Mandela To Attend ‘46664 ARCTIC’ AIDS Awareness Concert in Norway in June

Former South African President Nelson Mandela on Friday announced he will attend the third "46664" HIV/AIDS awareness concert in Tromsoe, Norway, on June 11, Reuters reports. The concert, titled "46664 ARCTIC," aims to send a message to leaders of the Group of Eight developed nations, who will be meeting in Scotland in July, that more commitment is needed to fight the pandemic. The concert also hopes to raise awareness among youth in the region -- particularly in Russia -- where HIV/AIDS "endangers the lives of millions," according to Reuters (Reuters, 4/29). Former U.S. President Bill Clinton; Irish rock star Bono, co-founder of the debt, AIDS and trade advocacy group DATA; and actor Will Smith -- who serve as 46664 campaign ambassadors -- also will attend the concert to urge more to be done to address infant mortality and the impact of the pandemic on children (AFP/Yahoo! News, 4/29). No performers have been announced (Reuters, 4/29). The first 46664 concert was held in Cape Town, South Africa, in December 2003 to benefit Mandela's 46664 campaign -- named for his prison number during his nearly 20-year incarceration at the South African prison on Robben Island. A second concert was held in March at the Fancourt Hotel, Country Club and Golf Estate in George, South Africa (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 3/21).