I woke up early and turned on talkback radio as I've always taken an interest into the concerns communicated by fellow citizens in my community over the air. I've also had the odd appearance on air, to sometimes defend the exaggerated opinions in concerns to how bad the young people of today are.
And today was going to be one of those days especially after the third caller. This lady based her call on a conversation she had with her next door neighbour, but had called the radio to say and I quote 'young people today don't accept anyone in our community, and they are a racist generation.'
This angered me… for many reasons, but the main reason was being present at the Make Poverty History Concert last Friday night, and the activities in Victoria over the weekend. Sooooo this is how I felt throughout the night… I was more excited than the guy with the wings on the Red Bull ad, and it is debatable that I was more excited than Lord Mayor John So, but never the less I had my stir shirt, my make poverty history banner around my waste and I was ready to rock!
In general at the concert we had fourteen thousand young people, which to me sent a clear message that we can be the generation that makes poverty history!! A team of young people put the concert itself together, and the impact it had was immense.
Tim Costello, CEO of World Vision Australia spoke at the concert about the failure of his generation to eradicate absolute poverty and how the challenge ahead lied in the hands of my generation, which was strongly represented in the audience. When Tim spoke, I believe he had every single persons attention, as it was the most silent the concert was throughout the night. His speech focused around how it is time to hand the reigns over to our generation and give us a go, later in the night hearing and seeing Hugh Evans and Dan Adams, was an example for me personally that we can be the generation that eradicates absolute poverty if we all stand together like we did on Friday night!
* head banging * hayley singing : Keeeeep on ROCKING IN THE FREE WORLDDDDDDD
Ok, maybe I will stick to my day job…. But BONO was there, and performed with Eddy Vedder, and The Edge. And yes, all that is reading this most likely already knows of this… But can I say how amazing it was to see the man himself. You see him on the ads, you hear about his advocacy in the news, and I personally start to take a man like that's word as gospel. At the concert he provided the same message as we see on the TV… and to hear it come from 'horses mouth as such,' continued to reaffirm that we CAN do it!
A quote from the man himself, which somes it up:
"When poverty kills 30,000 children a day.Solving Poverty Isn't a chartity issue anymore its a justice issue. It's not a great cause it's an Emergency!"-Bono on ABC lateline
So the musical highlights for me:
Always been a fan of Evermore, and they were terrific live! All my dance moves came out during the John Butler Trio's Funky Tonight, I want to have the moves like Sarah Blasko, and have never heard of Lior but think I may be a fan!
But it was more than just the A grade music…. I am still amazed that we were all there for one reason. Sometimes back in your own small communities, but still passionate that we need to Make Poverty History, you can become a little bit disillusioned, that no one cares, or you are fighting or making a stand alone! I now have my photos, my memories, and my experiences to remind me that it's a movement that wants to Make Poverty History, and as a generation we can do it!
If we can continue the work we do, and the strong presence at things such as the MPH concert we can further prove that young people do care about others. We already have record number of young people volunteering in their communities imagine the impact if it is US who make poverty history!
Soooo the concerts over… Did you miss it? I believe there is a dvd coming out in the Herald Sun on December 9.. so check out…. And with the concert over, what can you do??
Become a stirrer, and learn how to stir here
Log on and become a part of the Make Poverty History Movement here
