November 22, 2004
Danny, Brad, Emma and Midge queue up
Danny Glover will this week become the latest celebrity to visit Ethiopia and tour a few of its trouble spots. He will be here as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. Over the past couple of months we have also been blessed by the company of, among others, Brad Pitt, Emma Thompson and Midge Ure.
These visits raise a few issues.
First of all, why are these celebs always monopolised by the charities, the NGOs (non-governmental organisations)? The publicity around their visits to Aids orphanages and development sites constantly reinforces the country's famine-stricken image. Perhaps one day a glossy celeb will agree to tour somewhere less obvious like a rose farm (boosting floriculture - Ethiopia's new growth industry) or one of the country's cultural sites (boosting tourism - another sector that could give Ethiopia an alternative to living off coffee exports).
Secondly, why does the press respond to these visits by actors who are, for all their gravitas, just light entertainers? Why are we so interested in Madonna's view of the US election or Brad Pitt's insights into HIV/Aids? (Don't misunderstand me. I will be there later this week taking down Mr Glover's quotes with the rest of them.)
Thirdly, are these visits actually productive for the charities that organise them? Has anyone ever done a study on the quality of the publicity that emerges from these trips? The Brad Pitt visit was a good example. He stayed at Ethiopia's most expensive hotel, the Sheraton, and took up hours of charity workers' time as he was shown around. He even let one small charity down by failing to turn up to take part in a food run around the capital. At the end of the day he left the country without even doing a press conference, as if his presence alone would be enough. Exactly what did Ethiopia get out of his visit?
Posted by aheavens at November 22, 2004 8:09 AM