I've written about Global Citizen before. I think it's where all the good and potential of the internet and social media shines clearly. It's where information, actions and people are united in an effort to make the world a better place. At Global Citizen we can learn about the problems that keep people locked in poverty and we can also learn about the amazing individuals and groups who have decided to tackle these issues and help eradicate extreme poverty all over the world.
Those of us that frequent the site have the opportunity to participate by watching videos and reading articles, we can sign petitions to convince corporations and government leaders to follow through on promises they've made or support we know they could give. We can share articles and other media on our social media accounts and try to expose our friends and followers to the issues that keep people from being all they could be.
Global Citizen wants to empower people right where they live. By empowering those who live in conditions that we can only begin to imagine, by infusing their communities with training, information and the resources that are necessary to really change circumstances, we can change the world. We empower. We eradicate poverty.
Global Citizen partners with NGO's, the United Nations, corporations, public figures and actors and musicians too. Musicians lend their voices to the issues and problems that resonate with them most. At this past Saturday's Global Citizen Festival, some generous musicians with deeply-rooted social consciences entertained over 60,000 people on the Great Lawn in Central Park. They came to draw attention to the problems plaguing the poorest of the poor--those subsisting on less than $1.25 a day. They came to ask us, those who'd won tickets by accumulating "points" on the website by reading, watching and sharing information (what GC refers to as "taking action"), to ask us to keep on learning and sharing, getting directly involved when possible and supporting those who are working to make poverty a thing of the past.
Saturday was an impossibly beautiful day. 75 degrees, bright blue sky, what clouds there were were shiny white and fluffy. The grass of the Great Lawn is a deep green and thick like a carpet. We were on the west side of the park, near the Museum of Natural History, the Dakota and Strawberry Fields. The organizers were beyond organized. The stage that had been built for the event was itself a work of art and was used to great effect all afternoon and night.
We got in line on Central Park West near 70th around 11:30 although gates were not to open until 2:00 but when you have a general admission ticket for a concert for 60,000 even 11:30 is late. Around 1:30 we moved into the park to wait a little more and shortly after 2:00 we passed through the bag search and walked the rest of the way to the Great Lawn which had been organized into sections, each with it's own set of port-a-johns, concessions and merch booths. We were in Pen #2. I'm still enjoying the bovine experience of having inhabited Pen #2 with several thousand others.
For me, the blend of inspiration through thoughtful, passionate people dedicated to eliminating the many various root causes of poverty as well as musical inspiration was perfection. The day opened with Soledad O'Brien introducing Nelson Mandela's grandsons who spoke about grassroots efforts to solve some of the major problems plaguing sub saharan Africa. We heard from Global Citizen partner HP about entrepreneurship in Africa and they presented an award to Bano Fatima of Weavers' Hut, a small business in Utter Pradesh (India) that seeks to market weavings of local women to buyers in major cities. She is helping these women gain skills in their art, literacy and more so that they will be able to raise the level of living for their families and get their children into school. I've learned on the Global Citizen website that it is women like Bano Fatima who will lead their communities into a better life. Women who succeed are more likely to invest in their own families and communities and make long-term commitments to do so.
More discussions about Food Aid Reform (Care, Inc.), United for Good (connecting non profits to communities through social networking and introduced by Katie Holmes) and a few words from the President of the World Bank about the global movement to end extreme poverty followed. A donation of units of aggregated media was award to Somaly Mam Foundation for its efforts to empower survivors and end sex slavery. I'd voted for the organization earlier in the week.
Gerard Butler appeared on stage and then it was time for some music. The Kings of Leon started us off with a wonderful set of their most popular songs and a couple from their new album. They were high energy and a great way to get everyone up, dancing and rocking. While their crew broke down their equipment, Bridget Moynahan (Blue Bloods) came onto the stage to introduce Elvis Costello. He sang only one song but I was riveted both by his choice (What's so funny 'bout Peace, Love and Understanding) and the soul with which he delivered it.
Model Erin Heatherton introduced the President of Naked Condums, a corporation that has pledged 20% of profits to reproductive health issues in poor countries. The Crown Princess of Denmark also spoke about reproductive health and women's empowerment. She was followed by the President of Malawi Joyce Banda and then the Hungaran Ambassador to the United Nations who both spoke about the next iteration of the Millenium Development Goals and how they will raise women's issues to the forefront of the war on global poverty. Bono arrived on stage to introduce Liberia's President Ellen Johson Sirleaf who spoke about the necessity of education and adequate water, power and sanitation and their interconnectedness--concepts we take for granted here.
