Sometimes enough voices can change the world. Voices in the form of signatures on a petition or letters to politicians or ballots on election day or songs on stages around the world. I heard someone on TV the other day making fun of the Live8 concerts. This guy seemed to think it ridiculous that the point was not to raise money but was instead "just to raise awareness." He seemed to be completely missing the point. What would be the purpose of sending suitcases full of money to the Big 8 on the golf course in Scotland next week? What would that accomplish? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
There was a CNN poll up today asking if people think the Live8 concerts will help to eradicate poverty. Last time I checked, the answer was overwhelmingly no. I disagree with that.
People seem to be missing the awareness and education angle. Raising the awareness of people around the world to the situation in Africa today so that they can add their names to the petitions that will be sent is not a pointless waste of time. Imagine the piles and piles of paper with name after name after name. The names of people who are asking these 8 men to forgive the debt of a nation in trouble. The names of the constitutes of these 8 powerful men. How will those piles of names affect these 8 men? I don't know. We'll have to just wait and see on that one.
Although, the papers today did include a hint. Tony Blair is the chairman for this year's meeting. And more than one English official was quoted saying that this kind of attention, this kind of pressure, can and does make a difference. They went on to say that the pressure must continue. It cannot be a one-time thing. People must stay involved and continue to lobby their representatives to help do away with poverty.
I find it quite impossible to believe that a voice as big and united as that of the Live8 concerts will have no effect. Even if "all" it ever does is spread connectedness and goodwill through the citizens of the world, how is that nothing? How is that unimportant? Even if "all" it ever does is to educate thousands of people around the world, how is that nothing? Education is never a waste of time. Education is never pointless.
Also, let's be realistic. Just because they didn't sell tickets, just because they didn't air an 800 number for all of the viewers around the world to call and pledge some cash, that does not mean that this event is not raising any money. I'm sure they sold all kinds of gear at each of the concert sites. So far they have 2 songs from the London concert available for download at iTunes, with the proceeds going to Live8. That alone will raise a nice chunk of change. And I'm guessing there will be more; I’m guessing there will be more downloads or CDs in stores; I'm guessing there will at least be a DVD of clips. Come on, Pink Floyd was reunited on stage for the first time since 1981, Madonna rocked the house, Stevie Wonder was amazing (as was Adam Levine, of course, when he joined Stevie on stage... as he was when he took the stage with his own band), and let's not forget Greenday's version of We Are the Champions. Whether you support the cause or not, who doesn't want copies of all of the above?!
Some ask why they should send their money to Africa, why the G8 should make any efforts on behalf of Africa. Not our country, not our problem, they say. The problem with that argument is that we're all together in this. This is the 21st Century, we are a global community. As such, we are all interconnected and interdependent. To quote Will Smith (yes, really), this whole effort is a Declaration of Interdependence.
So many people are so convinced that what they do or say doesn't matter. How can a society as selfish and self-centered as ours be so convinced that what they do and say doesn't matter? I say if you're going to be selfish, then stick with it: of course you matter! Of course you can make a difference!
As I said before, this is not a dress rehearsal. There are no do-overs. If you want to make a difference—in any way, for any cause—then today is the day. It doesn't have to be a big gesture. It can be small and very cheap, free even. Talk to someone you wouldn't normally talk to; smile at someone you wouldn't normally notice; discuss something important from the news over the water cooler, and I'm not talking about the latest episode of Desperate Housewives; write a check to an organization that supports your favorite cause; write a letter to an editor; find a petition online and sign it. It's not hard. It doesn't have to be global or even national. It just has to happen. You just have to do it.
As fantastic as the big gestures are, the little gestures can be just as huge. Making someone feel as though they matter, taking a stand for what you believe, sharing what you know with others, and learning what they know that you don't. All of these things are important. All of these things matter. All of these things together (all of us together) can and will make a difference. You just have to take that step and do it. You're not too busy. You're not too stupid. You're not too jaded. We can all smile. We can all talk. We can all listen. And that's really all it takes.
2 comments:
I agree with the pollsters who said the Live8 concerts would not help eradicate poverty. I admit I don't really follow the news, but in all the hype about Live8 that filtered down even to me, I never once heard what the "8" referred to. I assumed there were eight cities hosting concerts that day. (I also assumed it was an event to honor the 20th anniversary of Live Aid.)
Even in the snippets of coverage of the event itself that I saw, all I heard about was the size of the crowds and the mess they left on the streets once the concert was over.
I'm not against an event designed to raise awareness instead of money, but I think the majority of media dropped the ball on this one.
But your point about making a gesture, no matter how small, is valid. Perhaps mine can be paying attention to what's going on in the world around me.
I still think the Live8 concerts were an absolute success. But more on that in an update post (now that the G8 summit is over). For now...
I'm glad you mentioned the mess left behind. Even watching on tv, that is something I noticed (and something MTV acknowledged, but didn't actually address). It always bothers me after rallies and such what a mess the people leave behind. I guess it's wrong of me, but I always think the "type" of people who show up for such things should also be the "type" who don't litter!
I do agree that the media dropped the ball. I, too, assumed it was an 8-city concert that was somehow related to LiveAid (which it was, but it was more than that, too). It wasn't until Live8 showed up on iTunes that I started reading about it and learning what it was really all about. And at that point, the commercials had also started on MTV.
I'm not a nightly news watcher, but still, I generally know something about the big things that are going on. But they didn't seem to be covering this. I'm sad to say I'm not surprised by that. I think the media drops the ball all too often these days.
And again, I have to give MTV a hand. They had a clip that was played leading up to the concerts, during the concerts, and after the concerts that was relatively short and did an excellent job of explaining exactly what the G8 is (or rather, "who" the G8 is) and what the point behind Live8 was.
Of course, only those with cable AND watching MTV (or at the concert) got to see it. Others were left in the dark.
But Live8 was still a success. Which I will explain shortly...
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