Ethiopia and Bob Geldof

[creative]

I have a comments to make here too; sorry if they are a bit dis-jointed. Firstly, it wasn't just Ethiopia that was/is affected by famine/drought. The economies of most of mid-Africa from Nigeria right across to Ethiopia and Kenya is based on agriculture, and they were/are still all affected by this. Countries around the world were helping out, sending millions of pounds worth of aid - and still do - it was not just Bob Geldof who did this, although because of his status he received a lot more publicity. The UK contributes a vast amount of money annually but alas people here want them to stop and keep in the money in the UK. One member of my [extended] family who is Ethiopian told me that some areas of Ethiopia are much more affected by drought than others (mainly in the north east of the country) and these regions are very poor and very rural. It is difficult to get any sort of aid to them by road, but in other years the droughts can also affect the main towns and cities including Addis Ababa, and like many others countries they are affected badly by climate change. This particular cousin moved to Saudi Arabia and lived there for many years before moving to Spain. She has recently however had a house built in Ethiopia and goes back there regularly.

As far as the money going to buy arms etc, would so many countries give direct aid to Ethiopia if this were the case? You may find these links interesting:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/comp-reports/ecu/ecu_bandaidmoneydonatedethiopia
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11688535

It is also interesting to note that after the devastating floods in the UK in 1947, Haile Selassie sent aid to us, although I believe a lot of it was in the form of coffee rather than money!

Thank you for revealing the false claim about mismanagement of donations! I had totally forgotten this and it is badly needed here!! I wasn't suggesting that Geldof took on this famine single handed. The topic arose because I admired Geldof and took off from there.

 

[Elawin]

I wasn't suggesting that Geldof took on this famine single handed. The topic arose because I admired Geldof and took off from there.

I didn't think for one moment that that was what you meant. It's just, as I pointed out, that he got all the publicity whereas people/countries who were already donating aid seemed to get very little publicity if any.

 

[creative]

I didn't think for one moment that that was what you meant. It's just, as I pointed out, that he got all the publicity whereas people/countries who were already donating aid seemed to get very little publicity if any.

Well that is media bias! I am sure most people were aware that other countries were donating - bit of a no brainer! LiveAid was such a MASSIVE event and wasn't just here in UK, i.e. it also took place in Philadelphia, US. Also - on the same day - it inspired simultaneous concerts in Soviet Union, Japan, Austria, Australia and West Germany!

I do hope that sidevalve now acknowledges what you have shared in your post, i.e. that mismanagement of donations was false and hence feels now able to let go of the uncalled for deep grudge and reappraise this inspiring man in the light of his current humanitarian involvements.

 

[Elawin]

LiveAid was such a MASSIVE event and wasn't just here in UK, i.e. it also took place in Philadelphia, US.

The thing I remember about it most was that, when Phil Collins flew from London to Philadelphia, we saw the Concorde that he was in fly over our house before turning to fly to America.

 

[creative]

I saw Live Aid on TV and, like the massive crowd there, was very moved....

I particularly remember the video being shown of a young, bony Ethiopian child having difficulty just getting up (from a sitting position) on his skeletal legs and the song with the line "can't go on...thinking, nothing's wrong" being played. That really got to me. Geldof is a man of substance and deserves to be respected and admired.

 

[Elawin]

Geldof is a man of substance and deserves to be respected and admired.

Yes, but I still don't like him.....

 

[creative]

Yes, but I still don't like him.....

Ha! Fair enough....he is too bolshy for some and not easy on the eye. I like both his outright honesty and his casual looks (although he looks better groomed these days).