The latest addition to the international spectacle of rhetoric and protest surrounding the Group of Eight summit meeting at Gleneagles in Scotland on July 6-8th promises to publicise the event most effectively around the world.
This is vital if its agenda of development aid, debt relief and relief of global poverty is to be properly addressed, alongside world economic and political issues.
Announcing a series of Live 8 concerts in five European and American venues yesterday, Bob Geldof hoped they would raise awareness of African poverty in the same way that the Live Aid concert focused on the Ethiopian famine 20 years ago. He called on students and others to attend the protest meetings organised by the Make Poverty History movement in Edinburgh coinciding with the summit. And he made it clear that the purpose of these concerts - in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome and Philadelphia - will be to raise humanitarian and political awareness of the issues, not to raise money through donations as was the case in 1985.
The line-up of performers coaxed by Geldof and Bono to take part reflects the relatively unchanging nature of rock music's hierarchy. The elder statesmen and women will be represented by the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, Madonna, Sting, and, of course, U2, while stars of a younger vintage such as Coldplay and Robbie Williams will also add their voices. Twenty years ago there was a worldwide audience of 1.4 billion for the concert and it could well be greater this time.
This is marvellous news. It will be all the more so if the resulting publicity genuinely enhances awareness about relieving basic poverty and helps to maintain pressure on G8 leaders to give leadership in tackling it. British prime minister Tony Blair, who chairs the summit, is determined to pursue the agenda. His government has put forward constructive proposals on how to do so, which have been co-ordinated through the United Nations and the European Union. But not all of the G8 states agree. The United States lags well behind in donating aid and has been least enthusiastic about Mr Blair's plans.
The potential audience for these concerts is about the same number as those suffering from primary poverty around the world. The G8 agenda, if agreed, would boost the efforts to relieve it. But there are many alternative, or more radical, plans under discussion. They criticise how the richest states use their control over the terms and conditions of trade to offset the cost of development aid so as to benefit themselves over the longer term. Awareness of such issues should increase through the welcome publicity surrounding these concerts.