More Africans – and Afrophiles – on Live8 · Global Voices
Ethan Zuckerman

Imnakoya, a Nigerian living in Minnesota and blogging at Grandiose Parlor wishes fellow African bloggers would seize the opporunities presented by Live8:
“…many Africans are not in unison on this matter either- critisicm abound over the Blogoshere among African bloggers, and this is fine. However, Live8 will generate a more positive impact if we, Africans, focus on the positive energy generated by the concert. It is really easy to be arm-chair critics…”
In a comment, Owukori (Sokari Ekine of Black Looks) objects to being termed an arm-chair critic.
Imnakoya is not naïve in his optimism, noting in an earlier blog post titled “Live8: Where are my African Bretheren?“:
By nature I’m an overly optimistic being, and I’m most appreciative of the good intents of Bono, Geldof and other kindred spirits that have been clamoring for debt cancellation for Africa. However, I have some difficulty psyching myself up to believe that this festival of music in far away lands and cultures will have any meaningful impact on the lives of my fellow African brethrens. No offence please.
Brian, a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea Conakry and confirmed Afrophile, has an excellent responseon his Black Star Journal to a post I wrote on my personal blog about Live8. Sharing some of my concerns, Brian thinks I miss the value of celebrity participation in bringing critical issues to the attention of the general public:
I remember back when Princess Diana got involved in the landmine question. I wondered how those ordinary activists felt. They worked on the issue for years to little effect but then this fancy royal flies in and suddenly it's the cause célèbre du jour.
But on the other hand, at the end of the day, the Ottawa treaty banning landmines was signed. Most countries (not including the US) do not use landmines anymore. Is it really important who gets credit? As an activist, is it about you or the cause? Do you think any anti-landmine activist would say, “I think we should revoke the Ottawa treaty because it wouldn't have passed without star power”? I hope not. If so, they are not real activists.
If you're an African or Afrophile  blogging about Live8, please let us know so we can continue rounding up these posts.