'Rock For Darfur' Myspace campaign

MySpace.com has led a campaign entitled Rock For Darfur — a series of concerts across North America in which the participating big-name bands donate portions of their ticket sales to Oxfam's relief efforts in Sudan and neighboring Chad. October 21st saw more than 20 concerts unite rock, pop, reggae and country artists for a common cause.

The concerts featured the likes of Ziggy Marley, Alice In Chains, Insane Clown Posse, Jamie Cullum, +44 and Atreyu. “I’ve been watching the news reports and it brings tears to my eyes and anger to my heart when I see what is happening in Darfur right now,” says Ziggy Marley. “How can we sit by and not find a way to help? Together every little bit will add up.”

Many music artists have MySpace profiles, and site members can add bands to their friend lists. Using this feature, ‘Rock For Darfur’ awareness could be maximized throughout the website, using blogs and bulletins. MySpace partnered with bands and the leading international relief and development organization Oxfam to make the campaign the company’s largest philanthropic effort to date

“The crisis in Darfur is a global concern and as a global community we have a responsibility to take action,” said Chris DeWolfe, CEO of MySpace. “MySpace’s reach gives us an extraordinary opportunity to spread the word and empower individuals to help address the horrors in Darfur.”

The campaign has extended beyond the concerts to include a public-service-announcement (PSA) featuring Samuel L. Jackson, and further videos and interactive features which can be found on the MySpace ‘Rock For Darfur’ profile. The PSA was played throughout October in theatres, and was also shown on broadcast and cable companies and high-profile websites including MySpace.

Further videos on the profile page include an excerpt from George Clooney's visit to Darfur as part of a forthcoming documentary focused on the crisis, ‘The Devil Came on Horseback’. MySpace members can donate to Oxfam’s relief efforts via the profile page.

“More than three years of violence in Darfur has left half the region’s population dependent on international aid for survival, and there are untold thousands more who can’t even be reached,” said President of Oxfam America, Raymond C. Offenheiser.

“Such a catastrophic humanitarian situation will not improve without an end to this brutal conflict. The people of Darfur urgently need – and deserve – our help. It’s incredibly heartening that MySpace, which can rally millions of people to this cause, is working so hard to educate the world about this crisis.”