The impact heard around the world
The impact heard around the world
by Jenna Alifante
The Review (University of Delaware)
Tuesday, September 6, 2005
Most of the university's students were either in diapers or not yet born when the first event to unite the world in the fight to aid Africa took place.
However, this past July, they, along with an estimated 3 billion others across the globe, witnessed a monumental event in which artists, actors, politicians, religious leaders, social advocates and everyday citizens banded together to make their voices heard. The worldwide event was Live 8 and the impact has yet to be fully realized.
Unlike other events addressing issues in Africa, Live 8's purpose was not to beg its viewers for their money, but rather their voices. It is safe to say that between the nine concerts in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Philadelphia, Canada, Tokyo, Johannesburg and Moscow, the voices of many were not just heard, but impossible to ignore.
In Philadelphia alone, an estimated one million people packed the area in front of the city's museum of art.
University senior Nick Rickert, who attended the July 2 concert, says, after a couple of hundred thousand people, it was all the same, "I had to walk through miles of people just to move around."
Like many of its attendees, Rickert heard about Live 8 on the news. He saw it as an opportunity to both enjoy music and experience a crowd of that magnitude. Nonetheless, there was something different about the concert, Rickert says, besides the astronomical size.
"Everyone was getting along really good," he says. "With a million people, it was surprising there were no fights."
Kate Norgrove, of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty Campaign, says Live 8 was meant to get a message across to governments involved in both the G8 summit as well as the United Nations.
"It really is calling on leaders to take action on poverty; concrete steps to increasing aid to countries," she says.
Sarah Bush, co-executive director of Americans for Informed Democracy, a supporter of the ONE campaign, says the concerts were also meant to send a message to today's youth.
"The message of concerts was to try to mobilize young people to raise foreign aid and make it a priority our generation can be called to do and address," she says.
With such bold objectives, people from all walks of life are eager to see the tangible results. The immediate effects have been published and analyzed. According to Live 8's draft accounts, which the document warns is a very rough summary, the event not meant to raise money produced in excess of nearly $12 million. In regards to Live 8's immediate intention of grabbing the attention of delegates at the July G8 summit, Norgrove feels the message must have fallen a little short.
"The G8 didn't respond the way we hoped," she says.
Leaders only cancelled the debt of 18 countries instead of the necessary 47, Norgrove says. She compares the disappointment to the 50,000 people who die everyday from preventable diseases currently. With what was agreed upon at G8, the number will only drop to 37,000 people in 2010.
"So many people are more aware of the daily grind of poverty of people around the world," Norgrove says.
Bush believes the show made the issue more salient and recognizable.
"[The show] helped make young people realize this is an important issue for our generation and there is something that can be done about it," she says. "These are major decisions that our leaders are about to make and we can impact it."
Bush recognizes the great advantage involving celebrities in a charitable objective.
"Because of celebrity involvement, millions tuned into Live 8," she says. "It would be a really hard thing for any of us to grasp development policy, just having our attention raised is a good start."
Organizers and politicians will agree that much in Africa needs to be done, Norgrove says, commenting how the media is now covering issues in Africa more than ever since Live 8. Better aid, dropping the debt and fair trade are just terms wrapped up in the overall message, but what do they actually mean?
Bush says often the money does not get where it needs to go in Africa.
"Nigeria is an extremely corrupt government; it is very difficult to have aid make the difference," Bush says. "We need smart aid for Africa."
Norgrove describes another problem with much of the past aid sent to Africa. "Some aid given is tied up and used as a political tool," she says.
Despite all this, aid is undeniably essential. Laura Rusu, press officer of Oxfam America states in an e-mail message, "We know that aid works: it puts children in school, builds infrastructure, eradicates disease and rebuilds countries shattered by war." Norgrove points out that poor countries pay over $100 million in debt every day. To put that in perspective Rusu says, "for every $2 it receives in aid, Africa pays back nearly $1 in debt."
Trade for poor communities all over the world is of extreme importance, but in Africa, it is particularly unbalanced. Norgrove says that redeveloping countries make up 31 percent of the world's trade, although they should really make up 80 percent of the trade market. Rusu says the increased trade needed to make a difference is not that great.
"If Africa increased its share of world trade by just one percent, it could make five times the amount it currently receives in aid," she says.
Such drastic obstacles might raise some question as to whether Africa will ever be able to stand on its own two feet. Both Norgrove and Bush agree that Africa is capable and will undoubtedly support itself someday.
Norgrove uses India as an example while Bush cites the success stories already in Africa.
"The stories of success get lost; much of Africa is already succeeding," Bush says. "There are stories of small grants given to African women in Tanzania that are enabling them to have an enterprising spirit."
On September 10, the United Nations will meet in New York, and all supporters in the fight to end poverty are watching intently. Will the message of Live 8 reach as far as organizers had hoped?
Norgrove says in the meantime, there is much that can be done, even by the everyday citizen. Americans can write to President Bush on the ONE campaign Web site, one.org.
"He seems to be blocking some of the agreements in the year 2005, so it's quite urgent," she says.
On September 10, young people can support both the second white band day, in which millions come together to call leaders to take action, as well as attending the summit of young leaders in New York. At the summit, students will be discussing the millennium development goals developed of the United Nations.
Although the future is unclear, there is much to anticipate. As more and more join the fight, the 'one' voice will only get stronger. Thanks to Live 8, the world leaders have found out just how difficult it is to disregard a voice 3 billion strong.