Anniversary release for famous single is full of controversy

A re-issue of Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas reinforces colonial racism and could undo much good work done by development charities.

International development body Bond fears the 40th anniversary relaunch of the Band Aid fundraising single “reinforces harmful stereotypes and colonial attitudes” and undermines the African continent and disempowers local communities. 

Ed Sheeran has already said he wished his contribution from the 2014 recording would not be included in the supercut because of fears it dehumanises and damages Africans. 

Debate around the Christmas song and the message in sends has continued to grow. The song is seen by some to portray Africa as barren and uncivilised – colonial ideas first used by Victorian imperialists looking to plunder the continent’s resources.

Band Aid began in 1984, when the BBC’s coverage of the famine in Ethiopia prompted Bob Geldof, then lead singer of the Boomtown Rats, and Ultravox frontman Midge Ure, to put together a super group and record a charity single.

Geldof and Ure used all their contacts, getting contributing vocals from Bono to Boy George, George Michael to Sting.

Lena Bheeroo, head of anti-racism and equity at Bond, said: “It risks undoing the progress made by the international development and humanitarian sector to shift power to local communities and address enduring injustices of colonialism and systemic racism.

“While there is still much to do to decolonise the sector, initiatives like Band Aid 40 perpetuate outdated narratives, reinforce racism and colonial attitudes that strip people of their dignity and agency. 

“We encourage Band Aid 40 to rethink and reconsider the messages it is amplifying.” 

In 2023, Bond published Anti-racism and decolonising: a framework for organisations which maps out how racism cuts across NGOs and shows the necessity of an anti-racist approach to decolonising organisations to create a “fairer, more equitable and racially just sector.”

It followed guidance published in 2019, Ethical Storytelling guidelines for NGOsthat cover the process of filming, photography and interviewing, as well as the selection and use of images and stories of individuals and communities in an ethical, sensitive and respectful way.

It urged NGOs to put contributors at the centre of NGO image-making; to recognise contributors’ rights, and to consider their responsibilities towards them while gathering and using images and words for communications purposes.