Thanks for the Live8 link. I read much of what is on the site, but I guess I'm dense! I don't get it!
OK, bunch of performers get together and put on mega-concerts to gather 10,000's people together to "in one voice" demand the leaders of the free world to forgive/cancel Africa's debt? And this is supposed to end poverty (only in Africa, presumably)?? Sounds like a dandy deal for Africa. Not a bad deal for performers as they are presumably NOT donating their performances since there are tickets that cost money involved. Also not a bad deal for audiences since they get to attend live concerts of their favorite performers in one venue and also get to feel like they are doing something positive for a "just cause". Unfortunately, not a very good deal for lenders who have make good faith loans to Africa expecting to at some point be paid back and are now being asked -- no, DEMANDED -- to forgive and forget those loans!?! 
The whole event is rather painless to everyone EXCEPT those who are owed money!So if this effort is successful and all the lenders are forced to write off the African loans, I suppose the next Live8 (Live9??) operation will be to demand new loans BE MADE to Africa. If <I> was a lender, I wouldn't be very inclined to make anymore loans to African interests if I had been forced to write off previous loans!
How is THIS for a more reasonable(?) demand? All these performers and fans get together and raise enough money to pay 2/3, 1/2, or say even 1/3 of the debt owed by Africa, and THEN ask the remainder of the debt to be forgiven?!? Probably each of those performers could come up with at least a couple million dollars each with little or no problem!
Yielding soapbox....