caused "development groups [to presume] that debt, AIDS and trade for Africa would be at the bottom of his agenda. because Bush said they would be" (Tyrangiel). One must undergo a lot of stress, pressure, and anxiety knowing they have started a political war with the President of the United States, and Hewson has to have a lot of bravery to fight and gain support for his charity organization. Paul Hewson is also very dependent of living two lives, one being an influential activist, and another being a rock star. One person believes that "it might be possible to imagine Bono shedding his title as the world's greatest activist and reverting to his previous role as its biggest rock star--except that his happiness and peace of mind so obviously depend on being both" (Tyrangiel). Because Hewson's happiness is so dependent on living both lives, he must be very strong in heart to be able to take all of the stress handed to him on a daily basis. It takes a lot of natural bravery, dedication, and a good conscious to take on this challenge and Hewson is one of the few that possesses those traits. Paul Hewson's bravery to stand up for his beliefs helps him achieve his philanthropic goals, increase awareness of poverty, and eliminate AIDS.

(http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2011/07/03/u2-m ())

All of Hewson's virtues, beliefs, and traits make him a role model fit for people all around the world; people want to be like him because he spends his time working for charity, helping others, and changing the world.  There are positive, life changing messages in everything Hewson does, writes, or says. In "One," he emphasizes:
"Well it's
Too late
Tonight
To drag the past out into the light.
We're one, but we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other" (Hewson).
The message in this excerpt teaches that we need to forget our grudges and prejudices of people to make a better world. This proves Hewson's understanding of what we need to do to make revolutions and changes take place. Because Hewson knows how to influence huge changes in the world we live in today, people look up to him to voice their opinions and make the changes for them. Ordinary people adopt Paul Hewson as a hero because he replaces the parts of them that make them want to be a part of something bigger than just their lives. However, he is not doing all of the work for the ordinary people, but he has "drawn praise from many quarters, and inspired thousands of his fans to become involved in social change" (Bono).  Paul Hewson helped thousands of people realize that even with just a little bit of effort, they can effect somebody's life in a positive way, whether it is by making another's day, donating to charity, or volunteering in one's community. One has to have a lot of trust from someone to cause them to change their lives and work towards something that does not benefit them. Hewson has essentially become a part of every single person he has touched with his influence and has caused them to be aware of and try to solve global problems, something only a true hero can do.

(http://nocestories.blogspot.com/2011/06/rocking-ou ())

Paul Hewson's heroism is gained by the selflessness he practices, the courage he has to speak up for his beliefs, and the characteristics he holds that everybody desperately wants and needs. Putting others in front of yourself is perhaps one of the most challenging things for one to learn and it takes a lot of willpower to practice this virtue. Inserting oneself into the hot seat of politics is against our human nature. It constantly endangers that one person and they must have a lot of commitment, dedication, and fearlessness to take the pressure of knowing that countless numbers of people are depending on them. However, everybody has the dream to be the person others can count on to support them because it brings happiness. But it is extremely hard for most people to do this and thus they rely on another person, a hero, to be that person of giving and compassion for them.  Hewson is an inspiration and fits the description of a hero because of his natural ability to bring people together as one and unite them towards a common cause. One person who has met Hewson says: "There are rhythmic pauses between his phrases, some of which have been rounded smooth by dozens of similar meetings, while others are hitting the air for the first time and are charged with tension. The overall effect is musical. Bono is taking a room filled with economists, mathematicians and policy experts and levitating it." He can persuade people without any effort to acknowledge a single decision: to make a difference in this world, no matter what it takes to make that change. At his performance at Glastonbury in 2011, he poetically recites with music in the background "Here we are, this... crowd. People from all over the country, from all over the world... Imagine a man looking down at us from 200 miles up looking down at our beautiful, crowded planet... Cities connect into a web of lights and the conflicts of the world seem silent. What would this man say to us?" Words were then shown to the crowd: 7-billion; One nation; Imagine; It's a beautiful place. I am very moved by the emotions displayed by Hewson and he has inspired me to think of ways I can make our world of despair and anguish fit his description of a painless world he so desperately wants. Not all of us will live to be international heroes. But we can learn from Hewson and work together to make a better world. And no one helps us reach closer to our goal better than Paul Hewson. Remember, one unified love is all we need to join together and create a new, better world.
"One love
One blood
One life."

Works Consulted

Tom Zeller Jr.; James Freed Contributed Reporting For This. "CONNECTIONS; Paul Hewson, Trying to Throw His Arms Around the World." The New York Times. The New York Times, 13 Nov. 2006. Web. 9 Dec. 2012..

Bono." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Vol. 24. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 10 Dec. 2012.

"Bono." Newsmakers. Detroit: Gale, 1988. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 9 Dec. 2012.

Hewson, Paul. "One." Rec. Sept. 1991. One. U2. Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, 1991. CD.

Tyrangiel, Josh. "The Constant Charmer." Time. Time, 19 Dec. 2005. Web. 9 Dec. 2012..