Live Earth - Lessons to be Learned

As most of us know that "Live Earth" (Theshould carry ONE message, so that the
Concert for the Climate in Crisis) is taking place onawareness of that issue is raised. High profile
July 07, 2007 (7.7.07), the series of musiccelebrities can be responsible to make such event
concerts are taking place concurrently across 7possible, like Bob Geldof, who is a celebrity himself
continents, with over 100+ artists from all overand has enough contacts with musicians and
the world performing, and with a global audienceartists, made Live8 a success story. Al Gore's
of over 2 billion! Live Earth is the predecessor ofLive Earth has the same tale. I'm hopeful that in
Live8; the only difference is Live8's aim was tothe lights of people like one of the most influential
'make poverty history', while Live Earth aims toPhilanthropist, sportsman and Politician Imran Khan,
address the global environmental issues and callsPresident Musharraf and others who have
for the individuals, corporations and governmentsinfluencing power over people, can make such
to take action!events possible and yet successful.
Live8 concerts, which were organized by BobOne question that rises as to why this event
Geldof and took place 2 years back, werewould be different from all the other concerts
successful in a way that it convinced the G8taking place in Pakistan every week and why
summit (especially its most active member, US)people would want to be a part of it. We can
to double their aid to the poverty-stricken Africanagain follow the strategy Geldof and Al-Gore used
countries. Live Earth, which is organized by thethat called the people to unite in the name of
ex-US Vice President Al Gore, aims to make theissues like peace, tackling poverty, fighting
world more environment-friendly through theseilliteracy, environmental issues and so many other
groundbreaking gigs.positive messages, and the people turned up in
Talking about Live8 and Live Earth and so manymillions. Other way of calling people would be to
international charity or purpose-aimed concertsask artists who have not performed in a long
that take place everywhere around the world, it'stime, either because they left music or their band
time our local artists should join hands for a hugebroke up, to have their reunion and people will
concert to address the issues Pakistan is goingcertainly come to witness them play. Rock
through, which includes poverty, illiteracy,legends Pink Floyd kept their squabbles aside and
unemployment and of course the judicial crisis...thereunited after 25 years to play at Live8 and
list goes on.people stormed in to watch them. We can have
Pakistani artists can contribute a lot. There hadour local disbanded groups like Vital Signs, Junoon
been charity gigs in Pakistan but they were eitherand others to have a one-time reunion for these
on a low-level, didn't carry a message or theyoff-date concerts with other artists, thus assuring
were commercial -- their idea of a charity gig ishuge audience.
limited to raising funds for NGOs. If we look atInstead of using long rallies, walk-a-cause,
this broadly, music artists can help inprocessions and violent strikes as protesting tools,
communicating the message that needs to getit would be better to have a purpose-aimed
through, like fighting poverty, judicial-issues, end toconcert to highlight issues or convey the message
feudalism, tackling corruption and so many majorpeacefully and effectively.
issues Pakistan is going through. Charity concertsMy idea is simple: ALL living music artists Pakistan
do not necessarily have to be to raise funds.has ever produced, on ONE stage, with ONE
There should be a series of concerts that canmessage.
take place in all major cities of Pakistan and they