U2, Social Activism and Human Rights

Sunday April 13 Class Barb Hauck-Mah Teacher Attendance 4 Junior High group

We listened to the U2 Best of CD ( early years 1980-1990) as we cleaned up from another successful pancake breakfast.

We shared what we knew about U2 as musicians who choose to write music with political and religious messages. The Stanley group was split on whether they liked U2 music or if it was too old school for their tastes. But there was agreement that U2 was doing a good thing by using their popularity to advance human rights projects like amnesty international, RED, and DATA (to reduce Debt, Aids, Trade imbalance and African poverty).

At the U2 3D concert, the COEXIST sign was prominently displayed and Bono wore a bandana emblazoned with it as he sang “Love and Peace”. COEXIST blends symbols of 3 world religions -Muslim, Jew, Christian-to encourage different faiths to embrace their similarities and work as ONE. As Bono sang during the U2 3D concert “Jesus, Jew, Mohammed, It’s true. All sons of Abraham”.

We had time to briefly talk about the lyrics to one of U2’s best known songs: Pride (In the name of love). The group saw the references to nonviolent protest and Martin Luther King Jr (“free at last, they took your life ,they could not take your pride”). Some of the lyrics allude to another black activist who chose violence over peaceful protest (” one man to overthrow”)–No one in the group had heard of Malcolm X before. I shared the little I knew.

For a link to the lyrics of this and other U2 songs, go to the group’s official website. http://www.u2.com
Their website includes a monthly calendar of their social activism projects.

What is U2’s involvement with the ONE organization? More about this in late April.

Have a great spring break week. No class April 20 and Mrs. Woodward will be teaching April 27.

Peace, Barb Hauck-Mah

U2 3D @LSC Field Trip

On Saturday evening, April 12th, a group of about 15 youths and adults from Stanley Church attended the “U2 in 3D” IMAX video at Liberty Science Center. The 2007 video features highlights from U2’s Vertigo tour to Agentina, Brazil, Chile, Australia, and Mexico. The tour theme was “It’s time for Human Rights”.

For me, the video was the ultimate rock concert experience. It was thought-provoking, energizing, inventive. Bono’s performance especially is not to be missed. I was also impressed by the genuine affection and respect each of the U2 band members had for one another.
The 83 minute concert video included Vertigo, New Year’s Day, Love & Peace, Miss Sarajevo, Pride (In the Name of Love), Where the Streets Have No Name, The Fly, Bullet the Blue Sky and Yahweh. I encourage others who attended the show to post their reactions to the U2 video.

Peace, Barb Hauck-Mah