Lets Make Poverty History

LONDON:

Pop joined with politics on Saturday as Live 8, the biggest worldwide event in music history, saw an unprecedented linking of chords and chants of 'make poverty history' across the planet, while 10 sellout concerts played in 10 cities across the planet, bringing 100 A-list artists such as Paul McCartney, Madonna, Elton John, Coldplay, Robbie Williams, Duran Duran and others together.
They were watched in the flesh by an estimated one million spectators, while Live 8 organisers said nearly five billion people—85 percent of the world's population—would have access to a television, radio or Internet broadcast of the day's events, making it the most interactive planetary event ever. Meanwhile, around 100,000 people, campaigning for aid, trade and debt relief for Africa and the developing world, took to the streets of Edinburgh in the first of a series of marches ahead of the summit of leaders of the G8 richest, most industrialised nations in the Scottish capital. The message of the music and marches was for the rich West to strike a new deal for the peoples of the poor and developing nations across the world. But the impressive spectator and star-appeal statistics of a day given over to son et lumiere special effects of the pampered rich populace remembering the damned, disinherited and dispossessed in the Third World, added up to just one rock-and-roll message, Sir Bob Geldof, the guiding light and explosive force behind Live 8, said on Saturday morning. He said he had gathered for the G8 leaders "the largest mandate for action in history", akin to the popular demand in centuries past for "an end to slavery, women's suffrage, the end of apartheid, you, our elected leaders, right now, in 2005 (must) make poverty history." The scruffy pop star, christened 'Saint Bob' by his admirers, told the world, "You will never see it again. You will never see this happen again, it will be the greatest concert ever. It's all the promise of rock 'n' roll — all of it." Geldof joined with pop group U2's Bono, Hollywood director Richard Curtis and other box office draws to issue an open letter to the G8 leaders. The letter, published in the Times, London, on a full-page donated by the newspaper as its bit of charity to the Third World, said the leaders of the G8 countries are the real "stars of the show despite the fact that the world's greatest popular musicians are plying — they are not the starts of the show. The 8 of Love 8 are not 8 musicians or band, they are you, the 8 leaders of the G8." The G8 summit, which is to discuss the plight of Africa, where 50,000 people die every day because of hunger, disease or war, will also be attended by PM Manmohan Singh and Chinese leader Hu Jintao. The letter said the G8 summit, which ends next Friday, had to achieve an "historic breakthrough" so as not to "betray the world's poorest people."

Millions rock to Live 8 message

The world's biggest music stars have united in concerts around the globe to put pressure on political leaders to tackle poverty in Africa.

Concerts in 10 cities, including London, Philadelphia, Paris, Berlin, Johannesburg, Rome and Moscow played to hundreds of thousands of people.
A TV audience of several hundred million were watching the gigs, ahead of the G8 summit of leaders next week.
Bob Geldof said the day had been "full of hope and possibility and life".
In London Madonna, U2, Coldplay, Sir Elton John and Sting all performed.
Almost all of the singers involved took the opportunity to explain their reasons for performing.
Taking to the stage Madonna asked the crowd: "Are you ready to start a revolution? Are you ready to change history? I said, are you ready?"
She was joined on stage by 24-year-old Birhan Woldu, one of the starving children featured in the original Live Aid concert who was helped thanks to money raised 20 years ago.
In Philadelphia, Destiny's Child, Jay Z and Bon Jovi were among the big name performers.
Actor and singer Will Smith who hosted the concert said: "More than 200 hundred years ago, just down the block, America declared its independence.
WHAT IS THE G8? Name
Group of eight major industrialised states, inc Russia Members
Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, UK, US Aims
Originally set up to discuss trade and economic issues
Now leaders discuss global issues of the day 2005 Summit agenda
Africa
Climate change
"Today we all gather here to declare our interdependence. Today we hold this truth to be self-evident; We are all in this together."
In Canada, Bryan Adams and Neil Young entertained the crowd, while the Pet Shop Boys played in front of Red Square in Moscow.
In Tokyo, which had been the first of the concerts to start, Bjork performed, while in Berlin Green Day were among the big name stars.
In Johannesburg the biggest cheer of the night was for former leader Nelson Mandela.
He told the crowd that the G8 leaders had a "historic opportunity to open the door to hope and the possibility of a better future for all".
More than 200,000 people were at the concert in Hyde Park, London, while thousands more watched via big screens at locations around the UK.
The Who and Pink Floyd, who had reformed with original singer Roger Waters, were the final two bands to take to the stage.
The concert climaxed with a finale of Paul McCartney and all the other performers singing the chorus to the Beatles' hit Hey Jude.
Sir Paul said: "Everybody who's come along today has come for the right reason. We hope that the people, the heads of G8, are listening hard.
"They can't avoid this, they cannot have missed it and all you people who've come along for this message - we love you."
Other London performers included The Scissor Sisters, Keane, Travis, UB40, the Stereophonics and REM.
Earlier U2's Bono , who opened the London concert with Sir Paul McCartney, told the crowd: "This is our moment, this is our time, this is our chance to stand up for what is right.
"We are not looking for charity, we are looking for justice."
The concerts have not been without their critics, however, with some arguing that the campaign is over-simplifying the issue of global poverty.
Some anti-poverty charities and African leaders believe the event is too focused on money, rather than the problems of unequal trade, and good governance in Africa itself.
But Geldof told BBC News: "There's one plan. It's debt; trade and aid and governance. Prime, pump an economy, create good government and we'll get people out of poverty.
"That's what this is about. We'll jump if you jump and we're all jumping on behalf of those who can't even crawl."
More than 26.4 million people from around the world sent text messages on Saturday in support of the Live 8 campaign to cancel the debts of the poorest countries, setting a world record, organisers said.
The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan told the crowd in London: "This is really a United Nations. The whole world has come together in solidarity with the poor.
"On behalf of the poor, the voiceless and the weak I say thank you."
In Scotland, where the G8 leaders will meet, more than 200,000 protesters took place in a peaceful march urging the politicians to take action on poverty in Africa.

