Global Citizen has announced the launch of “Unlock Your Power,” a new campaign to create the largest, most effective platform in the world for people to share, communicate and take action on issues affecting the world’s poorest.
In partnership with leading NGOs and corporations, “Unlock Your Power” will mobilize millions in the fight to end extreme poverty in the next 15 years.
Coinciding with a revamp of GlobalCitizen.org, “Unlock Your Power” launches at a critical time. In 2015 the world stands at the turning point for the future of its people and the planet, as world leaders will decide the roadmap for tackling poverty, inequality and climate change. Ahead of these moments, there is a clear need to demonstrate massive public support through a sustained movement of citizens to ensure accountability. “Unlock Your Power” provides everyone, from citizens, governments, businesses, and charities, the opportunity to play their part by learning about these issues and taking meaningful actions on Global Citizen.
“I’ve seen such remarkable generosity when disaster strikes around the world. People want to help. They donate their time and their money to help other people in need. But the issues affecting people in the developing world – access to basic health care, clean water, nutritious food and proper sanitation – don’t make headlines every day. That’s where Global Citizen comes in. We want to tap into that generous spirit by sharing both information about these issues and ways people can help. We’ve made great progress but there is much further we can go when we harness the generosity and commitment of the millions of people around the world,” said Bill Gates, co-chair, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Said Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, "In recent years, life has gotten better for millions of people. Now, we have an opportunity to make even more progress, even faster. One way to seize this opportunity is to make sure that investments in global health, nutrition, and agricultural productivity benefit women and girls as well as men and boys.
“Empowered women and girls are powerful forces for good in societies around the world, and when they can live up to their potential, everyone wins. To build this bright future, we all have to work together. Gender equality can’t be a niche specialization for experts. It has to be part of the conversation that global citizens are having every single day in places all over the world. Bill and I are proud to support Global Citizen, because we are optimistic that millions of global citizens advocating for a better, more equal world can drive big changes.”
Said Hugh Jackman, Global Citizen Ambassador, “I believe we are all linked to one another, and that our actions have an impact on the world’s poor. This year, we have the incredible opportunity to completely end extreme poverty in the next 15 years. The world has the resources, the policy leaders have the ideas. But we need everyone’s voice to make it happen. That’s where Global Citizen comes in.”
“We know there are millions of people out there who are willing to support global development issues, yet they are either not engaged or active on them. Global Citizen provides an engaging and effective forum where people can unlock their social power to take action on these critical issues,” said Hugh Evans, CEO of The Global Poverty Project.
“The new set of global goals for sustainable development will improve the lives of everyone, everywhere and leave no one behind. This generation is the first with the will and know-how to end extreme poverty and to tackle the impacts of climate change. Global Citizen is an important catalyst for positive citizen action in realizing the ambition of these goals,” said Amina J. Mohammed, Special Advisor of the Secretary-General on Post-2015 Development Planning.
“Wherever we live, wherever we’re from, we all have a stake in making the world a more equitable, prosperous and sustainable place,” said David Ray, CARE USA’s Vice President of Advocacy. “CARE is excited to partner with Global Citizen to equip people to fight for public policies that support poor and marginalized people’s efforts to improve their lives and our collective efforts to build a better world for us all.”
“At ONE, we know that when people raise their voices to demand change, world leaders listen and act. We look forward to continuing to work with Global Citizen to mobilize millions of people around the world in our shared fight to end extreme poverty within a generation,” said ONE Campaign CEO, Michael Elliott.
“At Oxfam America, we believe people have the power to change lives,” said Raymond Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America. “Nearly one in three people currently lives in poverty, but we envision a future in which no one does. We need to stand together in order to reach that future, and Global Citizen will help us get there.”
“We need more Americans to speak out for the world’s most vulnerable children, who don’t have a voice,” said Carolyn Miles, President & CEO of Save the Children. “Global Citizen will help us reach the next generation of activists, who are ready to change the future for children.”
“UNICEF believes that all children, especially the most vulnerable, deserve a fair chance in life – a chance to complete a quality education and contribute fully to a peaceful and prosperous future for themselves and their communities,” said Paloma Escudero, UNICEF Director of Communications. “In partnership with Global Citizen, UNICEF hopes to engage with young people everywhere to help create a movement for change for children.”
“Child deaths have nearly been cut in half since 1990, more children than ever are in primary school, and millions of families have been able to lift themselves out of poverty,” said United Nations Foundation President and CEO Kathy Calvin. “The lesson is clear: When global citizens come together with the United Nations, progress happens. This year provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to again tap into the power of global citizens to create a world where everyone has opportunity and no one is left behind.”
Said Charles Badenoch, Partnership Leader for Advocacy and Justice for Children, World Vision, “So many people share our belief that every child deserves to be healthy, with nutritious food and clean water; to be educated, loved and protected. This Global Citizen partnership will help us reach those people with ways they can act to ensure these basics for the world’s children.”
“Unlock Your Power” will run on Global Citizen from now until the Sustainable Development Goals are adopted at the United Nations in late September.
Global Citizen’s major partner NGOs are: CARE, ONE, Oxfam America, Save the Children, UNICEF, United Nations Foundation, and World Vision. Additionally, more than 25 NGOs will work with Global Citizen as content and action partners.
Global Citizen major supporters include: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Pratt Foundation, Caterpillar Inc., Citi, Google, YouTube, CJ Corporation, Pearson, iHeartMedia, Clear Channel Outdoor, MSNBC, the Virgin Group, The Huffington Post, BBC Worldwide, FC Barcelona, Russell Reynolds Associates, Universal Music Group, Forbes, RYOT News, Riot House and more.
The Global Poverty Project initially launched Global Citizen, with co-founder Ryan Gall of Riot House, in 2012 with the first annual Global Citizen Festival in New York’s Central Park. In the last three years, Global Citizen has served as a convening place for users to take actions to win points that can be used for tickets to entertainment events. Since 2012, global citizens have taken 1.2 million actions taken in the fight against extreme poverty. These actions have resulted in 54 commitments and policy announcements, including cash commitments valued at US $16.6 billion. Most recently, actions taken around the 2014 Global Citizen Festival are set to affect the lives of 259 million people in some of the world’s poorest countries by 2020. MSNBC is the US broadcast partner for the Global Citizen Festival in September.
For more information and to find out how you can become a Global Citizen, visit GlobalCitizen.org.
