Global Citizen, the world’s leading advocacy organisation, today announced the first international edition of the Global Citizen NOW action summit will take place on 4-6 March 2024 in Melbourne.
Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne will feature leading voices and innovators from across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond for a dynamic, two-day program focused on driving decisive action to end extreme poverty across the region and the world, including Crowded House; Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York; and Xanana Gusmão, Prime Minister of Timor-Leste. Global Citizen Ambassadors Hugh Jackman and Charlie Puth; Julia Gillard, 27th Prime Minister of Australia; and Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank, will join virtually.
With a focus on engaging and elevating young innovators from across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne will convene world leaders, artists, advocates, journalists, influencers, policy experts and more than 300 of the brightest young leaders from across the region. Hosted at CENTREPIECE at Melbourne Park, the summit will drive action on the climate crisis, gender inequity, innovations in health systems and fighting food insecurity, as Australia hosts ASEAN leaders in Melbourne.
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The Melbourne session will drive definitive actions across five core areas
- The climate crisis, including calling for increased funding for the region’s green transition and the adoption of the Fossil Fuel Non-proliferation Treaty;
- Unleashing women’s economic power and tackling inequalities, including calling for equal access to financing and entrepreneurship opportunities, quality education, and gender responsive health services;
- Strengthening health systems and health financing, including increased budgets to support routine immunisation, combat malaria and eradicate polio;
- The global food crisis and food insecurity across the region, driving increased support of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); and
- Unlocking investments into youth-driven entrepreneurship focused on achieving the UN’s Global Goals.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around the region here.
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The summit will conclude with Global Citizen Nights, an intimate evening of music and storytelling, headlined by Crowded House. Taking place at the Palais Theatre on St Kilda’s foreshore on 6 March, this free, ticketed event will honour the stories of young trailblazers from across the Asia-Pacific region who are profoundly impacting their local communities in the areas of climate action, gender equity and more.
“We’re thrilled to bring Global Citizen back to Australia for the first ever international edition of Global Citizen NOW, where young innovators will take their place alongside leaders in policy, culture, philanthropy and business to drive impactful, sustainable change and address the global challenges shaping tomorrow,” said Global Citizen. “The Asia-Pacific region sits at the epicentre of some of the world’s most pressing issues; but young people are not the passive inheritors of these challenges – they are powerful innovators playing a vital role in solving them, with much to teach the rest of the world. We look forward to a dynamic few days that will shift the future of the region.”
“All my life I have lived and loved being outside enjoying every moment. My parents always highlighted the need to champion the quiet voice of Mother Nature, and now even more so since becoming a grandmother I’ve become acutely aware of my responsibility, and that of my generation, to do everything we can to improve the state of the world we are leaving for our grandchildren,” said Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. “I’m coming to Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne to participate in vital intergenerational conversations with young leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region, who are doing frontline, grassroots work to address the climate crisis, the hunger crisis, girls’ education and issues perpetuating cycles of extreme poverty. I look forward to listening to them, learning from them, and contributing whatever voice I have to speak up for the future of our planet.”
As part of the summit, Global Citizen is honouring 32 young innovators from across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, who are working to address the issues perpetuating extreme poverty in their communities, through the Youth Leaders Award program. Selected from among hundreds of applicants, these inspiring awardees will travel to Melbourne to attend Global Citizen NOW and participate in a dynamic peer networking and training day alongside other awardees from across the region. They will each receive $5000 to further their vital work toward achieving one or more of the United Nations Global Goals.
Earn tickets to Global Citizen Nights by taking action on the Global Citizen app and at globalcitizen.org/nights.
