Global Citizen (organization)
Global Citizen, also known as Global Poverty Project, is an international education and advocacy organization that seeks to catalyze the movement to end extreme poverty and promote social justice and equity through the lens of intersectionality. The organization was founded by Hugh Evans, Simon Moss and Wei Soo, and aims to increase the number and effectiveness of people taking action to support the cause.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Vision[edit]
Global Citizen's vision is, upon itself, a world without extreme poverty by 2030.[7] To achieve this, the organization works with people to make a difference in the present, and focuses on improving the future by changing the systems and policies that keep people in poverty, by utilizing education, communications, advocacy, campaigning, and the media.[8]
The organization researches and selects causes to support, and then suggests actions for its members to take in support of those causes.[9] This can include sending tweets to organizations like the United Nations in support of reducing pollution, signing petitions to support gender equality, sending pre-written emails to politicians to increase international aid, or providing rewards to encourage people to get involved.[9][10][11] Each cause supports the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, one of which includes eliminating poverty by 2030.[9]
Global Citizen was founded in 2008 as the Global Poverty Project in Melbourne, Australia[12] and has since opened additional offices in London, Berlin, Toronto, Lagos, and Johannesburg and is now headquartered in New York.[13] Since its launch the organization has:
In July 2017, Global Citizen published its first accountability report for its education commitments.[20] That same year, former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard also used the organization's platform to call for $3.1 billion, to give 870 million children access to high-quality education via the organization she chairs, the Global Partnership for Education.[21] Over 263,000 organization members sent tweets, emails, and messages to world leaders and corporations in support. In February 2018, donors pledged over $2.3 billion to the cause.[20][21]
In April 2020, the organization partnered with Lady Gaga and her mother to produce a globally-televised and streamed concert called One World: Together at Home,[21] featuring celebrities singing from their homes during the coronavirus pandemic. The event raised $129.7 million for different charities, including the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.[21] This was followed up in June with Global Goal: Unite for Our Future, a virtual event focused on highlighting the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on marginalized communities.[22]
As of July 2020, $48.4 billion have been pledged to Global Citizen-supported causes, and there have been almost 25 million actions taken by its members.[21] In 2020, Global Citizen won the Webby Award for Public Service and Activism in the category Apps, Mobile & Voice.[23]
Activities[edit]
1.4 Billion Reasons[edit]
1.4 Billion Reasons presentation is a live multimedia presentation designed to explain why an end to extreme poverty is possible, and the simple actions that every person can take to help bring it about.
Designed in consultation with development and economics advisors, the presentation explores:
• What it means to live in extreme poverty,
• Why the world can end extreme poverty,
• The barriers to overcoming extreme poverty,
• Practical actions any person can take to help tackle extreme poverty.[24]
Patterned after Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth,[25][26] the presentation is delivered by volunteer presenters across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.[27]
Global Citizen Fellowship Program[edit]
The Global Citizen Fellowship was started in 2019 in partnership with Beyonce's BeyGood organization.[29] Every year, ten to fifteen South African young adults are enrolled in the program where they serve paid, year-long fellowships with Global Citizen in Johannesburg.[29][30] Each fellowship focuses on one of GC's four pillars of activities: creative, campaigns, rewards, and marketing.[29][30] The fellows follow a five phase curriculum, and are assigned a supervisor from the GC Africa team.[30]
