SusanHu wrote a little somethin-somethin’ on this a couple weeks back, but as it’s coming up, I’ve decided to create a diary about it (also thanks to some gentle prodding by SlackerInc).
From the front page of the Live 8 website:
On July 6th, we finally have the opportunity to stop that shameful statistic.
8 world leaders, gathered in Scotland for the G8 summit, will be presented with a workable plan to double aid, drop the debt and make the trade laws fair. If these 8 men agree, then we will become the generation that made poverty history.
But they’ll only do it if enough people tell them to.
That’s why we’re staging Live 8. 10 concerts, 100 artists, a million spectators, 2 billion viewers, and 1 message… To get those 8 men, in that 1 room, to stop 30,000 children dying every single day of extreme poverty.
Let’s think about that for a minute. 30,000 children die of poverty each day. I grew up in a town of just over 15,000 people. That means that twice the population of my hometown is dying. Not in a year. Not in a month. In one day. And that is only counting the children who are dying.
The concerts are taking place on July 2 (this Saturday). Here is the list of locations:
Palais de Versailles, Paris, France
Siegessaule, Berlin, Germany
Circus Maximus, Rome, Italy
Museum of Art, Philadelphia, USA
Park Place, Barrie, Canada
Makuhari Messe, Tokyo, Japan
Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown, Johannesburg, South Africa
So, what can you do?
If you happen to be to near Scotland, go here to read about the Long Walk to Justice in Edinburgh.
For the rest of us, the least we can do is sign the petition to the G8 leaders, and forward it on to our friends. And if you’re feeling slightly more giving, get one of their sharp white wristbands. Here is where to get them, based on country.
And if you can’t make any of those shows, be sure to tune in on TV. In the States, I know that both MTV and VH1 are going to have 8 straight hours of coverage, beginning at noon Eastern time.
(X-posted at EuroTrib)
