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Peace Songs is not War Child’s first attempt to leverage the personal convictions of popular artists for its causes
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When
Avril Lavigne’s album Let Go debuted in 2002, critics immediately
hailed her as a breath of fresh air blowing in from Canada’s cold northern
climes. She was dubbed the “anti-Britney”, a welcomed diversion from the
sugary, overly sexualized female teen pop music that had previously dominated
radio play. Avril’s music is a mix of skater-punk vibe, teen angst and
heartfelt personal sentiment that melds into something unique. Critics even dare
to call her substantive.
In
her latest effort, Avril proves her critics right, showing that she is not only
substantive, but socially conscious as well. In her cover of the Bob Dylan
classic, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, Avril tackles the issue of the
plight of Iraqi children in the wake of a decade of sanctions and a war that has
left more questions than answers concerning their future.
The
song was recorded as part of a collaborative effort spearheaded in March 2002 by
the humanitarian organization War Child Canada, a national affiliate of the
international organization War Child, which focuses on the health and welfare of
children living in war-torn areas of the world.
The
album, entitled Peace Songs, features some of the biggest names from
music’s past and present, including Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Paul McCartney,
Moby, Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, ColdPlay, Sheryl Crow, George Michael and Our
Lady Peace. To date, Peace Songs has yielded $100,000 for War Child Canada.
Released
by Dylan in 1973, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” obviously has no direct
applicability to the current situation in Iraq. It is, however, a poignant peace
statement that was written in the crucible of the Vietnam War era, thus giving
it the emotional weight War Child Canada was looking for.
Avril’s
video for the song, however, takes it to another level with strong documentary
imagery of Iraqi children and scenes of their war-torn nation.
There
are pictures of distraught parents carrying the lifeless bodies of their
children away from the rubble produced by American bombing during the war. Sick
children who have bore the brunt of the sanctions-induced breakdown in Iraqi
healthcare and sanitation are shown languishing in rundown hospitals.
All
the while, at script scrolls across the bottom of the video detailing statistics
related to the condition of Iraqi children including the results of recent study
in which 40 percent of the Iraqi children surveyed felt that life was no longer
worth living.
But
as much as the video stands as a testament to the dire conditions facing young
people in Iraq today, it also provides a glimmer of hope, with Iraqi children
shown in school uniforms and sitting in classrooms making every effort to
educate themselves.
Peace
Songs is not War Child’s first attempt to leverage the personal convictions of
popular artists for its causes. In 2002, the organization produced a similar
album entitled 1 Love, in 2001 and 2000 War Child Canada put on special
concert fundraisers as well, and in years gone by world renowned operatic singer
Luciano Pavarotti has generously contributed his vocal stylings to two other War
Child albums.
