Duncan Meerding

Musician Bob Geldof has announced a sequel concert to the charity concert of 1985, Live Aid. The concert, named Live 8, will be demanding the G8, the world’s eight most powerful nations, end Third World debt.

Unlike Live Aid, Live 8 will be a free series of concerts in London, Paris, Philadelphia, Berlin and Rome. The concerts taking place on July 2 will feature artists including: Madonna, Coldplay, Robbie Williams, Elton John, 50 Cent,

Stevie Wonder and Jamiroquai.

Geldof, the key organiser behind the Live 8 concerts, has also been urging people to attend protests in Edinburgh against the G8. Live 8’s website states: “By doubling aid, fully cancelling debt, and delivering trade justice for Africa, the G8 could change the future for millions of men, women and children ... You can be part of the Long Walk To Justice and help to stop 50,000 people dying every day, just because they are poor.”

This latest move by a collective of musicians spearheaded by Geldof is showing that there is dissent about how the world is being run. Every time the subject of world poverty is brought up, it brings out especially large contradictions in the capitalist system.

It would be naive to say that poverty will be abolished if debt is abolished, but it would be a start of a long walk to justice.

From Green Left Weekly, June 22, 2005.
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