(08-08-2005) Bono, Geldof urged to highlight Niger crisis - Ireland Online*

[HelloAngel]

Bono, Geldof urged to highlight Niger crisis


Irish Red Cross chairman David Andrews has called on Bono and Bob Geldof to help highlight the plight of millions of people facing starvation in the west African nation of Niger.

More than three million people are experiencing severe food shortages following crop failures due to drought and plagues of locusts.

Mr Andrews, who has just returned from a fact-finding mission in Niger, said media attention was needed to ensure world leaders did not turn a blind eye.

Speaking about Bono and Bob Geldof, he said: "It would be great if they could go into the areas that we've just come out of.

"They're the premier league of prominence. They bring world attention to areas that need out help."

http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=151904372&p=y5y9x5x78

 

[Jamila]

Actually, the ONE Campaign HAS been highlighting the Niger emergency on its website.

ONE has several partner organizations (Oxfam, World Vision, Save the Children) which are all ACTIVELY INVOLVED in providing resources to help alleviate the Niger emergency.

If anyone is interested in helping Niger through these organizations, here's the link:

http://politicaltechnology.com/one/blogs/one_blog/archive/2005/07/27/1924.aspx#comments

Thank you for caring for the world's poorest people.

 

[oktobergirl]

There are many humanitarian agencies out there that have set up special relief missions for food distribution.

Africare is one of them. Here is a link to the page where you can contribute directly.

http://www.africare.org/news/news_release/nigercrisis.html

 

[Vincent Vega]

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be enough if only the homepage of the ONE campaign highlights the problems in Niger. It doesn't reach enough people.
Many speäk about the CNN effect that was missing.
So, the TV stations, newspapers and so on didn't care about the upcoming problem in Niger and only reported about the tsunami in Asia.
And now it's nearly too late, for many it is too late.
I think Bono and Bob Geldof also have such an effect like CNN. I think that is that David Andrews wanted to say.

That's also the problem: How should we Europeans and Americans and Australians help when we do not get informed by the mass media.
I think they should not care about quotes that much but provide news also about upcoming tragedies, what was missing last October when the catastrophe in Niger started.

 

[Jamila]

Vincent, here are some links to some EXCELLENT websites that report on Africa's current challenges.

We can't wait for the mass media to "educate" us on the problems of the world's poorest people - we have to become pro-active in finding that info for ourselves and then ACT ON IT.

I truly appreciate your interest in this thread.

http://www.irinnews.org/

http://www.allafrica.com

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/default.stm

Hope that helps to fill the void of pertinent info that is so sorely lacking in the mainstream media.

 

[Vincent Vega]

But unfortunately it is the mass media which reaches most people. Many of them who donate for Niger do not use the internet that much and so do not visit those sites.
That's what I wanted to mention, that too many people only get information by the mass media and so it is very important that not only internet sites infomr about problems, but also people like Bono and Bob Geldof, and the mass media.

But thank you for the links. I'll bookmark them.

 

[oktobergirl]

But unfortunately it is the mass media which reaches most people. Many of them who donate for Niger do not use the internet that much and so do not visit those sites.
That's what I wanted to mention, that too many people only get information by the mass media and so it is very important that not only internet sites infomr about problems, but also people like Bono and Bob Geldof, and the mass media.

I totally agree. It is a travesty that mass media is not on this story more. It's not just the US either, bbc news hasn't jumped on it like they should either.

Instead, we get two hours of Greta van Susteren on Fox news every night chumming it up with Natalie Holloways mother over and over. After 10 weeks, isn't enough enough??

Hmm hundreds of thousands of starving vs. one teenager missing in Aruba.

 

[Vincent Vega]

Yes, all the news are controlled by the quotes they'd reach, it's a pitty.
And here in Germany it's the same story.