In 1984, responding to the terrible images of famine in northern Ethiopia broadcast on the BBC, musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure gathered some of the biggest stars of the era to record a charity song. Forty years on from the original recording, the cream of British and Irish pop music past and present are once again asking whether Ethiopians know it is Christmas. The release of the Band Aid single, and the Live Aid concert that followed eight months later, became seminal moments in celebrity fundraising and set a template that many others followed. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” is back on Monday with a fresh mix of the four versions of the song that have been issued over the years.
Dawit Giorgis, the Ethiopian official responsible for getting the message out about what was happening in his country, ridiculed the lyrics of the song in an interview with the BBC. “To say: ‘Do they know it’s Christmas?’ is funny, it is insulting,” says Giorgis. His criticism was echoed by the head of Ethiopia’s Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, who summarised the debate for many: while he recognised the impact of the philanthropic response to the BBC film, he questioned the song and its stereotypical representation of an entire continent.
This is not the first controversy the Band Aid song has faced: the chorus of disapproval about the track, its stereotypical representation, and the way recipients of the aid have been viewed as emaciated, helpless figures, has become louder over time. Despite increasing criticism, Bob Geldof robustly defended the song, stating that it has kept scores of people alive. However, as more research reveals the ethical implications of charity fundraisers, many working in the aid sector and academics who study it are critical of the new mix. Such campaigns often reinforce racism and colonial attitudes that strip people of their dignity and agency, according to charity body Bond’s head of anti-racism and equity.
Kenyan satirist and writer Patrick Gathara noted that humanitarian agencies now try to see people first and foremost as human beings and not as victims. The way charities raise funds has undergone a significant change as more and more of them introduce ethical guidelines for their campaigns
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