Meddling celebrities do more harm than good

AID agency Concern has suggested putting together a global team of leaders to broker peace in international conflict zones.

Bono, President Michael D Higgins and Amma, the ‘hugging saint’, have been suggested as three potential heavy hitters who could be deployed in a crisis.

George Mitchell, who helped negotiate the Good Friday accord, and Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl shot on her way to school, have also been mentioned as possible negotiators when disaster strikes. Barack Obama’s name is in the pot as well.

They are all reputable people with a commitment to public life and, in many cases, either a proven track record in diplomacy or in taking risks to improve society.

So what is Bono doing in the middle?

He’s a well intentioned philanthropist but if recent events tell us anything, it’s that the tide has gone out on meddling celebrities.

Americans didn’t vote for Hillary, even though all of Hollywood warned them of the perils of putting Trump in power.

Black Americans didn’t vote for Hillary even though they were under strict orders to do so from Beyoncé and Jay Z.

The English voted for Brexit despite Bob Geldof’s leading a flotilla down the Thames and the intervention of luvvies like Jude Law on the EU side.

When Dublin City Council’s Owen Keegan said that we are suckers for a celebrity cause he was vilified.

He was told that the public mobilised behind Apollo House not because of the pulling power of Glen Hansard, above, or Jim Sheridan but because the Home Sweet Home campaign struck a chord.

The world has tired of celebrities exploiting poverty or conflict to embellish their humanitarian profiles. It’s time that do-gooders, public officials, the UN and aid agencies listened.