Common sense approach to fund raising

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June 9, 2008

Fund-raising concert should have targeted wider audience
I WATCHED the broadcast of both MediaCorp's Sichuan fund-raising concert (Channel 8) on May 25 and the Hong Kong artists' fund-raising event shown on TVB last Monday.
For such a big national effort here, why did we involve only Chinese performers - and target only Chinese Singaporean viewers. We should have brought together artists, leaders and viewers from all races to achieve a common goal?
We should not wait till the Aug 9 National Day celebrations every year to demonstrate that we are one united family.
We could also have injected more spontaneity into the event.
The Hong Kong concert was fittingly executed with no studio rigidness. The organisers there brought together the largest possible number of artists they could.
It was also broadcasted throughout the Asian region, inspiring millions across many countries. Even artists who could not sing well were asked to sing, thus demonstrating that anyone could help.
Most acts were in groups to underline the combined effort and community spirit.
They used personal testimonies of artists who had travelled to the epicentre whereas we continued with the rather crude practice of interviewing the victims' kin, who had already suffered enough.
Ed Cheong