Hi Carol:
I do in deed understand the spirit in asking... It is kind of like what I call the "lone whiteman savior" syndrome... a what's his name from Dances With Wolves (one of the most racist films ever made!) In most of his films, a white man, because of his superior intelect saves the "others" from disaster because HE has all the answers. In Dances With Wolves, he teaches the Lacota (the greatest horse warriors of all time -the first army to defete the US army in Red CLowds War) how to fight. Think of it!
Well, I don't have the answers, but I have a degree of education and help translate the concerns in the political arena, helping teaching marginalized folks to loby Congress, to access courts, that is what I generally do as a Political Scientist.
In that capasity, I often find myself becoming emotionaly and factualy close to a story, and in my father's tradition, I sing about it to translate the story into another form for folks not close to the event to understand.
Peggy Seegar, for example, goes to a place and does an interview towards a song. I would do this, if I where not working in Pol. Science and sometimes in law. But, I avoid giving answers, especialy FOR a people I am not one of (well, other than Humans... of course) Often you have writers assumeing more than they should and members of the "other" group feel it is presumptuous or worse. Well, it would take a long time to explane more fully, but, the diff between political songs and human rights songs is the so therefore last verse, now I have told you the problem do this verse.
But, I feel I have to see something up close enough to get into my soul, and know the people to get first hand comment back, before I sing of something for others. For example, this song, I sung to Hindus from Bangladesh before bringing it out in public.
I hope that answers the question...
Cheers Larry