Comic Relief

Friday's Comic Relief festivities struck me as a bit anachronistic.

Just two years ago 250,000 marched in Edinburgh to Make Poverty History. Many thousands of others across the world made the sacrifice of attending concerts performed at by the globe's leading music acts. The rallying cry was:

1. Drop the Debt
2. Trade Justice
3. More and better aid

Gone was the "Give us you money" attitude. Not a penny was raised. It had taken two decades, but Sir Bob and Sir Bono had realised that political change was necessary to move people out of poverty in this world. The MPH campaign appeared to mark a shift in people's attitudes. It was no longer about charity. Political change was needed on crippling debts and ridiculous trade rules. Even on aid, governments had to start meeting the decades old UN target of 0.7% of GDP - it wasn't not up to ordinary people to do it through Live Aid events any more.

But watching Ant and Dec from Africa on their Comic Relief broadcasts on Friday seemed to throw all that out of the window. It seemed like we'd gone back to the 1980s. "Here are starving children, phone the number and give us your money". No analysis of the causes of poverty. Don't get me wrong, Comic Relief is a laudable project, and does fantastic work (it also has to be noted it funds a lot of good work in this country as well as places like Africa).

However, they have a responsibility to go deeper than just the narrow fundraising agenda. If we're to eradicate poverty, then we need to defeat the causes of it. Every charity has this role, and events like Friday let the government off the hook. Debt and trade justice need to be brought up at every and every opportunity, and only then will it stay to the top of the political agenda. Otherwise, the drive to make poverty history is itself history.

Comments

[aineliva]

In an evening which was to provide entertainment and persuade the massess to part with the cash, I don't believe that you can go "too deep". Perhaps that is something that Comic Relief could do on a seperate occassion, documentaries that do go deeper into the issues and hold our "government" up to the microscope.

However, there are issues of poverty, depravation, and social justice that need addressing on these isles, and I'd like our government to begin there, instead of this message, look how badly others have it and consider yourselves lucky. We aren't that lucky, we live in a society so overwhelmed by materialistic attitudes that we are suffering an epidemic of dislocation. Blair and his government don't give a feck, in my opinion. Unfortunately there isn't much in the way of much feted "Choice" when it comes to political parties or politicians.

The poverty that needs addressing at home is not material, it's spiritual, and a far more serious disease.

[Liam Murray]

Profoundly depressing though it may be Osama, perhaps the reason why we're back on the 'show us the money' bandwagon is because it allows people to feel they're making a direct impact, something political engagement or debate on the issues struggles to do with the same intensity.

[Esther]

Interesting post, Osama. Another thing to consider is that big funders like Comic Relief shape the politics of charities away from addressing root causes by the way they disburse their money.

[joe90]

I forget who said this Esther -

"When I feed the poor, they call me a saint.
When I ask why the poor are hungry, they call me a communist".

I remember an Oxfam campaign of c.1990 when they took the same commie-pinko radical attitude for once, and tried to inform the general public as to the roots of poverty, hunger and injustice.
It led to a Charity Commission Inquiry Repoert of May 1991 - and Oxfam was criticised for being 'political'.

Here is an article written at the time -
http://live.newint.org/issue222/endpiece.htm>Mugging the Good Samaritans
new internationalist
issue 222 - August 1991

ps
Ted, fush - as they say up Peterhead way!
from those Green commie-pinkos -
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/oceans/?&CFID=7216175&CFTOKEN=51617984>Greenpeace UK oceans campaign

and those damned lefties at the BBC -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/6234881.stm>Call to halt cod 'over-fishing'
05 Jan 2007
The Fisheries Research Service (FRS) is warning that if cod fishing is not slowed, fisheries may have to depend on non-native species.
ie British waters harvested to destruction, with species unable to replenish themselves naturally - not only are the fish wiped out but so are jobs as well!

[Ted]

"not only are the fish wiped out but so are jobs as well!"

The quote you give only refers to cod, not all fish stocks.

If you remember, I quoted Richard Lochhead the SNP's fisheries spokesman - full quote here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6112678.stm You'll see that he acknowledges cod as in danger but regards this as the exception rather than the rule. The context I quoted this was to point out that the SNP are clearly opposed to the madcap orders of the EU fisheries policy but are committed to remaining part of it even if Scotland gains 'independence'. I find this a strange position and wonder what is the point of 'independence' if it is not to regain control of matters like our own waters.

[joe90]

Excuse me Ted,
but there is plenty of references all over the internet for the fact that fish stocks are getting wiped out everywhere, the world over - try using a search engine or even visiting the Greenpeace site.

Here is that quote again -
fisheries may have to depend on non-native species.
ie native species have been fished almost to extinction, although being the BBC it doesn't like to say the truth in so many words

You don't need to be the EU, the SNP or your all-knowing all-good UK government to understand that fish and fish-stocks don't recognise international territorial borders - it has to be an international effort to preserve species from extinction in such a context.

And I think you'll find it's the UK government that has sold its fishermen down the river - the UK government has agreed wholeheartedly to fisheries deals with the EU, but then like to give the blame on these 'madcap' foreigners - sound a familiar tactic?