The idea of using a celebrity to help shine a light on social justice issues has been part and parcel of popular culture since John Lennon rallied the flower power generation to protest the Vietnam War in the 1960s in a number of songs, including Love is All We Need. Some call it artivism, but at best it is utilisation of one’s elevated artistic platform to advance causes of one’s concern. The Global Citizen Concert series continues to attract major league artists to its events and continues to grow in strength.
By Admire Kudita
The Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 will be held on December 2 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“In the two months leading up to Global Citizen Week, Global Citizens took over 2,1 million actions to urge world leaders to take a stand against extreme poverty,” reads the Global Citizen website.
“This resulted in 17 commitments, 23 announcements and 24 calls to action set to affect the lives of 254 million people.”
One of the commitments that were made was by Norway of a significant commitment to spend US$200 million to combat marine litter and micro plastics for the next four years among others by other governments and institutions.
“In 2018, it is more important than ever for Global Citizens here in the United States and around the world to demand their voices be heard — through activism and at the polls — so that we can continue progress towards a world free from needless suffering and want,” said Hugh Evans, CEO and co-founder of Global Citizen.
The festival is integral to Global Citizen’s Be the Generation Campaign which is a series of global events honouring the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela in his centenary year.
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Artists billed to perform at the gig which will be headlined by pop royalty Beyonce and Jay Z will feature some of Africa’s biggest award-winning talents including Cassper Nyovest, Tiwa Savage, Femi Kuti, Wizkid and US and UK music icons Chris Martin, Selena Gomez, Pharrell Williams, Eddie Vedder and Usher. Supermodel Naomi Campbell, original celebrity aid initiatives champion Sir Bob Geldof, Oprah Winfrey sidekick Gayle King, film and television producer Tyler Perry and Hollywood film star Forest Whitaker will alternate as presenters at the gig. Media mogul Oprah Winfrey is set to deliver the keynote address for the event.
Nelson Mandela’s famous call for this generation to realise an end to extreme poverty is part of the overarching message of the initiative.
