Inspiration From Global Citizens
Movement tackles extreme poverty, climate change, gender inequality, human rights, free speech
Hugh Evans, an Australian humanitarian, speaks of mobilizing “global citizens,” people who self-identify first and foremost not as members of a state, nation, or tribe but as members of the human race.
In an uplifting TED Talk, Evans spoke about a “new understanding of our place in the world (that) is galvanizing people to take action in the fights against extreme poverty, climate change, gender inequality, and more.” These are ultimately global issues, Evans contends, “and they can ultimately only be solved by global citizens demanding global solutions from their leaders.”
The full transcript of Evans’ TED Talk is below for paying subscribers.
On Thursday and Friday in New York City, Global Citizens Now will convene government leaders, private sector executives, grassroots activists, cultural innovators, philanthropic experts, and leading journalists to address “the most urgent issues facing humanity and our planet.”
Those issues include climate change, the global food crisis, gender inequality, human rights, and defending free speech. Major announcements on policy initiatives as well as intimate conversations with renowned artists, and corporate and world leaders will be featured. Associated Press, Billboard, and People have all published advance coverage of the summit.
Global citizens are encouraged to contribute messages and perspectives by downloading the Global Citizen app, visiting globalcitizen.org/message, or texting via WhatsApp on +27 63 534 5148. They can leave video messages for leaders and participants here. The conference will be live-streamed on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Evans, in 2008, with Simon Moss established the Global Poverty Project, a community education group that aims to increase awareness of and action toward fighting extreme poverty. It began with a $60,000 grant from the United Nations and a $350,000 grant from Australian International Development. Included in this project was the Make Poverty History campaign. It later broadened its mission and became Global Citizen.
GlobalCitizen.org mobilizes people to end extreme poverty and tackle climate change. Since 2012, it has held six-week annual fundraising campaigns as well as a global citizen music festival in New York’s Central Park and other cities such as Accra, Ghana. International stars perform and donate their time. In 2022, the festival culminated in more than $2.4 billon to end extreme poverty. The 2023 festival is scheduled for September.
The transcript of Evans’ TED Talk:
I want to introduce you to an amazing woman. Her name is Davinia. Davinia was born in Jamaica, emigrated to the US at the age of 18, and now lives just outside of Washington, DC.
She's not a high-powered political staffer, nor a lobbyist. She'd probably tell you she's quite unremarkable, but she's having the most remarkable impact.
What's incredible about Davinia is that she's willing to spend time every single week focused on people who are not her: people not her in her neighborhood, her state, nor even in her country --people she'd likely never meet.
Davinia's impact started a few years ago when she reached out to all of her friends on Facebook and asked them to donate their pennies so she could fund girls' education. She wasn't expecting a huge response, but 700,000 pennies later, she's now sent over 120 girls to school.
When we spoke last week, she told me she's become a little infamous at the local bank every time she rocks up with a shopping cart full of pennies.
Now -- Davinia is not alone. Far from it. She's part of a growing movement. And there's a name for people like Davinia: global citizens.
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