NEW YORK — Post Malone and Doja Cat, two of pop music’s biggest stars, will headline this year’s Global Citizen Festival in New York’s Central Park on September 28, as organizers focus on mobilizing young people to tackle pressing issues of the world to tackle.
The COVID-19 pandemic has reversed years of progress the world has made in ending extreme poverty. These setbacks have been exacerbated by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and complicated by climate change, said Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen. He estimates that about 10% of the world’s population now lives in extreme poverty and the United Nations expects that 575 million people will live at that level by 2030, despite long-term plans to eradicate this poverty.
“Especially in an environment where we need more ambition, we are seeing many countries taking a step back,” Evans told The Associated Press. “That’s why we know our work is more urgent than ever and why we’re so happy to see the world’s greatest artists stepping up at a time when they are absolutely needed.”
Global Citizen has long partnered with major artists – from Beyonce and Jay-Z to Queen, Stevie Wonder to Ed Sheeran – to generate attention that can be turned into public actions that lobby political, business and philanthropic leaders to support its initiatives. The nonprofit says its events have raised more than $14 billion to eradicate extreme poverty over the past decade.
Evans said this year’s headliners have an important connection with young people, who are vital to changing the way leaders respond to today’s needs.
“There’s a reason why brand managers spend so much time speaking to that 16- to 30-year-old demographic – the key trendsetters of the next 40 years,” Evans said. “Young people have the power to make enormous changes when they work together.”
Malone embodies that sentiment in his current music. His current single “Pour Me a Drink” is a duet with Blake Shelton. And so far this year, he’s also collaborated with Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Morgan Wallen.
Doja Cat, currently on a European tour to promote her hit album ‘Scarlet’, is also known for her collaborations.
“We can all play a role in helping end extreme poverty and standing up for equality,” Doja Cat said in a prepared statement. “I look forward to being part of this big night of positive change.”
Tickets for the festival, which also features sets by country star Jelly Roll and Puerto Rican singer and rapper Rauw Alejandro, are free. But they require action to be taken on the festival website to “defeat poverty, defend the planet or demand equality” – usually by writing to world leaders or posting on social media.
Global Citizen is trying to convince countries to increase their contributions to the World Bank’s International Development Association, the fund dedicated to raising living standards in the world’s 75 lowest-income countries.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema said the timing of the campaign is crucial. “As we enter our worst agricultural season in more than 40 years, our nation and our neighbors face serious food shortages and severe instability in our energy supply,” he said in a prepared statement. “The participation of the world’s rich countries in this supplement is not just generosity – it is life or death for millions of people experiencing the worst impacts of climate change.”
This year, Global Citizen is also focusing on in-person activities in New York to introduce young people to volunteer work and receive festival tickets. It partners with Black Surfing Rockaway to clean up Rockaway Beach and nonprofits like The Bowery Mission and Citymeals on Wheels to work with new volunteers.
“It’s a low-data entry point for those who want to take action,” Evans said. “It is an initiative we have done across Ghana. We did it in South Africa as part of a major clean-up campaign. It also educates global citizens about food insecurity and other needs in New York.”
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