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More Live 8

LONDON/PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) -

They rocked the world in the largest live concert ever held. Now the stars of the Live 8 extravaganza are looking to leaders to respond by doing more to help the poor when they meet later in the week.
The ability of people power to make a difference will become clearer on July 8 when leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) wealthy industrialized nations end a summit in Scotland where Africa will be high on the agenda.
"Mahatma Gandhi freed a continent, Martin Luther King freed a people, Nelson Mandela freed a country. It does work. They will listen," Live 8 organizer Bob Geldof said.
But initial reaction to the star-studded poverty awareness gigs was mixed.
While in Britain Sunday newspapers plastered Live 8 images and stories across front pages, editions in Africa, the continent Live 8 wants to benefit most, paid little heed.
In the United States, with the world's largest economy, performers acknowledged the difficulty Live 8 had in getting through to the American public.
The New York Times had a front page photograph of the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia, where hundreds of thousands crammed the streets, although its first story appeared on page 6. There was barely a mention of Live 8 on early Sunday talk shows.
British finance minister Gordon Brown, an advocate of debt relief, said public opinion had already helped to shape recent agreements on debt relief and aid. But adding a note of caution, he said empowering African people was a "lifetime's work."
"I think you've seen that ministers around the world have been affected by the strength of public opinion, churches, faith groups, and it does have an impact," Brown told BBC Television.
Pope Benedict, addressing crowds in St Peter's Square a day after Rome staged one of the Live 8 concerts, said he hoped the G8 summit would bring genuine and lasting relief to Africa.
Some commentators were unsure, however.
"Rock has carried Africa on to the world's front pages and television screens. Long live rock!" Italy's Corriere della Sera wrote. "But to imagine that rock and aid ... are enough to make Africa progress by as much as one step forward is a dream."
IMPRESSIVE STATISTICS
Over a million people listened to rock and pop musicians at venues across four continents on Saturday. More than 26 million people worldwide sent text messages on Saturday to support Live 8, setting a world record for a single event, organizers said.
They also expected 2 billion people to tune in worldwide, using the Internet, television and radio, although no estimate has been provided.
In Edinburgh, near where the G8 meets, 200,000 people marched peacefully to back the Make Poverty History campaign.
"For God's sake, take this seriously. Don't behave normally. Don't look for compromises. Be great," a Live 8 statement said, addressing leaders.
In Britain, newspapers were unanimous in their praise for Live 8 and Geldof, who also pulled off the Live Aid sensation 20 years ago that raised more than $100 million for famine relief.
"A beautiful day," said the Independent on Sunday. "Is that loud enough for you?" asked the Sunday Times.
German publications also dedicated considerable space to the gig in Berlin that attracted 200,000 fans, and Italy's four main dailies highlighted the event on their front pages.
But in Johannesburg, only one newspaper carried Live 8 on its front page.
The concerts brought an unprecedented lineup of talent to 10 stages from Tokyo in the east to near Toronto in the west.
London's Hyde Park had the strongest cast, with Paul McCartney, Bono, Madonna, Elton John, Pink Floyd, The Who and George Michael entertaining 200,000 people.
The raucous crowd fell silent when Live 8 organizer Bob Geldof replayed Live Aid footage of dying Ethiopians. After freezing on the image of a girl on the verge of death, the same person, a now healthy Birhan Woldu, was introduced on stage. (Reporting by Reuters bureaux)