Resources: Talking point - What do young people think about BandAid?

It was first launched 20 years ago in response to the famine in Ethiopia.

Bob Geldof became a passionate and outspoken fundraiser after watching television news pictures of starving children. Money raised by the new version will go towards drought relief in the Darfur region of Sudan.

What do young people know about the way the first Band Aid portrayed the suffering of people in Africa? It probably pricked consciences and raised public awareness. Discuss whether this has been translated into action that makes a difference? How would we know?

Talk to young people about the lyrics of the song. In the new version, the Sugababes sing: "There's a world outside your window, and it's a world of dread and fear." Is this how young people see things? Dizzee Rascal sings: "Spare a thought this yuletide for the deprived, if the table was turned would you survive?" Talk about what young people know about life in Sudan. How easy is it to imagine yourself and everyday life in sub-Saharan Africa?