Bono and Angelina Jolie are two of the many celebrities and notable individuals who have rallied around the cause of raising awareness and aide for Africa. While their actions noble, if not remarkable, the question remains whether the continent has in fact benefited from their efforts. Chris Tenove expertly investigates this question for The Walrus Magazine:

It is tempting these days to let celebrities take the lead on African poverty. To let Bono lobby Congress, let George Clooney push for UN troops in Darfur, and let Keira Knightley’s dress feed Tanzanian children. But clearly, there are limits to what celebrity campaigns can accomplish. And there is also the possibility, indeed the likelihood, that the era of celebrity involvement in Africa will end. What will kill it? Celebrity activism could wither under the constant mockery directed at its ubiquity, its occasional inanity, and its instances of crass self-promotion. Or celebrities could get too political, becoming partisans rather than advocates for the voiceless. Both these paths lead to public cynicism. Both have begun to happen.

The danger is that this cynicism will extend from the celebrities to the very causes they represent. But then again, we don’t care about Africa simply because rock stars and actors tell us to. Celebrities draw from the same zeitgeist we do, and their concern for global poverty is a reflection of our own.

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