This important and long overdue blog post is finally seeing the publishing board. There are three Africa related issues which I’ve been wanting to mention here. Each is a completely different ways of tackling the “Africa Problem”. But more and more of these different initiatives are emerging from a variety of sectors. This is indeed exciting to watch – from MTV to our 5th avenue shopping experience, Africa is sticking in our conscious. I hope that we will all live to see the results of these great efforts: finally an Africa which is on the map, where the problems are highlighted, and a world discussion is formed in a clear and present way.
1. TED Africa: the recent TED conference which took place in Arusha, Tanzania, June 4-7, 2007
I observed so many connections and conversations at the conference that felt like they were changing lives. Like William Kamkwamba, the kid who built his family a windmill. Tom Rielly showed him the Internet for the first time. He’d never seen it. Tom typed his name and “windmill” and said, “Look, this is all the information that’s on the web about *you*.” (As Ethan Zuckerman reports, the TEDGlobal community is getting together to help Kamkwamba get further education.)
It felt like the speakers were more remarkable as individuals, because of what they’ve had to overcome to achieve what they’ve achieved. Corneille Ewango is a perfect example. He has an accent, and he is a little shy, but people really connected with his story. It reminded me that we should take risks with speakers — if the story is great and hasn’t been heard, people will connect. I had to go on stage after William Kamkwamba, wearing a blindfold, to throw hats into the audience, but by the end of his talk, his story is so amazing, so inspiring, I was moved to tears — with a blindfold on! -
(source:TED blog)
2. Instant Karma:
For those of you who haven’t seen Green Day’s new video – Working Class Hero – check it out on youtube. It is powerful and touching. This song is part of a compilation album, Instant Karma, which is a part of the Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. The album consists of various artists covering songs of John Lennon, seeking to benefit this campaign. The rights to Lennon’s songs and music publishing royalties were donated to Amnesty International by Yoko Ono. Proceeds from CD and digital sales will support Amnesty International and its campaign to focus attention and mobilize activism around the urgent catastrophe in Darfur, and other human rights crises.
“It’s wonderful that, through this campaign, music that is so familiar to many people of my era will now be embraced by a whole new generation,” Ono says. “John’s music set out to inspire change, and in standing up for human rights, we really can make the world a better place.”
(source: wikipedia)
watch the video!
3. (PRODUCT) RED collection designed to make a difference for africa
This campaign consists of a limited collection of clothing and accessories for men and women designed to help fight AIDS in Africa. As part of Gap’s global partnership with (PRODUCT) RED, half of the profits from sales of the Gap (PRODUCT) RED Collection will go to The Global Fund to finance programs that help women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. Founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver, (RED) is a groundbreaking initiative that marries the private sector of business with the buying power of the public in an effort to generate a sustainable flow of private sector funds towards the fight to eliminate AIDS in Africa. To do this, (RED) will harness the power of some of the world’s most iconic brands including Gap, Converse, Emporio Armani and Motorola – the first companies to partner with (RED).
About (RED) and (PRODUCT) RED
(RED)’s primary objective is to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds for The Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa. Companies whose products take on the (PRODUCT) RED mark contribute a percentage of the sales from that product to The Global Fund to finance AIDS programs in Africa, with an emphasis on the health of women and children. Current partners are: American Express, Emporio Armani, Converse, Gap and Motorola. MySpace.com is the first media sponsor. WWW.JOINRED.COM.