Campaigners condemn negative Africa stereotypes in Band Aid lyrics
JC | 16.11.2004 18:31
International development campaigners the World Development Movement (WDM) today condemned the lyrics of the Band Aid single “Do They Know Its Christmas?” as promoting a “negative and inaccurate picture of Africa and its problems.”
The organisation, which has been campaigning on issues effecting Africa for over 30 years and was one of the founders of both the fair trade movement and Jubilee 2000, drew attention to several lines in the song which it described as “patronising, false and out of date”:
“There’s a world outside your window, And it’s a world of dread and fear, Where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears”…“Where nothing ever grows”…“No rain nor river flows”…“(Here’s to them) underneath that burning sun”
Director of WDM, Mark Curtis today said: “The song perpetuates the myth that Africa’s problems can somehow be blamed on lack of rainfall and failed harvests. It conjures up an image of a continent inhabited entirely by starving children with flies on their faces sitting in the sunbaked bed of a dried up stream.”
“African poverty is not an unfortunate accident of geography and climate. It is largely the result of damaging policies such as free trade forced on Africa by rich countries.”
“This is not just any other pop song. The lyrics are important and will be heard in every home and shop in Britain over the next couple of months. They paint a misleading picture of Africa’s problems and the reality of African lives.”
“The problem in Ethiopia today is not that nothing will grow, the problem is that the coffee that they are growing is worthless because of the mismanagement of the global economy by countries like ours.”
“We would not wish to discourage anyone from buying the single but we are very disappointed that it wasn’t rewritten to provide a more accurate reflection of Africa and its problems.”
WDM appealed to journalists and broadcasters to represent the diversity, breadth and complexity of African life and not to reach for the standard disempowering image of famine and drought.
“Africans are not passive victims of circumstance, dependent on our handouts. In fact Africa gives us as much money in debt repayments as it receives in aid [1]. Across the continent angry Africans are demanding trade justice, debt cancellation and the regulation of multinational companies [2].”
“The lesson of Jubilee 2000 was that the public are perfectly capable of understanding the abusive nature of the relationship between the rich and poor world. Once they understand the role of rich countries in keeping Africa poor their anger forces governments to listen and act. There is a danger that Band Aid could undo the valuable work that campaigners have done over the past two decades to transform public perceptions of Africa,” said Curtis.
He continued, “This record will not help solve the problems of Africa, though it may provide a lifeline for a few. Only massive public pressure demanding a radical change in Government policy will ensure that in twenty years time we are not back again for Band Aid 40.”
ENDS
[1] According to the Pan African News Agency in 2002 alone, Africa paid $21.9 billion in external debt while official development assistance (ODA) to the region was $22.2 billion
[2] States of Unrest III: Resistance to IMF and World Bank policies in Poor Countries in 2003 (WDM, 2003) documents 111 episodes of protest of civil unrest in 25 developing countries (including eight African countries) directed against the policies that keep Africa poor. The previous year’s report documented protests in 23 countries almost half of which were African.
Contact:
Dave Timms, Press Officer, WDM: 07711 875 345 or
dave@wdm.org.uk
“There’s a world outside your window, And it’s a world of dread and fear, Where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears”…“Where nothing ever grows”…“No rain nor river flows”…“(Here’s to them) underneath that burning sun”
Director of WDM, Mark Curtis today said: “The song perpetuates the myth that Africa’s problems can somehow be blamed on lack of rainfall and failed harvests. It conjures up an image of a continent inhabited entirely by starving children with flies on their faces sitting in the sunbaked bed of a dried up stream.”
“African poverty is not an unfortunate accident of geography and climate. It is largely the result of damaging policies such as free trade forced on Africa by rich countries.”
“This is not just any other pop song. The lyrics are important and will be heard in every home and shop in Britain over the next couple of months. They paint a misleading picture of Africa’s problems and the reality of African lives.”
“The problem in Ethiopia today is not that nothing will grow, the problem is that the coffee that they are growing is worthless because of the mismanagement of the global economy by countries like ours.”
“We would not wish to discourage anyone from buying the single but we are very disappointed that it wasn’t rewritten to provide a more accurate reflection of Africa and its problems.”
