In 1971, George Harrison teamed up with his pal Ravi Shankar to stage "The Concert for Bangladesh," uniting a constellation of stars to help refugees from the war-torn nation. While there have been many such philanthropic hootenannies in the ensuing decades, notably Bob Geldof's 1985 "Live Aid," The Concert for Bangladesh was the first modern benefit concert. Now, nearly a half-century later, another humanitarian threat has inspired a musical response, but with a modern twist. The effects of climate change pose an existential threat to island nations around the world. As many rely on tourism to drive their economies, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens both their physical and economic health. In the Pacific archipelago nation of Vanuatu, ace table tennis player Yoshua Shing (pictured, foreground) has not sat idly by in the face of such imminent peril. The so-called "Ping-Pong Prince of the Pacific" has found a creative way to help his hometown heroes. Shing, the standard bearer for Vanuatu at the 2016 Rio Olympics, has leveraged his star power to help organize a virtual concert called "Pacific Unite: Saving Lives Together." The online extravaganza coordinated live music from different Pacific nations to be streamed live to 14 countries, raising money for health care workers on the front line fighting the pandemic. In addition to Shing, A-listers like England's Prince Charles and Hollywood's Forest Whitaker logged on to lend their support to Oceania's finest. "The implications of the pandemic for your islands have, I know, been severe, with devastating impacts on economies and livelihoods," said Prince Charles. "This dreadful pandemic comes at a time when the Pacific region is already facing the accelerating and terrifying impacts of climate change." (To which his late countryman David Bowie might have commented, "They're quite aware of what they're going through.") Actor Forest Whitaker, who also serves as an advocate for the UN Sustainable Development Goals program, admired the far-reaching vision of the concert. "Despite the physical distancing and sacrifices so many have made during the pandemic, this concert shows us how the Pacific's culture of togetherness, rooted in goodwill and community, makes us stronger," said Whitaker. As Shing himself said, "Every success in life is the result of hard work and commitment." His own hard work and commitment got him to the Olympics. Now, he is using his platform to elevate others, uniting many of Oceania's brightest music, sports and entertainment luminaries to support those who risk their lives for the public weal. Just like George Harrison and Bob Geldof before him, Yoshua Shing and his community are now truly working in concert.

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