NEWS ARCHIVE:
"STAND AND BE COUNTED"
BRUCE COCKBURN FEATURED IN NEW VIDEO DOCUMENTARY
ON RAISING SOCIAL ISSUES THROUGH MUSIC


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21 August 2000 -- A new book (pictured left, cover photograph of David Crosby by Henry Diltz, courtesy of Corbis) and video documentary both feature the stories of "artists who made a difference and the passionate convictions that moved them." Bruce Cockburn is one of the many artists interviewed in the film part of the Project.

"Stand and Be Counted: Making Music, Making History -- The Dramatic Story of the Artists and Causes That Changed America," was written by David Crosby, of Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young renown, and David Bender.

David Bender is a founding and contributing editor of George magazine. A long time political activist and benefit producer, he is also the author of a novel, "The Confession of 0.J. Simpson: A Work of Fiction."

David Crosby's personal participation in raising issues through music and his friendships with many of the artists involved offers a behind-the-scenes look at events beginning from the civil rights marches and antiwar moratoriums of the sixties, through the anti-nuclear events of the seventies, the Live Aid and the Amnesty International events of the eighties, right up to the Tibetan Freedom concerts of today.

"Nobody kids themselves into believing that they can solve the world's problems," says a brief extract from the book's promotional information, "we're just trying to make a difference, to change things for the better wherever we can. And if it takes a long push, then we're in it for the long haul. A lot of times this isn't about the genius of the moment. It's about persistence. It's about being in there and staying in there."

The book and 4-hour-long video documentary includes new interviews and/or performances from 90 artists as diverse as Harry Belafonte, Whoopi Goldberg, Adam Yauch, Phil Collins, U2, Tracy Chapman, Robin Williams, Joan Baez, Public Enemy, Indigo Girls, Elton John, Jimmy Buffett, Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, REM, Rage Against The Machine, and Bruce Cockburn. Follow this link for a full list of participating artists.

According to Nancy Quinlan, "Stand and Be Counted" Coordinating Producer-Research, Bruce Cockburn appears in segments of the video documentary that focus on the campaign against landmines and politics in Latin America.

Proceeds from "Stand and Be Counted" will benefit UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund. UNICEF maintains programmes in 161 countries, and some 86 per cent of the organization's 5,594 posts are located in the field. There are eight regional UNICEF offices and 125 country offices worldwide, as well as a research centre in Florence, a supply operation in Copenhagen and offices in Tokyo and Brussels. UNICEF headquarters are in New York.

In 1998, the total UNICEF expenditure was $882 million. Of this, 89 per cent was spent on its programmes around the world, 9 per cent went to management and administration and 2 per cent to write-offs and other charges. For more detailed information about UNICEF see to the 1999 UNICEF Annual Report.

The two-part "Stand and Be Counted" documentary premieres on the North American cable channel, The Learning Channel on Monday and Tuesday, August 21 and 22, 9-11 p.m. ET/PT. Follow this link for more information about the video, to be followed by international broadcasts and home video sales.

To buy a copy of the "Stand and Be Counted" book go here on Amazon.com For more information about the documentary and book, including broadcast dates, please see the "Stand and Be Counted" website.


Source: The information for this article was provided by Nancy Quinlan, Coordinating Producer - Research of the "Stand and Be Counted" project; and taken from the "Stand and Be Counted", UNICEF, and TLC websites.


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This page is part of The Cockburn Project, a unique website that exists to document the work of Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Bruce Cockburn. The Project archives self-commentary by Cockburn on his songs and music, and supplements this core part of the website with news, tour dates, and other current information.