WDM appealed to journalists and broadcasters to represent the diversity, breadth and complexity of African life and not to reach for the standard disempowering image of famine and drought.
“Africans are not passive victims of circumstance, dependent on our handouts. In fact Africa gives us as much money in debt repayments as it receives in aid [1]. Across the continent angry Africans are demanding trade justice, debt cancellation and the regulation of multinational companies [2].”
“The lesson of Jubilee 2000 was that the public are perfectly capable of understanding the abusive nature of the relationship between the rich and poor world. Once they understand the role of rich countries in keeping Africa poor their anger forces governments to listen and act. There is a danger that Band Aid could undo the valuable work that campaigners have done over the past two decades to transform public perceptions of Africa,” said Curtis.
He continued, “This record will not help solve the problems of Africa, though it may provide a lifeline for a few. Only massive public pressure demanding a radical change in Government policy will ensure that in twenty years time we are not back again for Band Aid 40.”
ENDS
[1] According to the Pan African News Agency in 2002 alone, Africa paid $21.9 billion in external debt while official development assistance (ODA) to the region was $22.2 billion
[2] States of Unrest III: Resistance to IMF and World Bank policies in Poor Countries in 2003 (WDM, 2003) documents 111 episodes of protest of civil unrest in 25 developing countries (including eight African countries) directed against the policies that keep Africa poor. The previous year’s report documented protests in 23 countries almost half of which were African.
Contact:
Dave Timms, Press Officer, WDM: 07711 875 345 or
dave@wdm.org.uk
JC
Comments
Hide the following 6 comments
Spoil Sport!!
17.11.2004 11:37
IQ135
Yeah, I'm pleased someone else has picked up on the 'Band aid'...
17.11.2004 12:03
...AND STAY THE FUCK OUT OF THE TRIBAL AREAS PERVERTED FILDTH.
A totally sick trip.
By the way, When a callow youth a few years ago, I was innoculated with Allah's Love in a Morraccan Hospital...(the big public hospital in Rabat)...with a conventional needle...they bless the needle and use it on everyone. Allah Akbar.
And it works, completly outside and beyond western comprehension (obviously..because this is what Allah was/is curing, esssentially!). incredible religion. Thanks for curing the british fear programme (disease)!
So far from being a cause of disease, aids etc, this needle brings health etc....this reality being totally outside of the western understanding.
The fact is that the west is a construct of ultimate negative karma, and it's only influence (however empotionally dressed up), is NEGATIVE.
The usual story going on here...we introduce the negative trip of christianity, and we trash you tribal, native, eastern religious senario, destoy the magic in a present day incarnation, (individually and collectivly) so everyone gets ill, and then we offer you superior western methods etc as a cure.
FUCK OV
Allah Akbar,
King Amdo.
King Amdo
Band aid = legitimisation of imperialism
17.11.2004 13:33
Anyways, band aid is not only a liberal charity which fails to deal with any real problems as pointed out in the article, but the new band aid song is probably going to back up british and american imperialism in the darfur region. As a few food trucks go in guarded by hundreds of US troops and the US bombs the Sudan into the stone age because its ruling class effectively nationalised oil recently.
Personally i doubt the Sun and co. go around publicising band aid out of the goodness of rupert murdochs heart Lol
nobodyreally
Flourish of world wide creativity
17.11.2004 17:28
some of the new ideas for lyrics are below...
Cunning plans are a foot to record an alternative
version of that terible song that is going to be
blasting from that shopping mall near you soon. The
third band aid song is upon us and the lyrics remain
unchanged.
However the song is ripe for a rip off and a group of
us are up for editing and putting together an
alternative version.
So- heres the plan-
record your own versions/make up your own lines and
send them as an mp3 to this email address
.It's easy
and fun to do.
We will edit them into an exciting, fun packed and
meanginful version of
"do you know its capitalism" (possibly)
ready for download and further fun and frolics in the
build up to consumertime.
Since the action on Sunday at the recording studios
where we attempted to stop things from getting this
far people have already started sending in their new
lyrics-!
creative input is needed and would be great, tell your
friends , your famlies and your neighbours- get round
that microphone and help really make a difference this
Xmas.
