Veteran broadcaster Michael Buerk slams ‘white saviour’ criticism of Live Aid: ‘If you’re dying of starvation, you’re not really that concerned about the colour of the person saving you’
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Michael Buerk hit out at ‘white saviour’ criticism of the Live Aid concerts yesterday, branding the controversy ‘obscene’.
The veteran broadcaster – whose heart-rending reports on the Ethiopian famine in 1984 led to musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure organising the event – rejected accusations that the West was being ‘paternalistic’.
It came as the global charity fundraiser marked its 40th anniversary yesterday.
The BBC presenter told Radio 4’s Broadcasting House current affairs programme: ‘If you were one of the women picking through donkey dung trying to find undigested seeds or one of the children whose eyes were rotting through vitamin deficiency, if you were a guy… have you seen somebody dying from starvation? The body eats itself from inside.
‘If you’re one of those people… you’re not really that concerned about whether your saviour is white or black and I think The Guardian thinks we’re being paternalistic.
‘It’s rather obscene that people should go around talking about white saviours. Any saviour in that context is very welcome indeed.’
Michael Buerk (pictured), 79, hit out at ‘white saviour’ criticism of the Live Aid concerts yesterday, branding the controversy ‘obscene’. Pictured: Mr Buerk at the 40th Anniversary Gala for Live Aid
The veteran broadcaster – whose heart-rending reports on the Ethiopian famine in 1984 led to musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure organising the event – rejected accusations that the West was being ‘paternalistic’
It came as the global charity fundraiser marked its 40th anniversary yesterday. The BBC presenter told Radio 4’s Broadcasting House current affairs programme: ‘It’s rather obscene that people should go around talking about white saviours’
The 79-year-old, who now presents Radio 4’s Moral Maze, added he thought the wave of compassion generated by his reports, on the then BBC Ten O’Clock News, was no longer possible to achieve today.
‘There were ten million audiences for the main evening news and fewer distractions. People weren’t on their phones all the time.
‘I think we live in a more selfish, more cynical and more stupid world.’
Buerk admitted he had misgivings when he ‘first heard what Geldof was up to’.
‘I thought what are these prancing stars, for goodness’ sake? But now I take the opposite view about Geldof and what happened then.’
Live Aid, which was seen by about 1.5billion people in more than 150 countries, helped in raising around £150 million for famine relief. But since then some have questioned the symbolism of white people in the West coming to the rescue of a helpless and impoverished Africa
Live Aid, which was seen by about 1.5billion people in more than 150 countries, helped in raising around £150 million for famine relief.
But since then some have questioned the symbolism of white people in the West coming to the rescue of a helpless and impoverished Africa.
Mail photographer Murray Sanders’ incredible unseen photographs of Live Aid are featured in a new book, Live Aid Relived. Order a copy at music2you.co.uk/liveaid
