Live 8
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david
ONE love, blood, life
Bob Geldof Says Despite Success Of Live 8, The Real Work Starts Now
11.30.2005 12:13 PM EST
Rocker stresses we need to make sure leaders follow through with their promises to help Africa.
Bob Geldof
Photo: Getty Images
UNIVERSAL CITY, California — When Bob Geldof took the reins of last summer's monumental Live 8 events, he had one mission in mind: create a production so compelling that it would inspire everyday people to pressure their leaders to do
Target.com
"I hear people say, 'Oh, they've already forgotten Live 8,' and I say it doesn't matter, we achieved the political result." — Bob Geldof
something about the plight of Africans suffering from extreme poverty. Well, mission accomplished.
Following the event, G8 leaders agreed to double African aid from $25 billion to $50 billion by 2010 (see "G8 Leaders Double African Aid To $50 Billion"). They also pledged to cancel the $40 billion debt owed by 18 of the world's poorest nations, 14 of which are in Africa.
Geldof, who was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize this year (see "Live 8 Organizer Bob Geldof Nominated For Nobel Prize"), says that while the events in July were successful, now is when the real work starts.
"[Live 8] was a response to get as much as we could and raise the issue [of extreme poverty] to the highest table of world politics," Geldof told MTV News recently while promoting the release of the massive Live 8 DVD compilation. "I was furious that nothing we were doing in Africa seemed to work. I didn't want to get into gigantism, but I thought, 'How do I even get the media talking about this and force the leaders to focus on this?' I thought a concert in each capital [would work].
"What we have to do now is ensure those leaders hold to their promise or otherwise it would be a great betrayal of the Live Aid and Live 8 generations, and worse, a great betrayal of the poor in Africa," he added. "This is precisely why we call it 'the long walk to justice.' It's not charity, it's justice — political justice, and that's the difference."
Geldof has battled his fair share of critics who called his vision of eradicating poverty in Africa too ambitious, but that only makes the obstinate rocker more determined to press on.
"They were saying, 'Geldof's naive' and 'Who the f--- does he think he is' and all that crap, and afterwards, I said, 'For those of you who say it doesn't work, never — never — tell me this doesn't work,' " he said. "I hear people say, 'Oh, they've already forgotten Live 8,' and I say it doesn't matter, we achieved the political result."
And along the way there is satisfaction to be had amidst the political wrangling. Geldof recounts the appearance at Live 8 of one young woman named Birhan who was photographed as a baby near death 20 years earlier. Cradled in her father's arms with her parched lips and sunken, lifeless eyes, this child defined exactly what Live Aid was fighting for. And because of the charity of others, Birhan, now a 24-year-old agriculturalist, is a vibrant symbol of hope and possibility.
"It's cliché that everyone has that kind of moment, but that was our moment," recalled Geldof. "As soon as people saw her, the phones literally melted."
Geldof hopes these sorts of moments will infuse the younger generation that's next in line to carry the torch.
"These kids are having 'Live' weekends where they watch 36 hours of the greatest series of concerts ever within our culture," he said about the Live Aid and Live 8 DVDs. "As long as they're watching that and those beyond-belief performances, then the idea of this thing, the idea of justice for people who are simply too poor or mute to speak for themselves, will continue."
Get involved: Learn about the poverty crisis in Africa, the proposed solutions, and how you can help. Plus find all of our coverage of the international Live 8 concerts and more at our thinkMTV Live 8 hub.
— Brandee J. Tecson, with reporting by Jeff Cornell
11.30.2005 12:13 PM EST
Rocker stresses we need to make sure leaders follow through with their promises to help Africa.
Bob Geldof
Photo: Getty Images
UNIVERSAL CITY, California — When Bob Geldof took the reins of last summer's monumental Live 8 events, he had one mission in mind: create a production so compelling that it would inspire everyday people to pressure their leaders to do
Target.com
"I hear people say, 'Oh, they've already forgotten Live 8,' and I say it doesn't matter, we achieved the political result." — Bob Geldof
something about the plight of Africans suffering from extreme poverty. Well, mission accomplished.
Following the event, G8 leaders agreed to double African aid from $25 billion to $50 billion by 2010 (see "G8 Leaders Double African Aid To $50 Billion"). They also pledged to cancel the $40 billion debt owed by 18 of the world's poorest nations, 14 of which are in Africa.
Geldof, who was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize this year (see "Live 8 Organizer Bob Geldof Nominated For Nobel Prize"), says that while the events in July were successful, now is when the real work starts.
