NEW YORK (AP) – Metallica, Mariah Carey and The Jonas Brothers will headline a free concert in New York’s Central Park next month to mark the 10th anniversary of the Global Citizen Festival, hosted by the international nonprofit fighting extreme poverty. on the occasion.
The September 24 event will also feature a worldwide concert in Accra, Ghana with Usher, SZA and HER.
But the day will be less a celebration and more a call to action to address many international crises, said Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans.
“We are indeed at a critical juncture where COVID has pushed nearly 100 million people into extreme poverty and now Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made the situation much worse,” he said. “About 323 million people are now facing acute hunger. And if we don’t take immediate action now, 200 million more people are likely to fall into extreme poverty by November, bringing the total number of people living in extreme poverty to over a billion again.
International organizations consider people living in extreme poverty as people living on the equivalent of $1.90 per day.
“Quantico” actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who hosted the Central Park event, says Global Citizen has always encouraged people to use their voices to help world leaders and decision-makers take action against hunger and poverty. to be celebrated. However, the need to address those issues is now even more urgent.
“If we’re going to do something about it, we need immediate mobilization,” Chopra Jonas told the Associated Press. “So just getting all these people from different parts of society, different professions – regular people to come together, to make a difference in a really immediate way – is just so inspiring.”
Like all global civic events, tickets to the concerts are free. However, to get tickets, people have to join Global Citizen and act on a range of campaign issues.
Pop star Charlie Puth, Latin sensation Rosalia, country star Mickey Guyton and Italian rocker Menaskin are also on the Central Park bill, while rapper Stormzy, Nigerian singer-songwriter Thames and Ghanian stars Gyaki, Sarkodi and Stoneboy will also perform in Accra. Both concerts will be broadcast and streamed on ABC, ABC News Live, FX, Hulu, iHeartRadio, Twitter, YouTube and other outlets. ABC will air a primetime special from the show, “Global Citizen Festival: Take Action Now,” on September 25.
Global Citizen says it hopes to use the platform provided by the concerts to encourage fans to call for specific change from government, business and philanthropic leaders. Evans wants to persuade Scandinavian countries as well as Ireland, Portugal and others to transfer their special drawing rights to the International Monetary Fund, which provides low-income countries, especially in Africa, up to about $100 billion in affordable financing. provide access. to reduce their loan repayment.
In addition to asking the United States to donate more to fight climate change, he also wants about $500 million in donations and grants for farmers in Africa to help them stop relying on wheat and fertilizer from Ukraine and Russia. Instead of growing more crops. Both in short supply due to the war.
“We also need to address the reality that supporting women and girls around the world and their talents is the closest to the silver bullet for poverty alleviation,” Evans said. “We are calling on the wealthiest countries to provide $600 million in significant investments in education, sexual and reproductive health, and economic empowerment for them.”
Global Citizen’s formula has worked to persuade the interest of social media and its followers to donate to corporations and foundations. Since its first Global Citizen Festival in 2012, the advocacy organization estimates it has helped $41.4 billion and improved the lives of more than 1.15 billion people.
“These are urgent issues,” Evans said. “That’s why our campaigns now focus on ending extreme poverty – not next year, not the day after, but now. We have to address the issues that matter most, whether it’s gender equality, climate change, Or structural issues that keep people poor.”
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