MON, 26 SEPT, 2022-theGBJournal| The governments of Ghana and South Africa have announced the African Prosperity Fund, a joint initiative by both countries, 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.
The announcement was made during the Global Citizen Festival, Accra that held at Ghana’s iconic Black Star Square on Saturday, 24th September 2022. Presented by Harith General Partners, it featured performances by Usher, SZA, Stormzy, Gyakie, Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, TEMS, and Uncle Waffles, and was hosted by award-winning actor, playwright and activist Danai Gurira. Presenters included Berla Mundi, Joselyn Dumas, Michaela Coel, Nomzamo Mbatha, and Sabrina Dhowre Elba.
Meanwhile, at the Global Citizen Festival: NYC held on the same day, 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 percent of its Special Drawing Rights to the world’s poorest countries, specifically in Africa, to fight extreme poverty, pandemics, inequalities, and climate change.
Presented by Citi and Cisco, and hosted at New York City’s Central Park, the festival featured performances by Metallica, Charlie Puth, Jonas Brothers, MÅNESKIN, Mariah Carey, Mickey Guyton, and Rosalía and special guest performances by Angélique Kidjo and Billy Porter. Renowned actor, producer, author, and Global Citizen Ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas was the main host while Amber Ruffin, Antoni Porowski, Bill Nye, Chris Redd, Connie Britton, Folake Olowofoyeku, Jay Shetty, Katie Couric, Katie Holmes, Misty Copeland, Rachel Brosnahan, Scott Evans, Sofia Carson, Tamron Hall, and Van Jones were among the celebrity presenters.
According to Global Citizen, the six-week 2022 Global Citizen Festival campaign, the climax of which was the Saturday live shows in Accra and New York City, raised over $2.4 billion in commitments to end extreme poverty NOW. It saw 2 million actions taken by global citizens as part of Global Citizen’s mission to End Extreme Poverty NOW, more than doubling the record previously set by the international advocacy organization.
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, who respectively 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 center. 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
“Every problem that we face is a problem that we created. So, it’s a problem that we can solve together. A world of peace is not impossible, a world free of extreme hunger is not impossible, and reducing deepening inequalities is not impossible. It’s the world that we promised to ourselves through the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations and the Global Goals. But time is running out fast. We have a serious to-do list. It’s the 17 Global Goals and we need all your hands on deck!” – Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations
“We have a limited window of opportunity to act decisively to lift millions of people out of poverty, promote inclusiveness and equality, and safeguard the health of our planet. Each one of us has a sacred and moral obligation to bequeath to the next generation a healthy planet, free from poverty, conflict, discrimination, hunger and disease. I call on the youth of the world, especially, and, in particular, the youth of Africa, to play an active role in achieving the SDGs. The world needs your creativity, knowledge, reach and energy to help find innovative solutions to the challenges facing our world.” – H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana
“It’s great to join you for the 10th year of this festival. Thank you for building this movement and making big things happen. Last month, I signed the biggest climate bill in history – the biggest ever: $369 billion to slash emissions by nearly half, improve health, advance justice, build a clean energy economy, and create generations of good paying jobs. And this past week, the Senate ratified historic Kigali amendment to phase down the use of super-polluting hydrofluorocarbons. This is a whole new chapter for America and for the planet. And we have to do a lot more. I pledged $11 billion a year to help poor countries fight climate change. Working with Congress and with your help, we can get this done.” – Joe Biden, President of the United States of America, via video address.
“Global Citizens, I hear you loud and clear! Europe is answering your call. We must put an end to hunger. We need to defeat deadly diseases like AIDS or malaria. We must take care of our girls and women! We must also take care of our planet. I call on all world leaders to step up! And I count on you to drive us forward.” – Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
At the outset of the campaign, Global Citizen called on world leaders, major corporations and philanthropic foundations to End Extreme Poverty NOW and invest $600 million into the future of women and girls; close the annual $10 billion climate financing shortfall; deliver $500 million to help African farmers respond to the global food crisis; reallocate IMF Special Drawing Rights to provide urgent relief from debts unjustly crushing economies, and defend advocacy. Though the campaign’s outcomes and commitments represent progress for the most urgent needs facing humanity and the planet, there is still much work to be done ahead of the G20 and COP27 in November.
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