Alicia Keyes was introduced by Russell Simmons. She was powerful and in perfect voice. But I was totally taken aback by her skill at the piano. Her lush and romantic approach and the way she lost herself in her solo caused my fingers to start to itch for my own sorely-out-of-tune instrument at home which suffers from lack of use. When she came around to one of my favorites, the incomparable This Girl is on Fire, I didn't want the song to end. I hope the Global Citizen movement is able to set fire to the imaginations and education of many girls worldwide.
During the next set change, Janelle Monae sang "Smile." I don't know a lot about Janelle other than she's a Grammy-nominated R&B singer but I'm thinking that the song was a bit of a departure for her. I don't automatically connect her to old standards but she sang the song well.
The PS 22 Chorus from Staten Island took the stage next. This world famous children's choir with a highly energetic and endlessly talented music teacher entertained us with a song called "I Am Full of Wonder." It showed us all that all children are filled with wonder and deserve to be able to learn about those things that they see and hear about, that cause us to wonder.
There were more speakers ... some, on behalf of UNICEF, spoke about increasing the numbers of community health workers in outlying areas of Africa and giving them tools like cell phones to connect them with medical experts in metropolitan areas. We learned about the simple power of vaccination and what progress has been made reducing deaths from malaria. We learned once again how a simple $10 bed net can save children from needlessly dying from this preventable disease.
And then it was time for John Mayer. I have several friends who are huge John Mayer fans and the man I was standing next to in the crowd had come to hear him specifically. I know how revered he is by so many and how excited everyone is that his vocal health is restored and he can sing again. But I will confess that the only music of his I know is what is played on the radio. He was wonderful. His voice was strong and he played for a while. His guitar solos were long and amazing--really pretty genius--and he could have played like that all night. People would have been thrilled.
After John's set, Hugh Evans, the CEO of Global Citizen introduced the President of the Festival's main sponsor, Cotton On, an Australian clothing company (good stuff!) who talked about his company's efforts in building schools in Uganda (which are very impressive). Alice Albright CEO of the Global Partnership for Education spoke about the need for enrolling every child in primary school and getting more and more into secondary school. There were some more awards too.
Bono came back out on stage and rapped a long introduction for the legendary Stevie Wonder who sang for 45 minutes. He gave us many of his hit songs to the excitement of all--the crowd had sort of surged forward when he took the stage, everyone wanting to be as close as possible. At one point he spoke about the need for better gun laws and then began to sing John Lennon's Imagine. As we were only steps away from The Dakota, the moment was not lost on anyone. He improvised a song with the enormous crowd too and had us all singing "We Are Global Citizens." In the middle of his set, he introduced the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, and they talked about the MDG's. It was a complete thrill to hear this musical fixture in my life from a very young age do his thing live and in such a special setting.
All too soon the event was over. Our feet were numb from standing for hours and hours and we still had to ask them to carry us out of the park. It would be hours and hours before I regained any semblance of normal feeling in them. But between the inspired examples of lives dedicated to bettering the world and music that uplifted the soul, I think I hardly noticed if my feet were on the ground or if I was being carried on waves of love and hope.
You can be a Global Citizen too. I bet you won't regret doing it and you could do a world of good.
~~~
Read more about the music and the Festival from Rolling Stone and Billboard.
Evermore played for Global Citizen in Australia at the same time as the Festival in Central Park. Watch the video for their song, One Love and then head over to iTunes and download it. All the proceeds from the sale of the song are going to charity. In the video you'll see lots of global citizens and projects currently underway.
We got in line on Central Park West near 70th around 11:30 although gates were not to open until 2:00 but when you have a general admission ticket for a concert for 60,000 even 11:30 is late. Around 1:30 we moved into the park to wait a little more and shortly after 2:00 we passed through the bag search and walked the rest of the way to the Great Lawn which had been organized into sections, each with it's own set of port-a-johns, concessions and merch booths. We were in Pen #2. I'm still enjoying the bovine experience of having inhabited Pen #2 with several thousand others.For me, the blend of inspiration through thoughtful, passionate people dedicated to eliminating the many various root causes of poverty as well as musical inspiration was perfection. The day opened with Soledad O'Brien introducing Nelson Mandela's grandsons who spoke about grassroots efforts to solve some of the major problems plaguing sub saharan Africa. We heard from Global Citizen partner HP about entrepreneurship in Africa and they presented an award to Bano Fatima of Weavers' Hut, a small business in Utter Pradesh (India) that seeks to market weavings of local women to buyers in major cities. She is helping these women gain skills in their art, literacy and more so that they will be able to raise the level of living for their families and get their children into school. I've learned on the Global Citizen website that it is women like Bano Fatima who will lead their communities into a better life. Women who succeed are more likely to invest in their own families and communities and make long-term commitments to do so.
