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Boomtown Rats -> The Boomtown Rats -> Band Aid/Live Aid/Live 8 -> Why we should support Bob
Post Info TOPIC: Why we should support Bob
Scottie


Loudmouth

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Why we should support Bob
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From insite magazine. Enough said!

Thank You Sir Bob InSITE editor Sean Wyer argues why we should support Sir Bob Geldof in his campaign, instead of criticising him.


Image: Kate Williams - InSITE


It would be almost impossible not to acknowledge sir Bob Geldof in his fight for third world justice during the last few months. Live 8 and the G8 rallies are just some of the respectable things that he has organised and helped to throw a spotlight on poverty; yet people have still been criticising his work.


I have been told before now to ask yourself if you could do better, before criticising anyone. In this particular case, it is pretty obvious that the vast majority of us would have to say that we couldn’t (for example the Live 8 petition organised by Sir Bob has at present 300 million signatures on it) although we can and should support him in his campaign.


Why would anyone want to criticise the efforts of a man with such perfect intentions? To even attempt to make poverty history would make most shudder. During Live 8, more than 1,000 musicians performed at the concerts, which were broadcast on 182 television networks and 2,000 radio networks.


Petty things have been criticised, like microphone volumes on African singer's equipment and misuse of language. If we wish to be so critical, and to pick bones at little mistakes, making mountains out of molehills, then we should truly be ashamed of ourselves.


In these cases, one must not read word for word, but must judge by intentions, and the point in itself. You would be a fool to say that he did not intend to bring anything but change for the better to us and to poorer countries. In fact he has also started to achieve this: on 7th July the G8 leaders pledged to increase aid to Africa by $25 billion by the year 2010.


I believe that Sir Bob Geldof’s efforts should be an inspiration for us all and we must try to support and continue his work instead of shunning it.


 


Make Poverty History


Live 8 Campaign


Bob Geldof's Official Website

InSite Mag Graphic by Christopher Preece Sept / Oct 05 13 May 2006 15:19

 

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-- Edited by Scottie at 23:30, 2006-05-13

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Cheers, keep singing, Scottie
"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence".
http://twitter.com/#!/BobGeldofFans
gloria002


Like Clockwork

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amen to that.


Anyone who wants can find the results of the campaigns on the internet.


Tanzania : as soon as their debt was dropped, they cancelled school fees which lead to 1.500.000 children going back to school almost overnight.


Zambia : will recruite 5.000 people in medical staff, because of their debt being dropped, the government can afford to pay them. sure they had trained people, but they left to country to find work elsewhere.


It's so damn easy to be critical and meanwhile do nothing.We don't just need people to care, we need them to understand why a change must come. We need a very broad basis for the politicians to act. They will act, if they know people want them too. Hell, they need votes, don't they. We need the loud voices of people like sir Bob and Bono to kick it in their heads. But our small voices are necessary to deliver that basis. One by one, by one, by one, ...


And if they don't understand the worldwide ways of the economy, it's very simple to give examples from close to home. Because even here, in our lives, we need a helping hand every once in a while. I don't come from a rich family. If it hadn't been for the government funding my education, I wouldn't have had a degree at all because my parents simply couldn't afford it, no matter how much they wanted me to study. I got one, and got another one after I started working. Got a good job, one I never would have had without those degrees. Hell, I might have been unemployed for years, collecting unemployment payment from that very same government. Instead, I pay a lot of taxes now. hah, I'm so happy for that one . Seriously, I took the opportunity I was given, and the governernment gets ... good return on investment.


You know, there's this family in Tsjernobyl ... it all started with one of those holiday exchange programs for the Children ... along with some of my oldest and dearest friends, we support them if necessary. Add to the bill for the kids to get a degree and stuff, so they can build up better lives. I don't consider this charity, trust me, they work hard. I consider this giving them a chance to be able to take the few opportunities that are out there.


Anyway, one of those friends has epilepsy, but he has no trouble living with it because he lives here in Belgium. The father of that family had epilepsy too, but they never told us because they didn't want to abuse our help. He died about a year ago because he couldn't afford the drugs. I can't even begin to describe the devostation we all felt when we found out. Needless to say their situation got worse. Not only did that family lose it's husband/father, they also lost his income. I mean, apart from the emotional loss, this is plain stupid, absurd, ... ugh, I think you get the picture.


I'm sure many of us can come up with similar examples from our own lives. Not ? See the results and anyone can tell this stuff works. So until those critics come up with something better, we'll just continue our search for more people to support this.


hum, better get off my soap box,  guess that's enough rambeling for one day.


 



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seanwyer


Lookin' After Number 1

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Thanks for posting my article on here :)


just wanted to know how you came across it? purely out of interest


if you want to see more of my stuff check out www.insitemag.net


cheers,


sean wyer, 14



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Scottie


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I think it just came up on a google search for Geldof Africa or some similar title. Hope you don't mind the extra publicity. A good article. I do a lot of google searches for my websites.

-- Edited by Scottie at 20:01, 2006-06-26

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Cheers, keep singing, Scottie
"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence".
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dam9191


House on Fire

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I think it makes sense to support the efforts to eliminate Poverty.  A big part of eliminating Poverty is changing people's mindsets about poverty.


I work at a private non-profit and I really believe the biggest challenge is people's attitudes towards people who are lower-income.  Many people still believe it's because they are lazy, or just want to "live" off the government assistance.  These attitudes are poisonous.


So many people want to have a better life for themselves so their kids can have a better life than they had.  They are willing to work 2 or 3 jobs and are still not able to make it.  They need a hand-up, not a hand-out.  We need to work together and make a paradigm shift as a society.


There is no one size-fits-all solution to this.  Groups, communities, nations need to share ideas and adapt ideas to work in their own situations to end the cycle of poverty worldwide. 


Challenge your old beliefs on things, and you will be surprised to see what the world has to offer.


peace and take care,


debm



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"And Lenin said 'There is no Heaven, so I don't believe in Room 19'" - Bob Geldof and "you can find adventure/in someone else's life/or you can criticize/when you need a lift" - Ric Ocasek
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