Live 8
One of the best ideas famous people had in the last years.
To pressure the world leaders to help Africa by uniting hundreds of thousands by music is definitely a great idea.
I read an interview with Bob Geldof, Bono and Richard Curtis in which they explain the goal of making a series of free great concerts around the world. The greatness is that it will generate great revenue even without tickets (well… at least paid ones).
The other great thing is timing. We have 8 leaders (Bush, Blair, Berlusconi, Schroeder, Putin, Chirac, Martin and Koizumi), from these 8 leaders we have Bush, Blair, Schroeder and Chirac in their last terms (weather it’s because their unable/unwilling to run again or because they’ll lose the next election, doesn’t matter) and (with luck) will want to put their names in history… and Africa is the great opportunity they have, the chance to put their names in a history of Africa as the ones that gave bases to end poverty, hunger and war in the continent.
Are the lords of the world willing to make this true? Well that is another question. They have forgiven the debt of the poorest countries and we need to understand that they (especially Bush) have already done more than all others before them, but Africa needs more. They need to be able to compete with the rest of the world… although it may seems stupid, Africa is the part of the world that most needs globalization, free markets and free competition, and while EU and US continue with their protectionist politics there is no real help… just show off. And there is where the concerts and all the media frenzy enters, it’s where we all enter. If even after all that has been done we stand up and say: We want more, we understand that Africa needs more, then they will have to make the effort necessary to make Africa an example.
I’m really hoping that will happen.