The Simple Truth: A Concert for Kurdish Refugees

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The Simple Truth: A Concert for Kurdish Refugees was a 1991 fundraising concert in support of Kurdish Refugees after the Gulf War. [1] [2] [3] The concert was produced by Tony Hollingsworth, [4] with Jeffrey Archer also involved. [5] It was staged in London, Amsterdam, Philadelphia and Sydney, and broadcast on television in 36 countries. During the concert, $15 million in donations were collected. [6]

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Nearly 12,000 people attended the concert at Wembley Arena in London, including the then Prime Minister John Major and Princess Diana. [7] [8]

The amount of money raised by the concert is uncertain. At a press conference on 19 June 1991 a figure of £57 million was stated, though this consisted mainly of aid offered by overseas governments. An investigation found that the concert and its associated appeal had raised £3 million, and Kurdish groups said that around £250,000 had been received by people in Iraq. [9] Allegations concerning the misappropriation of funds were not substantiated. [10]

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References

  1. Schmidt, William E. (1991-05-13). "AFTER THE WAR; Latest Rock-Star Relief Effort Benefits the Kurds". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  2. "Raising relief money for the Kurds". The Dispatch. Vol. 110, no. 317. Lexington, NC. 13 May 1991. p. 2A. Retrieved 2021-04-10 via Google News Archive Search.
  3. "Hollywood can do more for Kurdistan". www.kurdistan24.net. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  4. "Tony Hollingsworth | The Simple Truth: A Concert for Kurdish Refugees". tonyhollingsworth.com. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Judd, Terri (17 August 2001). "Accounts reveal Archer raised £1m for Kurds" . The Independent . Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  6. "The Simple Truth: A Concert for Kurdish Refugees | THE LISTEN CAMPAIGN". listencampaign.com. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  7. "Pop Stars Sing To Raise Money For Iraqi Kurds". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
  8. "Reuters Archive Licensing". Reuters Archive Licensing. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
  9. 1 2 3 Matthew Tempest, Matthew (16 August 2001). "Archer fraud allegations: the simple truth". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  10. Morris, Steven (24 November 2001). "Archer rebuked over cash for charity". The Guardian.