Editing Bob Geldof (section)

===Commission for Africa===
In January 2004, on a visit to friends in Africa, Geldof came to believe that more people were at risk of starvation there than had died in the famine of 1984/85 which had prompted Live Aid. He telephoned the British Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] from [[Addis Ababa]]. According to the Live 8 programme notes by Geldof's biographer and friend, [[Paul Vallely]], the Prime Minister responded: "Calm down Bob. ... And come and see me as soon as you get back."<ref>Live 8 programme notes by Paul Vallely</ref>

The result was the [[Commission for Africa]]. Blair invited Geldof and 16 other Commissioners, the majority from Africa and many of them politicians in power, to undertake a year-long study of Africa's problems. They came up with two conclusions: that Africa needed to change, to improve its governance and combat corruption, and that the rich world needed to support that change in new ways.  That meant doubling aid, delivering debt cancellation, and reforming trade rules.  The Commission drew up a detailed plan of how that could be done. It reported in March 2005. To force the issue Geldof decided to create a new international lobby for Africa with eight simultaneous concerts around the world to put pressure on the [[G8]]. He called it [[Live 8]]. The commission's recommendations later became the blueprint for the [[G8 Gleneagles]] African debt and aid package.