Coldplay fans to be a part of Oxfam video

Oxfam Ireland is asking Coldplay fans to take part in a groundbreaking global music project to highlight the global injustice of land grabs.

"80 million hectares, an area 20 times the size of the Netherlands, has been sold in land deals since 2001, in transactions where wealthy companies invest in agricultural land in poor countries for commercial use. People growing food on this land often find themselves forcibly removed and left destitute, despite land swapping hands for as little as 2.5 cents per hectare in countries such a South Sudan."

As a way of highlighting the problems that these deals are causing, Oxfam Ireland are asking people to move a favourite, personal or familiar item from their home to somewhere it does not belong in order to highlight the dislocation and displacement caused by these land grabs.

Coldplay fans and supporters will be asked to submit film and photographs that echo the dislocation and displacement of land grabs. Mat Whitecross, Coldplay’s music video and film director will then stitch together these submissions into an exclusively crowd sourced video set to their hit ‘In My Place’.

Whitecross said: “I wanted to create the feeling of people being out of place in order to illustrate the suffering that so many people experience because of land grabs. I have worked with Coldplay for a long time and I know how dedicated and passionate their fans are. The idea of harnessing this energy to create an original and powerful crowd sourced campaigning tool is one I’m excited about.”

The film is part of Oxfam’s GROW campaign which is calling on the World Bank to take a lead in the fight against land grabs, and will launch this spring.

Oxfam’s Grow Campaign spokesperson Ben Phillips said: “This unique music video will help highlight the global injustice of land grabs. Last year Coldplay invited Oxfam on their world tour and we were hugely motivated by the overwhelming support of fans all over the world. Campaigning is all about putting yourself in someone else’s place. We know that when we unite and stand up against global injustice we can make a real difference. ”

Film and photographic submissions must be in before the deadline of March 20.

For more information and to submit content click here