The band's invaluable support gives the Make Trade Fair campaign a massive boost

R.E.M. have supported Oxfam since 2001, and are now involved in our Make Trade Fair campaign, calling for a reform of trade rules which prevent poor people from working their way out of poverty. R.E.M.'s support has been vital in helping to raise awareness about issues that affect millions of people across the world.

Getting drenched

In September 2004, as part of an Oxfam photo-shoot, lead-singer Michael Stipe was drenched in fresh milk to illustrate how the 'dumping' of agricultural products by developed countries is devastating markets in the developing world preventing local farmers from being able to sell their produce. More >

Visiting Oxfam projects

On the South African leg of the world tour in March, R.E.M. visited the Women on Farms project in the Western Cape. This project addresses women's susceptibility to poverty in rural South Africa. It has made positive steps towards achieving gender-equality in farming communities, instilling confidence in the women and allowing them to achieve a better standard of living for themselves and their families. Women working with the project were extremely happy to meet R.E.M., and were eager to show them what the band's support for Oxfam and Make Trade Fair really means to people in rural South Africa.

Campaigning at gigs

R.E.M. have also invited Oxfam to campaign at all of their gigs on their 2005 World Tour. Campaigning at R.E.M. gigs has been a huge success so far and has already helped us recruit more than 11,000 supporters to the campaign, and there are still many more gigs to go! Michael Stipe's on-stage endorsements of the campaign have resulted in an enormous increase in the number of signatures we've collected on the petition.

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