Brad Pitt and DATA Conclude 3-day Visit to Ethiopia

Addis Ababa – April 26, 2005 – American actor Brad Pitt has concluded a three-day trip to Ethiopia on behalf of ONE (www.ONE.ORG), the American campaign to fight global AIDS and poverty. Pitt is currently in South Africa on the second leg of his trip to visit groups that fight AIDS and poverty in Africa.

This is Pitt’s second trip to Africa. In November, Pitt visited South Africa and Ethiopia with ONE on a listening and learning mission. Both trips were arranged by DATA, the advocacy group founded by U2 lead singer Bono in 2002. Pitt also took part in the ONE.ORG spot, a 60 second ad promoting the campaign that is currently showing on MTV networks.

“For the last three days, Brad Pitt has been traveling around Ethiopia with DATA, a member of the ONE campaign. We have met some incredible people, incredibly poor people who are fighting back against AIDS and extreme poverty with help from Americans. We have seen lifesaving anti-AIDS drugs in action, drugs that are only here because of the action of concerned people from all walks of life in the USA, from churchgoers to punk rock fans. Hundreds of thousands of Americans, including Brad Pitt, are raising their voices as ONE about the crisis of AIDS and extreme poverty – and Congress and the president have heard the call. Now we must turn the trickle into a flood of effective aid to help Ethiopians and poor people across Africa help themselves,” said Jamie Drummond, executive director of DATA.

Pitt has visited projects in Ethiopia offering AIDS treatment, AIDS orphan care, girls’ education and empowerment, and micro credit for the poorest of the poor.

“These excellent and effective projects are funded by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, Save the Children, FHI, and Comic Relief,” said Jamie Drummond.

ONE is composed of eleven well-known and respected non-profit and humanitarian organizations including Bread for the World, CARE USA, DATA, PlanUS/Childreach, International Medical Corps, and International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, Oxfam America, Save the Children, World Concern and World Vision.