George Harrison's concert for Bangladesh turns 35
The George Harrison Fund for UNICEF continues support for children caught in crises
Donate now to The George Harrison Fund for UNICEF and support UNICEF's lifesaving assistance to children caught in humanitarian emergencies.
A historic concert
With the lyrics "Now I'm asking all of you, help us save some lives," George Harrison turned music in to a political and social force.
August 1, 2006 marked the 35th anniversary of George Harrison's historic Concert for Bangladesh, which pioneered the all-star rock concert benefit model. In 1971, Harrison staged two concerts at New York's Madison Square Garden that brought together a star-studded cast of musicians—Ravi Shankar, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell and Billy Preston—to alert the world to the plight of the Bangladeshi people.
In 1971, the pioneering former Beatle, hearing Ravi Shankar's distress, used his fame and the power of music to organize the Concert for Bangladesh. At that time, the country was ravaged by floods, famine and civil war, which left 10 million people — mostly women and children — fleeing their homes.
Harrison set the precedent that music could be used to serve a higher cause. The Concert for Bangladesh was one of the most ambitious humanitarian efforts in rock music history. It produced an extraordinary contribution for UNICEF, exceeding $15 million. Perhaps more importantly, the concert focused global attention on the crisis in Bangladesh and raised the consciousness of other musicians and millions of their young fans to a new awareness of UNICEF and its role in the developing world.
The George Harrison Fund for UNICEF
The George Harrison Fund for UNICEF is a joint venture between the Harrison family and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF that aims to support UNICEF programs providing lifesaving assistance to children caught in humanitarian emergencies.
Every year, UNICEF identifies countries and territories suffering from the results of civil conflict, natural disaster and poverty — countries where children are vulnerable to malnutrition, disease, exploitation and abuse. As with Bangladesh in the 1970s, many of these emergencies are still virtually ignored by the media and critically underfunded.
In the tradition established by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, The George Harrison Fund for UNICEF will continue to support UNICEF programs in Bangladesh while expanding its influence to include other countries in crisis where children are at risk.
