Post by Helen on Feb 23, 2005 20:06:53 GMT
Ronan Keating explains why his concerts now include footage from films made during his visit to Ghana
There are so many good causes worth supporting, my feeling is, once you've made the commitment, you should stay with it. Our family set up the Marie Keating Foundation, a cancer charity in memory of my mother, and that's definitely a lifetime commitment. I've just returned from South East Asia performing in a fund-raising concert for the MTV tsunami campaign and Comic Relief has been something I've been proud to support from the Boyzone days.
So when Christian Aid asked me to go and see how world trade rules affect Ghana, I knew I was ready to commit to it. It came at a time where I was reading a lot about globalisation, so I was really happy to take up their offer, but nothing prepared me for the poverty we saw. I'd seen poor places before on tour, but nothing like this. Eighty per cent of people in Ghana live on something like one euro a day, barely a pound. It's crazy.
We met with a lot of people on our visit. Kofi Eliasa had to survive on £1.50 a day by getting up at the crack of dawn to work 12 hours in a quarry, breaking stones for a living. Why? Because his tomato farm no longer provides a living.
The people of Ghana used to be able to sell their own tomatoes, their own chicken, their own onions, but in 1983, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank imposed conditions on international loans to countries like Ghana.
One was that governments wouldn't be allowed to subsidise their poor farmers. Another was to stop poor countries putting tariffs on cheaper, subsidised and imported products like chicken from Holland or rice from America.
The trip really affected me, but I also knew this was the start of the story. I know people in the public eye can draw attention to things and help make a difference. If I can influence anyone to take action, I'll have done my bit for people like Kofi. We must make trade fairer by allowing poor countries to support and protect their vulnerable farmers and traders.
That's why I'm supporting the Trade Justice campaign, one element of Make Poverty History, and am proud to wear my white band.
That's why I showed a film of my trip to Ghana on every date of my recent UK tour, why I am doing the same in Germany and why I hope that everyone who can will visit the website at www.christianaid.org.uk/campaign or text "change" to 84118 to vote for trade justice. We all have to make our voices heard.
When I left Ghana, a lovely woman called Victoria gave me a present of a drum. She told me: "In Africa, we beat a drum to carry a message. We want you to do that too, Ronan." Now I tell people what I saw and hope they get involved. Please do.
There are so many good causes worth supporting, my feeling is, once you've made the commitment, you should stay with it. Our family set up the Marie Keating Foundation, a cancer charity in memory of my mother, and that's definitely a lifetime commitment. I've just returned from South East Asia performing in a fund-raising concert for the MTV tsunami campaign and Comic Relief has been something I've been proud to support from the Boyzone days.
So when Christian Aid asked me to go and see how world trade rules affect Ghana, I knew I was ready to commit to it. It came at a time where I was reading a lot about globalisation, so I was really happy to take up their offer, but nothing prepared me for the poverty we saw. I'd seen poor places before on tour, but nothing like this. Eighty per cent of people in Ghana live on something like one euro a day, barely a pound. It's crazy.
We met with a lot of people on our visit. Kofi Eliasa had to survive on £1.50 a day by getting up at the crack of dawn to work 12 hours in a quarry, breaking stones for a living. Why? Because his tomato farm no longer provides a living.
The people of Ghana used to be able to sell their own tomatoes, their own chicken, their own onions, but in 1983, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank imposed conditions on international loans to countries like Ghana.
One was that governments wouldn't be allowed to subsidise their poor farmers. Another was to stop poor countries putting tariffs on cheaper, subsidised and imported products like chicken from Holland or rice from America.
The trip really affected me, but I also knew this was the start of the story. I know people in the public eye can draw attention to things and help make a difference. If I can influence anyone to take action, I'll have done my bit for people like Kofi. We must make trade fairer by allowing poor countries to support and protect their vulnerable farmers and traders.
That's why I'm supporting the Trade Justice campaign, one element of Make Poverty History, and am proud to wear my white band.
That's why I showed a film of my trip to Ghana on every date of my recent UK tour, why I am doing the same in Germany and why I hope that everyone who can will visit the website at www.christianaid.org.uk/campaign or text "change" to 84118 to vote for trade justice. We all have to make our voices heard.
When I left Ghana, a lovely woman called Victoria gave me a present of a drum. She told me: "In Africa, we beat a drum to carry a message. We want you to do that too, Ronan." Now I tell people what I saw and hope they get involved. Please do.