"[Live 8] was a response to get as much as we could and raise the issue [of extreme poverty] to the highest table of world politics," Geldof told MTV News recently while promoting the release of the massive Live 8 DVD compilation. "I was furious that nothing we were doing in Africa seemed to work. I didn't want to get into gigantism, but I thought, 'How do I even get the media talking about this and force the leaders to focus on this?' I thought a concert in each capital [would work].
"What we have to do now is ensure those leaders hold to their promise or otherwise it would be a great betrayal of the Live Aid and Live 8 generations, and worse, a great betrayal of the poor in Africa," he added. "This is precisely why we call it 'the long walk to justice.' It's not charity, it's justice — political justice, and that's the difference."
Geldof has battled his fair share of critics who called his vision of eradicating poverty in Africa too ambitious, but that only makes the obstinate rocker more determined to press on.
"They were saying, 'Geldof's naive' and 'Who the f--- does he think he is' and all that crap, and afterwards, I said, 'For those of you who say it doesn't work, never — never — tell me this doesn't work,' " he said. "I hear people say, 'Oh, they've already forgotten Live 8,' and I say it doesn't matter, we achieved the political result."
And along the way there is satisfaction to be had amidst the political wrangling. Geldof recounts the appearance at Live 8 of one young woman named Birhan who was photographed as a baby near death 20 years earlier. Cradled in her father's arms with her parched lips and sunken, lifeless eyes, this child defined exactly what Live Aid was fighting for. And because of the charity of others, Birhan, now a 24-year-old agriculturalist, is a vibrant symbol of hope and possibility.
"It's cliché that everyone has that kind of moment, but that was our moment," recalled Geldof. "As soon as people saw her, the phones literally melted."
Geldof hopes these sorts of moments will infuse the younger generation that's next in line to carry the torch.
"These kids are having 'Live' weekends where they watch 36 hours of the greatest series of concerts ever within our culture," he said about the Live Aid and Live 8 DVDs. "As long as they're watching that and those beyond-belief performances, then the idea of this thing, the idea of justice for people who are simply too poor or mute to speak for themselves, will continue."
Get involved: Learn about the poverty crisis in Africa, the proposed solutions, and how you can help. Plus find all of our coverage of the international Live 8 concerts and more at our thinkMTV Live 8 hub.
— Brandee J. Tecson, with reporting by Jeff Cornell
Canadiens1131
ONE love, blood, life
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Who cares about world poverty, Pink Floyd reformed for the showChizip said:
david
ONE love, blood, life
In a report issued in June 2006 the G8 have reportedly not lived up to their promises set in 2005. According to DATA, the U.S. has increased its development-assistance pledges but is increasingly off-track in meeting them and, in general, the G8 is moving slowly in the effort to meet its promises. [16]
Some consider Live 8 to be a success, including Bob Geldof himself. However, many believe it was a publicity stunt and a failure as the G8 have already forgotten their pledges. [17] Geldof also believes that public attention was quickly diverted by the London bombings on July 7.
Some consider Live 8 to be a success, including Bob Geldof himself. However, many believe it was a publicity stunt and a failure as the G8 have already forgotten their pledges. [17] Geldof also believes that public attention was quickly diverted by the London bombings on July 7.
vaz02
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
all that live 8 did was improve londons chances of getting the olympics.
david
ONE love, blood, life
When it originally aired on MTV all MTV cared about was cutting to "VJs" that had no clue what they were talking about and then cutting away from great performances by the WHO and Pink Floyd.
xaviMF22
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Pink Floyd owned that show
tuwie
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
^ for SURE they did.
popmart86
Acrobat
Re: Re: Live 8
heeey i was goonna saay thaaat!!!!
Canadiens1160 said:Who cares about world poverty, Pink Floyd reformed for the show
heeey i was goonna saay thaaat!!!!
LMP
Blue Crack Supplier
david said:
Any respect I had for MTV, which was very minute at the time, was completely washed away when they did shit like that.
Do I want to see Jimmy Fallon over Keane? or Snow Patrol? Or even Sting?
the answer is no MTV, no.
Screwtape2
Blue Crack Addict
david said:
MTV didn't start broadcasting until alot of the London acts had already played. They played Sgt. Pepper and the U2 set than you had to wait to see other London artists only when they were scattered in later in the afternoon. They wouldn't even show entire sets or would cut off a song so thier mindless hosts could talk. I had to wait until I got the DVD to see alot of these performances. MTV ruin this event for me.
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