Forty years on from Live Aid: a reminder of the power of collective compassion and action
Forty years ago on July 13, 1985 the world united in an unprecedented act of compassion as Live Aid broadcast to more than 1.5 billion people to raise NZ$300 million for famine relief in Ethiopia.
The concerts, held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia, captured global attention, showcased the power of collective action, and raised more money than ever before for a single humanitarian emergency.
World Vision New Zealand’s National Director, Grant Bayldon, says 40 years on the world is still confronted with tragic humanitarian crises, but the desire to come together to help appears to be dissipating.
“Live Aid was an incredible moment of joint global compassion and action. It was a worldwide event in which we were connected by our common humanity to confront a catastrophe. It was a moment where we saw suffering, felt it deeply, and responded as one human family.
“Forty years on, in a splintered and conflict-ridden world, I want us to celebrate this milestone by recapturing the spirit of global solidarity and compassion exemplified by Live Aid. We must reaffirm the power we have as a global community to transform lives through humanitarian support," Bayldon says.
The Ethiopian famine of the mid-1980s devastated the east African nation, affecting around eight million people and claiming the lives of more than one million.
The world’s attention was drawn to the famine by a BBC report which went viral (in 1980s terms) – it was transmitted by 425 television stations worldwide.
World Vision played a key role in the coverage as the organisation which escorted the BBC crew and journalist Michael Buerk to the epicentre of the disaster, the village of Korem, where Buerk described what he witnessed as “a biblical famine in the 20th Century” and “the closest thing to hell on earth”.
It was this news report that prompted Boomtown Rats lead singer, Bob Geldof, to call on his musical mates, such as Queen, David Bowie, U2, and Elton John, to join him in releasing a pop single, Band Aid, and then to participate in the global fundraising concert, Live Aid.
New Zealanders were especially generous in response giving nearly $5.8million dollars to Live Aid, reportedly the third highest total per capita in the world.
“New Zealanders are remarkably compassionate and generous. It’s something we pride ourselves on and on the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, we’re urging both New Zealanders and our government to put these values into action by steadily increasing our commitment and investment in foreign aid.
“Forty years on from a show of global compassion, New Zealand is sadly less than compassionate in the amount it invests in international development and foreign aid. By steadily increasing our investment to support our neighbours in the Pacific and elsewhere around the globe we can play a pivotal role in building a more equitable and stable world,” Bayldon says.
The concerts, held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia, captured global attention, showcased the power of collective action, and raised more money than ever before for a single humanitarian emergency.
World Vision New Zealand’s National Director, Grant Bayldon, says 40 years on the world is still confronted with tragic humanitarian crises, but the desire to come together to help appears to be dissipating.
“Live Aid was an incredible moment of joint global compassion and action. It was a worldwide event in which we were connected by our common humanity to confront a catastrophe. It was a moment where we saw suffering, felt it deeply, and responded as one human family.
“Forty years on, in a splintered and conflict-ridden world, I want us to celebrate this milestone by recapturing the spirit of global solidarity and compassion exemplified by Live Aid. We must reaffirm the power we have as a global community to transform lives through humanitarian support," Bayldon says.
The Ethiopian famine of the mid-1980s devastated the east African nation, affecting around eight million people and claiming the lives of more than one million.
The world’s attention was drawn to the famine by a BBC report which went viral (in 1980s terms) – it was transmitted by 425 television stations worldwide.
World Vision played a key role in the coverage as the organisation which escorted the BBC crew and journalist Michael Buerk to the epicentre of the disaster, the village of Korem, where Buerk described what he witnessed as “a biblical famine in the 20th Century” and “the closest thing to hell on earth”.
It was this news report that prompted Boomtown Rats lead singer, Bob Geldof, to call on his musical mates, such as Queen, David Bowie, U2, and Elton John, to join him in releasing a pop single, Band Aid, and then to participate in the global fundraising concert, Live Aid.
New Zealanders were especially generous in response giving nearly $5.8million dollars to Live Aid, reportedly the third highest total per capita in the world.
“New Zealanders are remarkably compassionate and generous. It’s something we pride ourselves on and on the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, we’re urging both New Zealanders and our government to put these values into action by steadily increasing our commitment and investment in foreign aid.
“Forty years on from a show of global compassion, New Zealand is sadly less than compassionate in the amount it invests in international development and foreign aid. By steadily increasing our investment to support our neighbours in the Pacific and elsewhere around the globe we can play a pivotal role in building a more equitable and stable world,” Bayldon says.