Bono, the humanitarian and rockstar who has campaigned successfully for greater worldwide response to the HIV-AIDS endemic in Africa , spoke before a packed crowd at the Washington Hilton on Friday evening, February 4, 2006 . The event was sponsored by ASEA’s Center for Association Leadership and ACAM's director, Dr. Larry Casazza, was able to photograph this extraordinary advocate for Africa 's welfare from a front row seat during the lecture. (See above).

Bono's hour-long speech touched on the familiar themes that have put him on the cover of Time magazine together with Bill and Melinda Gates as Time’s Persons of the Year for 2005. They covered Africa 's need for effective antiretroviral drugs for HIV-AIDS patients, increased ITN access, and favorable trade agreements to open world markets to African farmers. But his strongest remarks were reserved to address the complacency the most Americans feel toward the Africa dilemma. He cautioned about making Africa a "cause" rather than viewing it as an immediate "emergency" situation similar to the tsunami response. His final comments called for specific action items to deal with Africa 's poverty issues and debt relief. He urged the audience to sign themselves and their association memberships up for his One Campaign. This organization is a consortium of groups pledged to raise public awareness to pressure governments to increase resources for Africa and to improve policies that promote democracy, accountability and transparency.

In his final remarks, Bono said, "I didn't expect change to come so slowly. It's a combination of our own indifference and a Kafkaesque labyrinth of ‘No’s as people vanish down the corridors of democracy." He acknowledged that the Washington crowd knew what he was talking about.

Departing from the auditorium, ACAM's director encountered comments expressing major disappointment that Bono had been complimentary of the Bush administration and the hard work of DC-based politicians he had rubbed shoulders with on the Hill. The fact that faith-based organizations have been recipients of major HIV-AIDS grants promoting abstinence and deemphasized the use of condoms stuck out as a major complaint. Bono agreed that America is a great country where freedom of expression is tolerated, even from those who refuse to consider the facts beyond their own biases.