Karoke fiends we are waiting for you!
here are those lyrics again just to refresh you...
DEADLINE WEDNESDAY 24th November 2005
It's the Christians' time,
Our boy's in the Whitehouse again.
It's the Christians' time
The evil one's time has come.
And in our war on terror
we can spread our fear and hate.
Throw our arms around the world
at Christmas time.
But say a prayer,
Pray for the corporations.
Out in Iraq it's hard
but when you're making a bomb...
There's a death outside your window
but there profit galore,
Where the oil pipes are flowing
behind a militarised corridor
Where the Christmas bells in Fallujah
are heavy artillery
Well, tonight thank God it's them instead of me.
And there won't be food and medicine in Fallujah
Because we won't let the Red Cresent through the door.
Ohh....
But we'll make sure that they know
how to make democracy grow
Do they know what liberation is at all?
Here's to you...
Keep the profits rolling in
Here's to them
Defending 'freedom'
Do they know what liberation is at all?
Seize the world...
Seize the world...
Seize the world,
Let them know who's in control.
Seize the world,
Let them know who's in control.
I'm pissed off this time really pissed off
i'm afraid pop stars with bad rhymes are leading us the wrong darn way.
In this world there's plenty of propaganda
to endure
but open your eyes around the world to corporate crime
lets get it clear there are no 'other ones'
no grateful masses of helpless stupid africans
There's a world of subsistence farmers who know how to feed themselves
but the corporations took their land and the
IMF their wealth
And the GM food aid dumped on them ruins prices, threatens health
And tonight they're pretty angry at U (S.A!)
And they are saying no around the world to corporate crime and Standing firm against patents on life ohh..
there's plenty of food grows but its stolen by the WTO Fuck that!
a better world is possible!
here's to justice raise the bar for
everyone heres to justice and grassroots revolution
a better world is possible.
don't sell the world don't
sell the world
don't sell the world
a better world is possible
don't sell the world a better world is possible.
"there's a world outside your window,
it's a world of bush and blairs"
do you know its capitalism
e-mail:
doyouknowitscapitalism@yahoo.co.uk
How To Get Your Band On Television
17.11.2004 17:55
Product sells, People die
Same manipulation wrapped in lies
Give a little money and play your rock and roll
The biggest prizes to the biggest fools
In keeping with the fashion for charity, not change
Here's our contribution: we've called it Slag Aid
For every pop star that we slag off today
A million pounds will be given away!
Paul McCartney - Come on Down!
With crocodile tears to irrigate this ground
Make of Ethiopia a fertile paradise
Where everyone sings Beatles songs and buys shares in EMI
Freddie Mercury - This is Your Life!
Thank the Lord that you were born white
And thank apartheid for this wonderful opportunity
To peddle your hypocrisy in Sun City
David Bowie - The Price is Right!
A suitful of compassion and a gobful of shite
Still the voices of those who doubt
Coca-Cola for the peasants to end this drought
Jagger and Richards - Game for a Laugh!
Dancing us down the garden path
To a place where money grows on trees
Where cocaine habits are financed by hunger and disease
Ask the puppet-masters who pull the strings
"Who makes the money when the puppets sing?"
Ask the corporations "Where does the money go?"
Ask the empty bellied children "What are we singing for?"
A Cliff Richard - 3,2,1!
The God who remains when the religion's gone
Cliff, we've got a special surprise for you today
So come closer, step this way
Cliff, you're such an example of moral worth
Such a purist saint come to bless our Earth
That on behalf of our viewers watching telly
And on behalf of the millions with empty bellies
We're donating something special that we're all going to like:
Cliff Richard, we're going to nail you up to a cross tonight!!
I know there must be more
Than giving just a little bit more
When half of this world is so helplessly poor
Starved of a real solution -
Only charity and tradition
And the cycle of hungry children
Will keep on going round...
WDM are also looking for alternative song lyrics
JC
No, really that's what it's like in the east!
18.11.2004 01:38
Allah Akbar!
King Amdo.
King Amdo