Spotlight: Music and Human Rights

I do not know if this is a bizarre conception. This thought anchored in my mind, as R.L.Stevenson terms it ‘during my pleasure trips into the Land of Thought.’

We know some of the most famous award winning music albums like Bob Dylan’s ‘Bringing It All Back Home’, Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born To Run’, Jackie McLean’s ‘Let Freedom Ring’, Bing Crosby’s ‘Don’t Fence Me In’, Charley Pride’s ‘Let Me Live’.....
The common theme in all these albums is ‘Freedom’. At some point of time these albums/singers have been presented music awards like the Grammy, Gramophone awards etc. So, we all knew this. Then, why do I have to write this, I should share the reason here. This is about a music band that is also riding high on the carapace of ‘Freedom’. Recently ‘U2 Band Members’ received highest ‘Human Rights Award from Amnesty International’ and this purpose caught my attention. With my limited knowledge I am aware of awards presented by the Gramophone Awards, Billboard, MTV Music Video Awards. Now U2 band members were awarded AI’s highest human rights accolade the “Ambassador of Conscience” Award for 2005. The Award, inspired by a poem written for AI by Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, aims to promote the work of the organization with the life, work and example of its ‘Ambassadors’ who have done so much to inspire and uplift.

“Ambassador of Conscience” Award recognizes exceptional individual leadership and witness in the fight to protect and promote human rights. With songs like ‘Pride (In The Name of Love)’, ‘Mothers of The Disappeared’, ‘Miss Sarajevo’, ‘Walk On (Written for Burmese Political Activist Aung San Syu Kyi)’ and the song that has become an anthem to Amnesty, ‘One’, they brought the issues of trade, debt and aid, particularly as they affect Africa.U2 helped spread the human rights message of AI to global audience.

Bono, Edge, Larry Mullen Jr, Adam Clayton, Paul McGuinness are the members of U2.Their leadership in linking music to the struggle for human right is laudable. Vaclav Havel, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson were the past recipients of this award.

Meanwhile, let us hope this dark earth becomes a pleasant ground for everyone.