“We Are the World” is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World. With sales in excess of 20 million copies, it is one of the fewer than 30 all-time singles to have sold at least 10 million copies worldwide.
Following Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” project in the UK, an idea for the creation of an American benefit single for African famine relief came from activist Harry Belafonte, who, along with fundraiser Ken Kragen, was instrumental in bringing the vision to reality. Several musicians were contacted by the pair, before Jackson and Richie were assigned the task of writing the song. The duo completed the writing of “We Are the World” seven weeks after the release of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”, and one night before the song’s first recording session, on January 21, 1985. The historic event brought together some of the most famous artists in the music industry at the time.
The song was released on March 7, 1985, as the only single from the album. A worldwide commercial success, it topped music charts throughout the world and became the fastest-selling American pop single in history. The first ever single to be certified multi-platinum, “We Are the World” received a Quadruple Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. However, the song garnered mixed reviews from journalists, music critics, and the public.
Fans enjoyed hearing racially and musically diverse recording artists singing together on one track, and felt satisfied in buying “We Are the World”, knowing that the money was going to charity. Other individuals, including many commentators in the rock press, were disappointed that the song did not challenge listeners as to why famines occur in the first place, and felt that the lyrics were self-aggrandizing.
WTF why is this choir of aggresive military leaders of the NATO alliance joining in singing this famous song … quite inappropriate … SELF-AGGRANDIZING indeed! Remember the NATO intervention in Libya and Syria, did the fascist regimes in Italy, Spain or Germany have such idiotic brainwaves? It’s just plain blasphemy!
NATO Officials Sing ‘We Are the World’ at Summit in Turkey | NY Times |
The original recording from 1985
Ethical Considerations in Using Power and Politics
Harry Truman once said that leadership is the ability to get people to do what they don’t want to do and like it. His statement raises an important issue: Leadership is an opportunity to use power and influence to accomplish important organizational goals, but power can also be abused.
One consideration is the difference between personalized leaders and socialized leaders. This distinction refers primarily to the leader’s approach to the use of power. Personalized leaders are typically selfish, impulsive, and exercise power for their own self-centered needs and interests rather than for the good of the organization. Socialized leaders exercise power in the service of higher goals that will benefit others and the organization as a whole. Personalized leaders are characterized as self-aggrandizing, nonegalitarian, and exploitative, whereas socialized leaders are empowering, egalitarian, and supportive. Personalized behavior is based on caring about self; socialized behavior is based on valuing others.
