Playing For Change and the United Nations Population Fund Stand for Human Rights with Special Release of "Peace Through Music", A Global Virtual Event for Social Justice

Los Angeles, CA — December 8, 2020 — After accumulating more than 4 million views during the successful 48 hour premiere of their virtual concert and fundraising event Peace Through Music: A Global Event for Social Justice, Playing For Change and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) are proud to announce an encore presentation presented by Corning® Gorilla® Glass in partnership with Gibson in honor of Human Rights Day. The event will be released on December 10th at 12pm PST/3pm EST/8pm GMT on the Playing For Change YouTube channel.

The event, produced by Playing For Change and Blackbird Presents, features more than 200 musicians including: Aloe Blacc, Angélique Kidjo, Annie Lennox, Becky G, Brandi Carlile with Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Carlos Santana and Cindy Blackman Santana, Gabi Melim, Gary Clark Jr., Jack Johnson, Jim James, Keb’ Mo’, Keith Richards, Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff, Peter Gabriel, Rhiannon Giddens, Ringo Starr, Robbie Robertson, Robert Randolph, Run The Jewels with Josh Homme, Sheila E., Skip Marley and Cedella Marley, The War and Treaty, Yo-Yo Ma and many more. Special appearances include Billie Eilish, Ellie Goulding, Danny Glover, Jamal Murray, Killer Mike, Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird, Norman Lear, Prince Ea and Sara Bareilles.

Through the power of music and the art of storytelling, the event aims to showcase the interconnectedness of humanity and activate the world to stand up for and champion the full protection and promotion of human rights for all, especially those in the most vulnerable communities.

Highlights of the event will include special remarks from Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA and Epsy Campbell Barr, First Vice President of Costa Rica. In addition, Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, will offer a message to empower the world to seek freedom and justice, end all forms of discrimination and protect everyone’s rights.

A moment not to miss is Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Peter Gabriel joined by Beninise vocalist and activist Angélique Kidjo, Silkroad’s Yo-Yo Ma and musicians from South Africa, India, and the USA for a powerful remake of his classic “Biko”. The moving performance will be introduced by Nkosinathi Biko, son of the deceased anti-apartheid activist and subject of the song Steven Biko.

The event will also feature a soul stirring performance by Gary Clark Jr. of his GRAMMY Award-winning song “This Land,” Carlos Santana and Cindy Blackman Santana joined by Uruguayan percussionist Rubén Rada and Tito Puente Jr. for “Oye Como Va,” and a hauntingly beautiful rendition of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin’” by Brandi Carlile with Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, to name a few.

Contributions from partners and all donations will support the Playing For Change Foundation, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations and its Remember Slavery Programme, Sankofa, the Bob Marley Foundation, Silkroad, and The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation—organizations and programs that strive to eradicate poverty, inequality, and systemic racial and gender discrimination around the world.

In honor of Human Rights Day, Gibson has created a special “Peace Through Music” Gibson Dove Acoustic custom guitar. The “Peace Through Music” Gibson Dove Acoustic guitar is up for auction starting today, December 8 via the Gibson Gives page on CharityBuzz. All proceeds from the Gibson Gives guitar auction will benefit the Playing For Change Foundation.

“We are stronger together than we are apart, and it is an honor to partner with like-minded artists and charities that echo this sentiment. The power of music is one tool we can use to unite and eradicate racism, inequality, poverty, and all other diseases that have plagued our world for much too long. The things in life that divide us, disappear when the music plays, and that’s something we hope you see and feel during this event,” says Mark Johnson, Playing For Change Co-Founder.

“Music is a wonderful medium to raise awareness about our collective quest for peace, justice, equality and dignity – the noble ideals of the United Nations. It is a powerful, unifying language that can help build bridges and advance social justice in all of its forms,” says Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund.

“We need to rediscover and reassert the language of our unity, of our common fears and common hopes, forged through the crucible of the pandemic.  And what better example is there of a common language beyond our differences, notwithstanding our divisions, than music? We are delighted to be a part of this exciting event, advocating for social justice, and in honor of UN75,” says Fabrizio Hochschild, Special Adviser on the Preparations for the Commemoration of the United Nations’ 75th Anniversary.

“We are honored to work with artists and organizations that share in the values of peace, justice, and equality for all humans. This event is a reflection of these values at a time when they are sorely needed in this world,” says Keith Wortman, Founder, and CEO of Blackbird Presents.

“We’re proud to collaborate with Playing for Change and UNFPA on this exciting event,” said Scott Forester, Division Vice President, Business Director, Corning® Gorilla® Glass. “Over the last two years, the Gorilla Glass business’ relationship with Playing For Change has showcased the importance of music as a universal language and helps unite us as a global community.  In today's digital life, music is shared, and even created through our mobile devices – which is why we at Corning are excited that Gorilla Glass technology can play a small but important role in helping to protect our devices and ensuring that we stay connected to one another.”

