To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and to draw attention to violations of human rights around the world, Link TV partnered with a number of musicians, cameramen, and producers to create the song and music video. The net revenue made from sales of the song are designated to go to fund Amnesty International. The music of “The Price of Silence” is based on Aterciopelados’ song “Cancion Protesta” from their album Oye.
houstonpress.com states: While the tune’s original lyrics point a finger against the Bush administration’s “with us or against us” attitude in the early days of the War on Terror, the new version pleads in favor of those disenfranchised by hunger, war, hate and other forms of violence, and includes names like Julieta Venegas (Mexico), Stephen Marley (Jamaica), Natalie Merchant (U.S.), Angelique Kidjo (Benin), Hugh Masekela (South Africa), Chiwoniso (Zimbabwe), HRachid Taha Yerba Buena (pan-Latin), Natacha Atlas (UK/Egypt) and many others.
The video released with the song is impressive: Actor Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix, CSI) opens with a spoken-word monologue, and then the camera shifts to the stage at the United Nations Assembly.
Laurence Fishburne
Stephen Marley begins the song by himself, then is joined by a succession of artists – not actually present at the assembly but expertly composited in – while actors playing delegates take in the message.
Stephen Marley
In one of the video’s most poignant moments, Sudanese-born rapper Emmanuel Jal speaks of his own childhood, when he was taken away from his family to become a child soldier. At one point, he raps, “I have seen too many papers getting signed and nothing getting done – I lost my childhood, was it really God’s plan?”
Emmanuel Jal
Wiki States:In addition to the above musicians, there were a number of other musicians who wanted to be involved but ultimately could not, because of the risk associated with a human rights message. Steven Lawrence, Link TV’s vice president for music and cultural programming, said, “We contacted artists who had the will, but ultimately couldn’t get involved because they or their families would have been in danger. In one case, we couldn’t even directly mention the project in our emails to a certain Central Asian musician because of government surveillance. We had to communicate in code.
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