U2's The Edge proud of Bono

Before they played the last show of their European tour on Sunday, August 14th, the members of U2 were given a state honor by the president of Portugal. Bono, the Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr., and Adam Clayton were given the Order Of Liberty by President Jorge Sampaio at the country's presidential palace in Lisbon. The band was cited for their work on behalf of various humanitarian causes over the past 25 years, according to the Associated Press. Following the ceremony, the band closed out the European leg of their Vertigo world tour at Estadio Jose Alvalade.

The Edge told us that U2's successes as a band and in their involvement in causes like Third World debt removal and the AIDS crisis in sub-Saharan Africa have allowed Bono to be effective an lobbyist for change:
[ click here to listen if you have a Backstage Pass] "I'm just really proud, I suppose, of him, and proud of the fact that our band - and our work - has created this environment where it's possible for him to walk into some of these corridors of power and actually get people to take him seriously."

After finishing their European tour, U2 return to North America for another round of shows beginning September 12th in Toronto.