Radio Ga Ga: Live Aid Planning Committee, 1985

APPROXIMATE COMMITTEE SIZE: 25 delegates

Ethiopia and other countries within Eastern Africa have been facing severe famine and instability for much of the 1980s. In October 1984, when the BBC ran a segment on the issue, people began to realize the situation and take action, and many charities began to receive an influx of donations. At the same time, singer and Boomtown Rats founding member Bob Geldof saw the segment and was inspired. He then wrote “Do They Know it's Christmastime?,” a song focused on raising money and awareness for the famines. It included some of the biggest names in music performing the song under the radar for free-–without the permission of record labels and managers. Some of these artists were Bono, Duran Duran, Culture Club, and George Michael. The song was released under the name Band Aid in December 1984, with sales of the tune raising over £8 million in its first year for famine relief. No artists, including Geldof, received any royalties from its success—all of the profits were slated to go towards famine relief. While the song has faced criticism for its patronizing tone and use of stereotypes, it is undoubtedly a hit and a charitable bonanza: at the time of its release, the song was the fastest-grossing single in UK history. Now, Geldof and others want to take the next step: putting on a full-scale charity concert called “Live Aid,” with the goal to raise even more money for famine relief. It is up to delegates to plan the next stage in this philanthropic endeavor and ensure its success, working with the music industry, NGOs, and local and international governments and organizations. 

ISSUES TO CONSIDER

Event Planning and International Cooperation

Aid Distribution and Philanthropic Work 

Using the Concert’s Social Impact for Good

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• How media and pop culture can be used to generate change, and the benefits and pitfalls of such an approach. 

• The inner workings of international collaboration and charity work through governments, NGOs, and other organizations.

• The potential for corruption, misuse of funds, or patronization within the organizations involved, and how best to avoid such an outcome. 

About the Chair

Ainsley Atwood is in the class of 2026 in Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, majoring in Culture and Politics and minoring in French and English!  She is originally from Chicago, and she started MUN in her freshman year of high school.  This is Ainsley’s third NAIMUN, as she served as a Crisis Analyst in the Smithsonian Board of Regents in 2023 and a Crisis Manager in the US Defense Policy Board last year.  Outside of NAIMUN, Ainsley loves spending time with her friends and spending her weekends with a cup of tea and a good book.  She is so excited to be your chair!

About the Crisis manager

Summer Niederman is a first-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences, planning to major in government and minor in Spanish. She is from Highland Beach, Florida. Her current topics of interest are constitutional law and foreign policy. In addition to working with NAIMUN, Summer writes for Georgetown University’s Free Speech Project and is a member of the Georgetown Moot Court team. Outside of her academic pursuits, Summer enjoys going for long walks with friends, especially along the Potomac. Summer’s favorite part of NAIMUN is that it brings together delegates from a variety of places to work together to solve important global issues. At NAIMUN LXI, she served as a Director of the Supreme Court committee. Summer is very excited to be the Crisis Manager for the Radio Ga Ga Committee!