I think in some ways it helps more than others. I strongly agree with what was stated previously on how the boy started to turn off the light due to seeing the 'Live Earth' concerts. Sometimes it takes someone people idolize to aid in getting a message across. I do think if people are going to play at these events though, they should attempt to be as environmentally friendly as possible while getting there.

ABSOLUTELY!!!
Just think about how Krusty the Klown and Sting helped Timmy O'Toole when he fell down that well.

They sent their love down the well,
all the way down!

If Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan get in on saving the planet through song, it will be a great day.

Probably not but at least they are trying. What are you, I or our government doing, especially in the case of Darfur. If the time spent asking weather or not these concerts make a difference was spent instead on doing something about the issues themselves...

I think that rock stars can help bring attention to a problem. You can consider this to be a first step. After that it takes a long term commitment from a person or group to make sure lasting change is made.

In other words, who will do the "real work" when the cameras are no longer rolling?

I believe that one person can make a difference. If you have a committed group of people, that's even better.

'Rock stars' currently stand at the centre of cultural gravity in the Western world. They have the loudest and most influential voices in our society. The arts and social movement have always gone hand in hand....and Rock 'n' Roll, in particular, is a tradition rooted in liberation and social movement. It has a track record for shaping popular consciousness and effecting social change - for good and ill. We should not be surprised by its capacity to awaken the populace to unjust power relationships that perpetauate poverty, environmental degradation, political conflict, etc. Cultural leaders - rock stars or otherwise - can cast vision that can expose injustices and energize toward action.

But to answer the question more directly - Rock stars cannot stop genocide, etc. - not alone. But the populace can through collective action....and at this point in history we have the where-with-all to address these issues. Rock stars can help to shift popular consciousness, so that populace might no longer tolerate this; they can unify and mobilise communities and portions of the population toward action as good as anybody. We should applaud any popular artist who uses their power to influence to effect positive change. And we should strive to do the same within our own spheres of influence.

Look what Farm Aid has been doing for the family farmer every year for 22 years! The organization on the front line who are responsible for social change receive the money and are accountable for the impact.

I very much appreciate Erin Pott's comments. I'm hoping that the revolution in social networking can make the much needed lasting connection between fans' experience with activist musicians and the ongoing political work that needs to be done to achieve lasting progressive political change.
hbarlow

In one respect, I find it disturbing that rock stars have influence in the political arena. I think popular culture is too influential on Western youth and produces a sort of passivity and lack of real action or commitment to change the body politic
.
On the other hand, I am pleased to see rock stars like Bono use their stature and influence to address real work problems like hunger and disease. They could be complacent,indifferent and never speak out and they would not be faulted for it.

Rock music has traditionally been controlled by selfish, narcissistic, white males and unfortunately, this is still the norm. It is not a form of music I find that interesting.

Modern (>=1950's) popular culture could be the problem which would make it a complicit or even guilty party to keeping developing countries and communities from progress. Marketing and advertising campaigns target sets of demographic victims like a well organized army plans and executes strategy on a battlefield. Tactics can include; targeting the young to smoke, drink, and always multiply their peer pressures, plan & develop cults of popular personality (the more stupid the better to dumb down your customer base), and above all keep them connected and interactive (so the machnine can adjust input data to exploit pent up demand-no matter how marginal). The net effect on young people is stunted intellectual, emotional, and sociological growth. Rebels without causes are more important than the quiet seekers of truth and knowledge who will no doubt inherite a very different world with problems more complex and insidious than any other civilization in human history. Atomistic pod pressures, dipiti-do-dah & bubble-headed role models rule; I mean how many times will aids endemic african communities view sexually explicit divas on-stage before they recognize the mixed messages pop icons deliver. It's all part of a plan to make legend and mythology driving forces for demand.

Never will happen, because the politicos won't stop it.