$2.4 Billion Culminated From 2022 Global Citizen Festival Campaign To End Extreme Poverty
Charles Wontumi Snr
Global Citizen is proud to announce the 2022 Global Citizen Festival campaign has culminated in over $2.4 billion in commitments from governments, corporations, and people across the world to end extreme poverty.
Beginning in Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana, the six-week campaign concluded with a nine-hour festival across two stages presented by Harith General Partners and ended in New York City’s Central Park, presented by Citi and Cisco.
Global Citizen’s 2022 campaign reached new heights with 2 million actions taken by global citizens and allies in support of the organization’s mission to End Extreme Poverty NOW. This more than doubles our previous record, set in 2017.
On the Global Citizen Festival: Accra stage, the governments of Ghana and South Africa announced the African Prosperity Fund,a joint initiative by the governments of Ghana and South Africa, which aims to deploy $1 billion to fund projects for economic inclusion and financial participation across the continent.
The fund will focus on projects in the African Continental Free Trade Area, including infrastructure development, financial access for the participation of women and youth, education, healthcare, technology, and sustainability, all for the benefit of Africa’s 1.3 billion people.
Meanwhile, at Global Citizen Festival: NYC, U.S. members of Congress from both sides of the political aisle stood alongside world leaders, philanthropists, and trailblazers from the private sector to make announcements worthy of the 10-year history of the Global Citizen Festival.
Over a video message, President Macron announced France will reallocate 30 per cent of its Special Drawing Rights to the world’s poorest countries, specifically in Africa, to fight extreme poverty, pandemics, inequalities, and climate change.
The days leading into the 10th anniversary Global Citizen Festival saw major commitments from world leaders, including Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada and President von der Leyen of the European Commission, whorespectively committed CAD $1.209 billion and €715 million at the seventh replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. During the Festival, Prime Minister Trudeau and President von der Leyen thanked global citizens for acting.
“Amidst all the doomsday messages we hear today, hope lies in the fact that millions of citizens are rising up to take action, more than any other point in history. 10 years ago, Global Citizen was just an idea – and 10 years from now we’ll see a generation of global citizens running for office, starting companies, and transforming communities.
The media is pushing us to the extreme left or to the extreme right, but the solutions lie in the centre. Ending extreme poverty is not a partisan issue, and those most in need cannot be treated like political pawns. Our job is to not let our leaders forget that. If you are lucky enough to live in a democracy, use your voice!” – Hugh Evans, Co-Founder and CEO, Global Citizen.