The Global Citizen Movement Comes to Indian

Global Citizen, a social action platform, and The Global Education and Leadership Foundation (tGELF), launched the Global Citizen India platform. The platform will comprise a distinctive mix of events, grassroots activism, media campaigning and online activation, to catalyse India’s journey towards achieving the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, and to bring about the end of extreme poverty.

In its first year, Global Citizen India will offer a wide cross-section of content and actions focused on creating meaningful impact in three key areas: Quality Education, Gender Equality, and Clean Water & Sanitation. Achieving impact across these interlinked issues is a critical first step on the journey to focus positive pressure on major players to influence dialogue, policy and social change in India. One of the first actions people can take is to call on their Chief Ministers to adopt a comprehensive action plan to achieve the Global Goals. So far, only one state has adopted a framework to act upon these Goals.

“The years I spent living and working in India was a key catalyst of my passion for challenging the status quo of poverty alleviation. Sixty-five percent of India’s population is under the age of 35 – that’s 800 million young people who can drive serious change for generations to come. We will engage these young people to drive behavioural change at scale through their individual actions, impact policy through commitments by governments, and amplify India’s voice to the world in its commitment to achieving the Global Goals for Sustainable Development.” said Hugh Evans, CEO, Global Citizen

The Government of Maharashtra is the host partner for the inaugural Global Citizen Festival India, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has extended his support to the initiative.

CM Fadnavis was joined by celebrated Indian actors and personalities including Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Kareena Kapoor. Coldplay’s Chris Martin also shared his enthusiasm about the festival via a video message.

Aamir Khan urged people to follow his lead in taking their first Action Journey and said, “I am pleased to see an initiative like Global Citizen coming to India and it is an honour to participate in the festival in its premiere year. This is a great social action platform that brings people together to support the UN Global Goals to eradicate poverty, not only in India but around the world. I am delighted to lend my support to Global Citizen India’s Shuruaat Hoon Main Action Journey that endeavours to create a people’s movement for the betterment of our country and its citizens.”

Google India through its Internet Saathi programme has been empowering women through technology based solutions to bridge the digital gap in rural India. In this partnership it aims to address the issues of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment.

The inaugural Global Citizen Festival India, to be held in Mumbai in November 2016, is Global Citizen India’s first initiative, and will be headlined by Coldplay, Jay Z,  Aamir Khan, Ranveer Singh, Katrina Kaif, AR Rahman, Farhan Akhtar, Shraddha Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Arijit Singh, Dia Mirza, Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Monali Thakur. Several major artists and international guests will be announced at different stages of the campaign.

Global Citizen India is a collaboration between The Global Education & Leadership Foundation and Global Citizen. The partners include Government of Maharashtra, United Nations, Viacom18, Wizcraft International Entertainment, and Times of India Group, UPL, Google, Taj Group of Hotels, BookMyShow and MakeMyTrip.

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The CSR Journal Team