Band Aid 40: Why Western Saviourism Has No Place In 2024
In 2024, when calls for independence and reparations from former Commonwealth nations are growing louder, Band Aid 40 feels profoundly oblivious. The song, stuck in a framework of Western saviourism, actively undermines the mainstream discourse around shifting power, decolonisation, addressing racism and structural change. It fails to recognise that today’s global movements demand equity, not pity; collaboration, not charity.
The Charity Sector has an anti-Palestinian racism problem
The charity sector continues to fail Palestine and the people of Gaza. In the face of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza large swathes of the charity sector remain silent. Instead of standing in solidarity with the people of Palestine and condemning Israel's genocidal action, charity leaders have instead chosen to go after those staff that dare to speak out and exercise their moral rights.
Whatever happened to #CharitySoWhite?
As a group, having each faced the force of white supremacy in the charity sector, we felt passionate about driving systemic change. At the time, this looked like commenting on every racist incident and coddling every leader over coffee. This was not sustainable. We burnt out.
#WeMove: Dreaming of an Anti-Racist Charity Sector
The foundation of an anti-racist charity sector is dismantling white supremacy, and this session aimed to create the chance to dream about what this would look like, and build community with our shared hope.
#PolicySoWhite
If charities continue to place the highest value on people who know how to play the system, they will never change the game.
#CharitySoWhite - The Path Forward
For the next two months we will be developing and growing new, distinct campaigns to build the ecosystem needed to truly fight the racism in our sector.