Live 8!

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Christus_Rex

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Live 8 concerts bridge the world

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img...ia/images/41259000/jpg/_41259091_crowd203.jpg
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Concerts are taking place around the world to put pressure on political leaders to tackle poverty in Africa.

The biggest, in Hyde Park in London, opened with Sir Paul McCartney singing with U2 in front of 200,000 people.

Shows are being held in Philadelphia, Paris, Johannesburg, Rome, Berlin, Moscow and Barrie, in Canada. An estimated TV audience of several hundred million are watching the events which come ahead of the G8 summit of world leaders in Scotland next week. Madonna, performing in London, asked the crowd; “Are you ready to start a revolution? Are you ready to change history? I said, are you ready?”

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4641999.stm

So what do you think of Live 8? I think it’s absolutely great. We need to make poverty history. We need change, and we need it now. These are not just numbers. They are real people. And they need OUR help.
MAKE HISTORY. MAKE POVERTY HISTORY.

Any opinions on Live 8?

Michael 🙂

PS. PLEASE, sign the online petition which will be presented to the G8 summit.
live8live.com/list/
 
Yea… but how much of the money rasied actually goes there?
Christus Rex:
Live 8 concerts bridge the world

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img...ia/images/41259000/jpg/_41259091_crowd203.jpg
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Concerts are taking place around the world to put pressure on political leaders to tackle poverty in Africa.

The biggest, in Hyde Park in London, opened with Sir Paul McCartney singing with U2 in front of 200,000 people.

Shows are being held in Philadelphia, Paris, Johannesburg, Rome, Berlin, Moscow and Barrie, in Canada. An estimated TV audience of several hundred million are watching the events which come ahead of the G8 summit of world leaders in Scotland next week. Madonna, performing in London, asked the crowd; “Are you ready to start a revolution? Are you ready to change history? I said, are you ready?”

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4641999.stm

So what do you think of Live 8? I think it’s absolutely great. We need to make poverty history. We need change, and we need it now. These are not just numbers. They are real people. And they need OUR help.
MAKE HISTORY. MAKE POVERTY HISTORY.

Any opinions on Live 8?

Michael 🙂

PS. PLEASE, sign the online petition which will be presented to the G8 summit.
live8live.com/list/
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Live 8 is NOT a fundraiser, it’s simply an attempt by celebrities to “direct attention” towards poverty in Africa.
 
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Jeffrey:
Yea… but how much of the money rasied actually goes there?
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None.

This is an attempt to get the masses of people to influence their politicians to forgive debt in Africa.

Now that would be a good thing but how does that change the situtation at all? When money is given to those countries it is squandered and wasted. In some cases it lines the pockets of the leaders.

How does forgiving the debt help the average person in these countries?

Its a nice idea and gives a lot of warm fuzzy feelings, but in the end, it changes nothing.

One more question.

How does forgiving the debt of a country make poverty history?
 
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ByzCath:
None.

This is an attempt to get the masses of people to influence their politicians to forgive debt in Africa.

Now that would be a good thing but how does that change the situtation at all? When money is given to those countries it is squandered and wasted. In some cases it lines the pockets of the leaders.
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And in all too many cases, it enables them to buy the weapons and other things needed to keep their people subjugated.
 
Well, for once the money spent on the debt can be spent on other things like education, health, and it helps them to have a stronger currency, it doesnt make poverty history but it certainly helps.
 
These efforts are seen by many Africans as insulting and I can understand why. What is needed is not permission for corrupt governments to repress their own people more. What is needed is training and investment so that a true economy can be built in these countries. When that begins to happen the corrupt governments begin to fall. Can anyone explain why most African countries remain impoverished? It’s because we let the corrupt governments exist without helping the people develop their own economy.

In many places the Church is helping some. But helping the governments in most cases does not help the people. Ergo, I refuse to watch these productions.

Dan L
 
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Asking:
Well, for once the money spent on the debt can be spent on other things like education, health, and it helps them to have a stronger currency, it doesnt make poverty history but it certainly helps.
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They HAVE a debt load because their governments ripped off the money that was borrowed. Since they still have the SAME governments, with the same corrupt dictators, what’s to stop them from ripping off any new loans or grants?
 
why should they ask for new loans?

Most third world countries ask for loans to pay old debt, it is a vicious circle.
 
