Global Citizen Festival generates $2.4 billion in pledges

NEW YORK (AP) — The tenth anniversary of the Global Citizen Festival, which included performances from Metallica, Mariah Carey and Usher, generated greater than $2.4 billion in commitments to struggle excessive poverty and illness.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and others addressed the crowds gathered in New York’s Central Park and Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana, for 9 hours Saturday.

“Amidst all the doomsday messages we hear today, hope lies in the fact that millions of citizens are rising up to take action, more than any other point in history,” Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans mentioned in a ready assertion. “Ending extreme poverty is not a partisan issue, and those most in need cannot be treated like political pawns. Our job is to not let our leaders forget that.”

What makes Global Citizen Festival completely different from different fundraisers is that tickets for the occasion usually are not on the market. To attend, supporters should volunteer time to take numerous actions – from signing petitions and calling or messaging world leaders on social media to deal with sure points – throughout a six-week marketing campaign. This yr’s marketing campaign generated greater than two million actions, greater than doubling the earlier document for the advocacy nonprofit.

International leaders introduced new insurance policies on the competition, influenced, partially, by Global Citizen supporters. French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that he would reallocate 30% of his nation’s Special Drawing Rights reserves with the International Monetary Fund to the world’s poorest nations, particularly in Africa, to assist them fund tasks battling excessive poverty and local weather change. The governments of Ghana and South Africa introduced the formation of the $1 billion African Prosperity Fund, to finance infrastructure, know-how and sustainability tasks throughout the continent.

Rotary International President Jennifer Jones introduced a $150 million, three-year dedication to struggle polio via the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a part of the service group’s work in opposition to the illness since 1985.

“Quite honestly, until everyone is protected, no one is protected,” Jones informed The Associated Press in an interview. “And we see now with the state of emergency being declared in New York and the case of vaccine-derived polio that has entered here, it’s close to home. I think it’s a little bit of an alarm bell to a lot of people who thought, ‘Well, this is something that’s gone. Why do we even need to immunize our children?’”

Jones mentioned she wished to announce Rotary International’s new dedication at Global Citizen Festival’s tenth anniversary as a result of the group made the same announcement on the first competition.

“They have millions and millions of Global Citizens and we have 1.4 million citizens who are people of action, who are doing things every single day in the field,” Jones mentioned. “So the ability for us to take our activated populations and showcase that we want to help and help people understand what they can do to make a difference, it’s just a great synergy between our two organizations.”

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