Radio Australia Today Editorial

Hollywood Actors Doing Their Bit

29 May 2008

One of the news stories around this morning is about Madonna adopting an African child.

In what Madonna’s lawyer called a beautiful and positive judgement, Malawi’s high court approved Madonna’s application to permanently adopt the three-year-old boy who was living in an orphanage, and whose outlook was dim.

Until today that is.

Madonna has her own children, and obviously didn’t need to have another little person to take care of. She juggles motherhood duties with her career, which already sees her having to spend time away from her director hubbie.

You’ve got to say that this is a most altruistic move by the diva of pop.

Then we have fellow actor Pete Postlethwaite (In the Name of the Father) who is obviously attached to Australia’s aboriginal community. He came to Australia last year and did a tour of aboriginal communities at the invitation of indigenous leader Pat Dodson.

Pete was touched by the aboriginal people, and said that one of his greatest wishes in life was to see aborigines happy and healthy.

He then went back to England, and most people here probably thought that he’d forget his new friends.

But not so. Next month he will be at London’s Royal Festival Hall to introduce Murundak, a history of Aboriginal resistance through song.

We’ll be speaking with the creator of Murundak on the program today, as part of our celebration of Reconciliation Week here in Australia.

By the way, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’s Marrandil has been a smash hit on out Breakfast Club Top Ten in its first week. How cool is that. And how timely.