Mandela To Host Concert in South Africa To Raise HIV/AIDS Funds
Former South African President Nelson Mandela on Friday announced that he will host a concert featuring "some of the world's leading entertainers" to raise funds for people in Africa with HIV/AIDS, the AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Mandela, speaking at a Cape Town, South Africa, fundraising dinner hosted by himself and talk show host Oprah Winfrey, said that the Feb. 2 concert will be held for 3,000 invited guests on an island off the coast of Cape Town. Musical artists Bono, Macy Gray and Shaggy have already agreed to perform at "Mandela SOS," and artists Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Elton John also have been invited to perform (AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 12/7). The concert, which will be hosted by Bono, according to concert organizers, will raise funds for the Nelson Mandela Foundation and for several orphanages for HIV-positive children (Agence France-Presse, 12/7). "The concert will focus on the growing impact that AIDS has on human life, not only in South Africa but throughout the world," Mandela said (AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 12/7). Also at Friday night's fundraising dinner, Winfrey announced that she will donate $10 million to start a leadership school for girls in Africa and will continue to coordinate projects to raise funds for children with AIDS (Agence France-Presse, 12/7).
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