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Third Worlders' awareness of Christmas was significantly raised last year thanks to the AfrAid concert in early December, agencies have revealed. The tradition of staging concerts to raise Christmas awareness in the poorer countries of the world began in the mid-1980s, when the single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and the famous Live Aid concert did much to relieve the plight of starving Ethiopia.
The effort was so successful that nothing was heard of Live Aid until twenty years later, when a cover version of the original record was made in aid of war-torn Sudan. Ten years after this, a new version was recorded and topped the Christmas charts for almost the whole season from late August to late January. The proceeds were donated to starving, war-torn Mozambique.
The AfrAid concert last year was held to mark the release of another new version of the song and to provide help for war-torn, starving Ghana. Despite repeated efforts by the Overseas Development Minister, Clare Kurtz, to rationalise the water supply in Ghana and other countries, many natives remain unwilling to accept globalising initiatives. Unfortunately, the increased awareness of many that Christmas falls in December has done little to alter their attitude in this regard.
AfrAid founder Bub Fedgull says he hopes to remedy the situation by holding concerts on an annual basis from now on, with new versions of the single possibly every six months; but experts believe that for a genuine solution, a different approach may be required. In a statement today, the Overseas Development Minister commended Mr Fedgull and AfrAid for their efforts but said that real improvements in Africa's situation would require radical structural change.
"It isn't enough simply to throw food and money at the problem every festive season," said Ms Kurtz, speaking with characteristic outspokenness. "For any permanent improvement to take place, there has to be a profound, long-term commitment to efficientiating these backward economies and incentivising people to help themselves. And that's exactly what Sub-Saharan Water does," she said, alluding to the British-owned company which owns and regulates Ghana's water supplies. "It helps itself, and in doing so encourages people to buy British, and that helps them and helps Britain too."
Third Worlders' awareness of Christmas was significantly raised last year thanks to the AfrAid concert in early December, agencies have revealed. The tradition of staging concerts to raise Christmas awareness in the poorer countries of the world began in the mid-1980s, when the single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and the famous Live Aid concert did much to relieve the plight of starving Ethiopia.
The effort was so successful that nothing was heard of Live Aid until twenty years later, when a cover version of the original record was made in aid of war-torn Sudan. Ten years after this, a new version was recorded and topped the Christmas charts for almost the whole season from late August to late January. The proceeds were donated to starving, war-torn Mozambique.
The AfrAid concert last year was held to mark the release of another new version of the song and to provide help for war-torn, starving Ghana. Despite repeated efforts by the Overseas Development Minister, Clare Kurtz, to rationalise the water supply in Ghana and other countries, many natives remain unwilling to accept globalising initiatives. Unfortunately, the increased awareness of many that Christmas falls in December has done little to alter their attitude in this regard.
AfrAid founder Bub Fedgull says he hopes to remedy the situation by holding concerts on an annual basis from now on, with new versions of the single possibly every six months; but experts believe that for a genuine solution, a different approach may be required. In a statement today, the Overseas Development Minister commended Mr Fedgull and AfrAid for their efforts but said that real improvements in Africa's situation would require radical structural change.
"It isn't enough simply to throw food and money at the problem every festive season," said Ms Kurtz, speaking with characteristic outspokenness. "For any permanent improvement to take place, there has to be a profound, long-term commitment to efficientiating these backward economies and incentivising people to help themselves. And that's exactly what Sub-Saharan Water does," she said, alluding to the British-owned company which owns and regulates Ghana's water supplies. "It helps itself, and in doing so encourages people to buy British, and that helps them and helps Britain too."
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