23 October 2003

Nelson Mandela - former Robben Island prisoner number 46664 - has launched a worldwide music-led campaign to raise awareness about Aids in Africa. Pulling in major international celebrities and corporations, the multifaceted 46664 campaign combines a ground-breaking music launch on the Web and phone networks around the world with an all-star concert in South Africa on November 29.

The 46664 "Give one minute of your life to stop Aids" campaign, launched by Mandela in London this week, calls on people to join a global petition via local call-in numbers on which they can hear songs written by contributing artists, contribute directly to the fight against Aids in Africa, and be directed to the 46664 website to hear more music, purchase exclusive 46664 tracks, download ringtones, make donations and leave their e-mail addresses.

The campaign also calls on governments to declare a global Aids emergency. "This means developed country governments must give much more money to the Global Fund to fight Aids, and the global community should strive to get three million people living with Aids on lifesaving anti-retrovirals by 2005", the campaign spells out on the 46664 site.

"46664 was the prison number of Nelson Mandela on Robben Island, Cape Town where he was held in captivity for 18 years", the statement continues. "The issue in South Africa then was apartheid.

"The issue today, across the continent, is Aids. Thirty million people in Africa are currently imprisoned by the HIV virus, a death sentence among the poor due to lack of affordable medicines. Since the start of the pandemic two decades ago, 17 million Africans have died."

The campaign's first track "46664 (Long Walk to Freedom)", written by Bono, Dave Stewart and the late Joe Strummer and performed by Bono, Youssou N'Dour, Abdel Wright and Dave Stewart, was released on Tuesday 21 October – and in a music industry first, will only be available throughout the world via telephone lines, then subsequently on the 46664 website.

This will be followed by "People" - written by Dave Stewart and Jimmy Cliff and performed by Sting and Jimmy Cliff - and a series of a further ensemble and solo tracks written variously and collectively by Bono and Dave Stewart, Queen, Mick Jones (with his version of "46664"), Anastacia, The Neptunes, Johnny Clegg, Beyonce, Brian May, Ms Dynamite, Roger Taylor, Paul McCartney, Paul Oakenfold, and Timbaland.

To date over a dozen new tracks have been completed, or are in the final stages of being recorded.

Audiences can listen by dialling different numbers throughout the world, which in most countries will incorporate the five digits 46664. In addition to the music, callers will hear messages from celebrities such as Beyonce, Robert De Niro, Britney Spears, Pink and David Bowie.

Simply by phoning the appropriate number, callers will join a global petition. They will further be invited to visit the campaign website, where they will be able to register and give their e-mail address - thus adding their support to the call urging governments to fully fund Aids.

Dave Stewart, who conceived the campaign, said: "It's so simple. When you dial the number you will be answered by anybody from Robert De Niro to Nelson Mandela to Bono or whoever. They will then give you a message thanking you for dialling 46664 and donating a minute of your life to stop Aids.

"Then you will hear a brand new song that has never been heard before written by Bono, myself, Queen, and other writers, and performed by a host of artists from Beyonce to Chad, and many many more. The only way of hearing these songs is to dial the number, and by doing that you are raising money and awareness for one of the world's most serious issues of our time."

• 46664 phone numbers: see box on right, or list below

46664 – The Concert
The highlight and celebration of the campaign will be 46664 – The Concert, in Association with MTV's Staying Alive, at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town on 29 November, the weekend before World Aids Day on December 1.

The concert will take place in front of an audience of 40 000, will be broadcast live on the internet, will premiere on MTV channels globally on World Aids Day, and will be made available rights-free, at no cost, to all TV, radio broadcasters and internet partners worldwide, reaching a potential audience of more than two billion people.

SABC in South Africa will air the concert live, the European Broadcasting Union will distribute the programme to member broadcasters in 52 countries, and the Asian Broadcasting Union to broadcasters in 28 countries. In addition, the BBC World Service will air the concert as a special radio broadcast in 13 languages to a potential audience of 152 million people across 37 countries.

Leading South African artists Watershed, Bongo Maffin, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Johnny Clegg & Sipho Mchunu, Ladysmith Black Mombaza, Danny K, Zola, and Ready D will be joined by international artists including Anastacia, Baaba Maal, Beyonce, Bono, Eurythmics, The Corrs, Angelique Kidjo, Moloko, Paul Oakenfold featuring Shifty Shell Shock and TC, Queen, Youssou N'Dour, and Zucchero.

46664 - The CD, featuring the artists previewed on the telephone and the artists who appeared in the concert, with additional tracks from some of the world's most outstanding artists, is planned for release early in 2004. 46664 - The DVD, featuring the entire concert together with a wealth of behind-the-scenes footage, is planned for release in March next year.

As well as stars from the world of music, 46664 is supported by international figures such as Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey - and by global media partners Tiscali and MTV's Staying Alive, global event partners Coca-Cola, BBC World Service, FedEx and Virgin Atlantic, SABC and The Fleming Media Group, and local event partners BMW, Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel and Nissan.

The campaign was conceived by Dave Stewart and put into place in partnership with the Mandela Foundation and Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen.

Mandela, speaking at the International Aids Conference in Paris earlier this year, said: "A tragedy of unprecedented proportions is unfolding in Africa. Aids today in Africa is claiming more lives than the sum total of all wars, famines and floods and the ravages of such deadly diseases as malaria ... We must act now for the sake of the world ... Aids is no longer a disease, it is a human rights issue."

Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Atlantic, said of the launch: "Today marks the launch of this unique, and under the spearhead of Mr Mandela, incredible new charity 46664. I have had the privilege of knowing Mr Mandela for quite a few years now, and truly believe that he is the only man the world will listen to in his call to 'Give 1 minute of your life to Aids'.

"Who else but Madiba would use his prison number 46664 – a number with which his captors for many, many years had marked him less than human – nothing more than a number. We need to join together to make 46664 a number that the world will never forget. A number that for years will bring only light to a world blackened by the epidemic that is HIV-Aids."

46664 phone numbers
Below is the list of all the official international 46664 phone numbers. You can dial any of these numbers from a mobile or landline. More countries will be added - visit the 46664 website for updates. Make the call and give one minute of your life now.

• Australia - 1900 946 664
• Canada - 866 61 46664
• France - 0892 892 870
• Germany - (0172) 220 46664
• Greece - 901 12 72664
• Hungary - 3670 70 46664
• Ireland - 1580 715 715
• Italy - Vodafone users 46664
• Netherlands - 0900 46664 00
• Portugal - 91 1500 000
• South Africa - 082 1 46664
• Spain - 806 52 6664
• Sweden 0718 32 664
• UK - 09060 1 46664
• USA - 866 61 46664

Source: 46664.com

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46664 phone numbers Below is the list of all the official international 46664 phone numbers. You can dial any of these numbers from a mobile or landline. More countries will be added - visit the 46664 website for updates. Make the call and give one minute of your life now. Australia - 1900 946 664 Canada - 866 61 46664 France - 0892 892 870 Germany - 0172 220 46664 Greece - 901 12 72664 Hungary - 3670 70 46664 Ireland - 1580 715 715 Italy - Vodafone users 46664 Netherlands - 0900 46664 00 Portugal - 91 1500 000 South Africa - 082 1 46664 Spain - 806 52 6664 Sweden 0718 32 664 UK - 09060 1 46664 USA - 866 61 46664

Nelson Mandela - 85 years Nelson Mandela turned 85 on 18 July 2003. Find out more about the man and his work, and check out the moving, amazing Mandela Birthday Message Book.