More discussions about Food Aid Reform (Care, Inc.), United for Good (connecting non profits to communities through social networking and introduced by Katie Holmes) and a few words from the President of the World Bank about the global movement to end extreme poverty followed. A donation of units of aggregated media was award to Somaly Mam Foundation for its efforts to empower survivors and end sex slavery. I'd voted for the organization earlier in the week.
Gerard Butler appeared on stage and then it was time for some music. The Kings of Leon started us off with a wonderful set of their most popular songs and a couple from their new album. They were high energy and a great way to get everyone up, dancing and rocking. While their crew broke down their equipment, Bridget Moynahan (Blue Bloods) came onto the stage to introduce Elvis Costello. He sang only one song but I was riveted both by his choice (What's so funny 'bout Peace, Love and Understanding) and the soul with which he delivered it.
Model Erin Heatherton introduced the President of Naked Condums, a corporation that has pledged 20% of profits to reproductive health issues in poor countries. The Crown Princess of Denmark also spoke about reproductive health and women's empowerment. She was followed by the President of Malawi Joyce Banda and then the Hungaran Ambassador to the United Nations who both spoke about the next iteration of the Millenium Development Goals and how they will raise women's issues to the forefront of the war on global poverty. Bono arrived on stage to introduce Liberia's President Ellen Johson Sirleaf who spoke about the necessity of education and adequate water, power and sanitation and their interconnectedness--concepts we take for granted here.
Alicia Keyes was introduced by Russell Simmons. She was powerful and in perfect voice. But I was totally taken aback by her skill at the piano. Her lush and romantic approach and the way she lost herself in her solo caused my fingers to start to itch for my own sorely-out-of-tune instrument at home which suffers from lack of use. When she came around to one of my favorites, the incomparable This Girl is on Fire, I didn't want the song to end. I hope the Global Citizen movement is able to set fire to the imaginations and education of many girls worldwide. During the next set change, Janelle Monae sang "Smile." I don't know a lot about Janelle other than she's a Grammy-nominated R&B singer but I'm thinking that the song was a bit of a departure for her. I don't automatically connect her to old standards but she sang the song well.
The PS 22 Chorus from Staten Island took the stage next. This world famous children's choir with a highly energetic and endlessly talented music teacher entertained us with a song called "I Am Full of Wonder." It showed us all that all children are filled with wonder and deserve to be able to learn about those things that they see and hear about, that cause us to wonder.
There were more speakers ... some, on behalf of UNICEF, spoke about increasing the numbers of community health workers in outlying areas of Africa and giving them tools like cell phones to connect them with medical experts in metropolitan areas. We learned about the simple power of vaccination and what progress has been made reducing deaths from malaria. We learned once again how a simple $10 bed net can save children from needlessly dying from this preventable disease.And then it was time for John Mayer. I have several friends who are huge John Mayer fans and the man I was standing next to in the crowd had come to hear him specifically. I know how revered he is by so many and how excited everyone is that his vocal health is restored and he can sing again. But I will confess that the only music of his I know is what is played on the radio. He was wonderful. His voice was strong and he played for a while. His guitar solos were long and amazing--really pretty genius--and he could have played like that all night. People would have been thrilled.
After John's set, Hugh Evans, the CEO of Global Citizen introduced the President of the Festival's main sponsor, Cotton On, an Australian clothing company (good stuff!) who talked about his company's efforts in building schools in Uganda (which are very impressive). Alice Albright CEO of the Global Partnership for Education spoke about the need for enrolling every child in primary school and getting more and more into secondary school. There were some more awards too.
Bono came back out on stage and rapped a long introduction for the legendary Stevie Wonder who sang for 45 minutes. He gave us many of his hit songs to the excitement of all--the crowd had sort of surged forward when he took the stage, everyone wanting to be as close as possible. At one point he spoke about the need for better gun laws and then began to sing John Lennon's Imagine. As we were only steps away from The Dakota, the moment was not lost on anyone. He improvised a song with the enormous crowd too and had us all singing "We Are Global Citizens." In the middle of his set, he introduced the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, and they talked about the MDG's. It was a complete thrill to hear this musical fixture in my life from a very young age do his thing live and in such a special setting. |
| Gorgeous Night Lights against the Manhattan skyline. |
You can be a Global Citizen too. I bet you won't regret doing it and you could do a world of good.
~~~
Read more about the music and the Festival from Rolling Stone and Billboard.
Evermore played for Global Citizen in Australia at the same time as the Festival in Central Park. Watch the video for their song, One Love and then head over to iTunes and download it. All the proceeds from the sale of the song are going to charity. In the video you'll see lots of global citizens and projects currently underway.
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