UK/FILE: One year on from Live8, Sir Bob Geldof talks about its positive impact, but slams world leaders for lagging on trade promises and lashes out at the media

Record ID: 809379

  • Title: UK/FILE: One year on from Live8, Sir Bob Geldof talks about its positive impact, but slams world leaders for lagging on trade promises and lashes out at the media
  • Date: 6th July 2006
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 29, 2006) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) BOB GELDOF SAYING: "There's no way they can get out now. Here's the evidence (holding up DATA report) Here's the empirical proof, here's the political arm, do this thing - we're really serious. It wasn't: 'Ding-a-ling-a-ling Tell Me Why I Don't Like Mondays, see ya lads, thanks'. It wasn't that. We're really serious - you've got us wrong if you think we're going away, we ain't going away - do it."
  • Embargoed: 21st July 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations,Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVADIJ89L2W82W3688P6DL6ZOSW3
  • Story Text: Almost one year after organizing the Live8 concerts around the world to pressure the G8 industrial leaders meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland, to wipe out poverty, Sir Bob Geldof at a press conference in London on Thursday (June 29).said the campaign had had a positive impact.
    The press conference was held to announce the findings of the first report by lobby group Debt Aids Trade Africa (DATA), which followed the progress made by world leaders in their announced plan to accelerate Africa's economic development, since the G8 summit.
    DATA, which was formed by Geldof and fellow rock star/activist/campaigner, 'U2' lead singer Bono, reported that 19 of the world's poorest countries - 14 of them in Africa - have already had their multilateral debts cancelled out of a total of 44 who are eligible.
    "Did Live 8 work? Yes it did", Geldof told reporters. "If you ask me - and it's almost trite, the way sometimes I see things, but it isn't stupid. Are more people being fed today than last year because of Live 8? Are they going less hungry today because of what we did last year? Yes they are. Are more children in school because of what we did last year? Are they being offered a gateway to the global world because of what we did last year? Yes, they are, millions of them. Are more people being treated for their diseases across the board? Or have they access to medicines and doctors and nurses because of what we did last year? Yes, they are. That's good for me, but it isn't enough because the full promise must be implemented and nothing less will do. Nothing less will do."
    But, while it found promises on debt made at last year's summit were so far upheld, the report stated agreements on aid were flagging and trade agreements remained unfulfilled.
    "Summing it up, there's the good, the okay and the ugly. The good in topline would be the debt piece, the okay is aid, and the unseemly ugly is, of course, the trade piece," he said.
    Geldof also lashed out at the global media when asked about the heavy involvement of celebrities and high profile entertainers in the Live8 campaign.
    "...it may be a little more important for people like Bono and Annie (Lennox) to use their access, simply because they're artists, to fundamentally talk about politics rather than rattling the tin can - because that really ultimately got us nowhere - and I think that probably happened alongside Live Aid 20 years ago. And Live Aid just happened to enshrine the global media moment," he said. "So, if you have someone who's bothered by breast cancer - a doctor in Minnesota, who knows stuff about this - is he going to get on Reuters? No. But is Kylie Minogue going to get on? Yes. That's your fault - it's not mine, or Kylie's, or the doctor's, it's your. Because you want money and you want figures or else you'd be out of a job. So it's your fault, what are you going to do about it?"
    Geldof said the ongoing DATA report would help to keep pressure on the governments of world's richest countries.
    "There's no way they can get out now. Here's the evidence Here's the empirical proof, here's the political arm, do this thing - we're really serious. It wasn't: 'Ding-a-ling-a-ling 'Tell Me Why I Don't Like Mondays, see ya lads, thanks'. It wasn't that. We're really serious - you've got us wrong if you think we're going away, we ain't going away - do it," he said.
    According to the report, reaching the 2010 goal of doubling aid to Africa would require G8 countries to increase funding by 4 billion USD in 2006.
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