Dave Stewart

I have spent a good portion of my artistic life extolling the virtues of changing our behaviour and the necessity for us to do so. Some see it as a choice; I see it as a vital part of our evolution as humans. From environmental to human rights issues, the connection to our daily lives cannot be ignored - we are as one on this planet and we have to act as one. I remember when Nelson Mandela gave me his prison number, 46664, to help fight the AIDS epidemic: what an honour and what a responsibility! 

To recognise the power one individual can have on the world when they act without regard for self is the most remarkable inspiration for us all. In Eurythmics, Annie Lennox and I dedicated an entire world tour to the issues of environment and human rights, raising huge amounts of money and awareness. But as successful as that was, we both realised that this was a fight that had to continue on all fronts, every day by everyone. 

We have to consistently join together and raise our voices, use technology and commerce and creative solutions to communicate our determination to save fragile places and extraordinary cultures.