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Asking:
why should they ask for new loans?

Most third world countries ask for loans to pay old debt, it is a vicious circle.
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They asked for the original loans to enrich the dictator and his cronies. They asked for new loans for the same purpose.

That’s why they’re poor – because the ruling elite steal everything.

And a significant portion of the money goes to buy weapons and pay secret police and armies they don’t need – except to keep the people in bondage, so the ruling elite can steal more.
 
Here’s an interesting interview with representatives from two African countries – one on the list of countries whose debt will be forgiven (Zambia) and one not (Kenya).

acton.org/anc/2005-06-15_acton.html

To me, the proposal to forgive the debt sounds like a good thing on the surface – forgiving the debt of countries with poor and starving – but it assumes that forgiving the debt will eliminate poverty and hunger in those countries. I’m somewhat on the fence. Perhaps it’s worth a try, but it would be an unspeakable crime if the money was just used to line the pockets of corrupt government officials.
 
It’s been done countless times. It’s time the developed nations helped some business get on their feet and develop the economies of the countries affected. Forgiving the debt of corrupt governments has been done several times. As one writer put it, it enables the corrupt leaders to commit more evil. Stop it.

These Live Aid concerts may be well intentioned but they are part of the problem not part of the solution.

Dan L
 
I can see why the Church is so strong there. It is only God that can love them and bring them justice.
 
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milimac:
Here’s an interesting interview with representatives from two African countries – one on the list of countries whose debt will be forgiven (Zambia) and one not (Kenya).

acton.org/anc/2005-06-15_acton.html

To me, the proposal to forgive the debt sounds like a good thing on the surface – forgiving the debt of countries with poor and starving – but it assumes that forgiving the debt will eliminate poverty and hunger in those countries. I’m somewhat on the fence. Perhaps it’s worth a try, but **it would be an unspeakable crime if the money was just used to line the pockets of corrupt government officials./**QUOTE]

Given that in almost all these countries, the same corrupt governmetn officials who stole the original loans are still in power, how can that not happen?
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Vern Humphrey is correct in all his posts. The Live Aid concerts of 20 years ago were a complete failure in that, while very well intentioned, the money never made it to the people that so very desperately needed the help. It ended up in the hands of the warlords and corrupt dictators of these desperately poor countries. In reality, these funds helped to fund the death and destruction that has marked the African continent over the past two decades.

The only way for significant change in the quality of peoples’ lives is through a radical change in “government”. They need to be governed by people who cherish freedom, justice and democracy as opposed to oppression and dictatorship. They need an atmospere where personal property ownership is possible and encouraged, where education is a priority and where life has significant value.

Live 8 is well intentioned but unfortunately cancelling debt will not really have any significant impact on the people (as opposed to the corrupt and vile governments) who need it the most.
 
Fidei Defensor:
Live 8 is NOT a fundraiser, it’s simply an attempt by celebrities to “direct attention” towards poverty in Africa.
Click to expand...
Now that sounds like a great idea. I’ll hire a band to play outside a catholic church to spread awareness of the need to give to the Catholic Church. We don’t want your money, we want your voice so we can all demand others to give money.

Why didn’t I think of this before! :rolleyes:
 
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Hildebrand:
Now that sounds like a great idea. I’ll hire a band to play outside a catholic church to spread awareness of the need to give to the Catholic Church. We don’t want your money, we want your voice so we can all demand others to give money.

Why didn’t I think of this before! :rolleyes:
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EXACTLY!!! I said as much in the same titled thread with the thumbs down icon next to the title…
 
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adstrinity:
EXACTLY!!! I said as much in the same titled thread with the thumbs down icon next to the title…
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If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.

The goals of Live 8 were:

“a workable plan to double aid, drop the debt, and make the trade laws fair.”

It was emphasized that money was not being asked for. A sense of connectedness was being asked for. How can this be detrimental?

As Catholics we must acknowledge that we are connected to those unfortunates in Africa who die of poverty and despair. We can disagree (or not) on the cause, but we are connected. As long as we remember that those are fellow human beings in Africa, then a solution remains on our horizon of imagination.

If people agree that we are connected, then what solutions do you propose to get humane care to those who most need it – and by humane care I include economic development for the disenfranchised. What’s the plan, Stan?
 
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