'Don't turn your back on Africa'
Irish musician, humanitarian Bob Geldof speaks at Israeli Involvement in Africa Conference, calls on gov't to increase foreign aid to impoverished region despite domestic problems. 'You are leaders in high-tech, agriculture, desert development – Africa needs you,' he says
"Your essence as a state is not to sink into a closed-camp mentality. The Jewish people are famous for their use of culture and intellect to absorb, integrate, learn and teach. This is what your people do – don’t make them force you into turning your backs to the world," said Irish musician Bon Geldof to an audience of several hundred social activists, businessmen and academics who gathered at the Israeli Involvement in Africa conference, held in Herzliya on Sunday.
This place is ridden with existential problems, Geldof said, as he recounted his last visit to Israel as a businessman, noting that his PR aide had to abandon the team in order to report for reserve duty, following the outbreak of the Second Lebanon War.
Someone once told me that just because we lie in the gutter, doesn’t mean we can't look at the stars above, he said, adding that in spite of the many difficulties, paying attention to a suffering continent reveals a noble spirit.
Geldof, 60, arrived in Israel to participate in the conference organized by IsraAID, an Israeli forum for international humanitarian aid, sponsored by the Pratt Foundation.
He participated in a panel dealing with artists and media reporters as agents of change, alongside journalists Itai Anghel and Nadav Eyal, and musician Idan Raichel.
On Monday, Geldof will visit the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, which was recently boycotted by the University of Johannesburg in South African. Geldof said he is honored to be a guest of the university particularly at this time.
They want iPads, Nikes too
In his speech on Sunday, the Irish musician refrained from directly addressing the political situation in Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but said it was ridiculous to have a person's rights denied or life at risk just because he is Jewish, Palestinian or black. A political system that is based on oppression, he said, was not logical, but insane.
Geldof, who was born to a poor family in Ireland, was raised by his father after his mother passed away when he was seven years old.
More than his musical career, Geldof is known for his humanitarian activities, and especially his efforts to increase humanitarian aid to Africa.
In 1984, Geldof organized the recording of the album "Band Aid," with all the revenues going to charity in Ethiopia. A year later he produced "Live Aid" and in 2005 "Live 8", both concerts aimed at persuading G-8 leaders to cancel Africa's debt and double the aid it is given by the richest nations. Geldof was nominated for the Noble Peace Prize and was knighted by the Queen of England.
Geldof predicted at the conference that by 2040 Africa will be one of the world's most influential global financial centers. It is a continent filled with teenagers and cities that have more than a million inhabitants, he said, adding that what they want most of all is education, health, water and power, but also Nike and iPad – and they will get them all.
Don't turn back on suffering
The Irish singer spoke about the changes Africa has undergone, recounting his visit to a small village in the Congolese northeast a few years ago. Geldof was astounded to witness all the villagers rushing out of their huts with laptops in hand one day, in order to hook up and send emails from a mobile server attached to a bicycle.
Geldof, who mentioned the Holocaust several times throughout his speech, explained what motivated him to get involved in humanitarian work.
If you had known the Holocaust was taking place but wouldn’t do a thing to stop it, would you be an accomplice? Yes! He said, adding that similarly in Africa, tens of thousands of people die of hunger while north of there food is being destroyed, and nothing is being done about it. Does that make us accomplices? Yes! He proclaimed.
Charity is essential, the Irish singer added, explaining that seeing another person suffer and turning your back on him makes us inhumane.
If we stop to look at the scars, the oppression and the humiliation of another person and do not respond – something inside us withers and dies, he said.
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