RFK Center to honor Bono, Jean

NEW YORK, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights in New York says it plans to present Bono and Wyclef Jean with its 2009 Ripple of Hope Award.

The prize is to be presented at the center's annual dinner Nov. 18.

"As champions of justice, Bono and Wyclef have brought the national spotlight to human rights violations, empowered local activists and transformed the lives of millions of people living in poverty from Port-Au-Prince to Darfur," Kerry Kennedy, founder of the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights, said in a statement Friday. "Their efforts evoke the spirit of my father and we are honored to recognize them."

The award will honor Bono, lead singer of U2 and co-founder of the advocacy organization ONE and (Product) RED, for his efforts in the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.

The center also said it will recognize Jean for his work to strengthen and inspire change in his native Haiti through his Yele Haiti organization.