“For over 100 years we have been inspiring, supporting and engaging with musicians across all generations, genres and nations, but it feels like the world needs music now more than ever to bring us together,” says James “JC” Curleigh, President and CEO of Gibson. “The opportunity for us to partner with Playing For Change will create a compelling music movement around the world.”

Full Lineup:

Abdiel Pérez, Abiodun Oyewole (The Last Poets), Afro Fiesta, Ahmed Al Harmi, Al Harban Brothers, Alceu Maia, Alcione, Alfred Howard (US), Ali Boulala, Aloe Blacc, Amin Dominguez, Amina J. Mohammed (UN), Ana Carolina Pitti, André Siqueira, Andreus Valdés Torres, Angélique Kidjo, Annie Lennox, Armando Chiari, Azueï, Barou Sall, Becky G, Béla Fleck, Bernardo Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead), Bill Summers, Billie Eilish, Binho, Bizung Family Band, Brandi Carlile with Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Candombe Drum Group, Carl C-Wyya Edwards, Carlinhos 7 Cordas, Carlos Amaya, Carlos Santana and Cindy Blackman Santana, Cesar Pope, Chandrajit, Chango Spasiuk, Char, Cheikh Gueye, Chouloute Minouche, Cizinho Jorge, Clarence Bekker, Congo Drums, Cory Henry, Courtney "Bam" Diedrick, Cristina Pato, Damaso Meléndez, Danny Glover,  David Casséus, Debora Do Santos, Dianelys Vázquez, Dimitri Dolganov, Dina Elwebidi, Diógenes Villanueva, Django Degen, Donald Harrison and Congo Square Nation, Dr. John, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Dudu Nobre, Dynamic Music Collective, Eduin Valdés Hernández, EduMundo and Caveman, Elián De Hoyos, Elianys de Hoyos, Ellie Goulding, Elsa Molinar, Epsy Campbell Barr, Erubide Arias, Estefani Moreno, Estevenson Padilla Valdés, Eyadou Ag Leche, Fabián Miodownik, Fabrizio Hochschild-Drummond, Fernando Caballero, Fernando “Lobo" Núñez, Francois Viguie, Gabi Melim, Gary Clark Jr., George Porter Jr.,  Geraldo & Dionisio, Gilberto Muñoz, Grandpa Elliott, Guardians Of The New Fire, Guimel Jimenez, Gustavo Montemurro, Heraldo De Hoyos, Hiromitsu Agatsuma, Hugo Soares, Hutch Hutchinson, Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, Ibram X. Kendi, Ignacio Mateu, Iluska Quiñones, Ivan Neville, Jack Johnson, Jaguara, Jairo Esquina, Jamal Murray, James Vergneau aka Rebel Layonn, Jason Tamba, Javoci Do Imperio, Jeanine Gall, Jim James, Joao Viana, John Cruz, John Prine, John Herno, Jorge Jiménez, Jorge Williams, José Luis “Bocha” Martínez, José Valdés Terán, Julieta Rada, Junior Kissangwa Mbouta, Karl Perazzo, Kasha Sequoia Slavner, Keb' Mo', Keiko Komaki, Keiler Valdés Herrera, Keith Richards, Killer Mike, Kolgate,  La Escuelita del Ritmo, Larkin Poe, Lee Oskar, Lindomar Fraga, Los hijos de Benkos, Louis Mhlanga, Lucas Pietro, Lucila Rada, Luis Carlos Cassiani Simarra, Luiz Augusto, Luiz Otavio, Lukas Nelson, Lurielys Albert, Mamadou Sarr, Mambueni Bisalu, Manuel Betegón, Manuel Pérez Salinas, Marcelo Blanco, Marcus King, Marfa Kurakina, Mark Johnson, Mary Ann Ortiz, Massamba Diop, Mateo, Matias Rada, Mbonda Tempelo, Mavis Staples, Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird, Mermans Mosengo, Meshell Ndegeocello, Mestra Joana Cavalcante, Michelle Bachelet, Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead), MishCatt, Mohammed Alidu, Nasreen Sheikh, Natalia Kanem (UNFPA), Nathaniel Rateliff, Nayelis Boltier, Nelson Cedres, Nelson Rangel, Nielson Do Tamborim, Nikki Burt, Noé Núñez, Norm, Norman Lear, Ousseynou and Assane Kaba, Papa Lusamba, "Papi" Felix Garemua, Paulo Heman, Peter Bunetta, Peter Gabriel, Playing For Change Band, Playing For Change Foundation, Pokei Klaas, POPO, Prince Ea, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Rajeev Shrestha, Reggie McBride, Renan Silva, Rhiannon Giddens, Ringo Starr, Robbie Robertson, Robert Randolph, Roberto Luti, Robin Moxey, Roger Ridley, Rubén Rada, Rudson Daniel and Enio Taquari, Rui Dinis, Run The Jewels with Josh Homme, Sanjay Shrestha, Santiago Luzacando, Sara Bareilles, Sean "Pow" Diedrick, Sebastian Robertson, Sexteto Tabala, Sheila E., Shemekia Copeland, Sherieta Lewis and Roselyn Williams, Silkroad, Sinamuva, Skip Marley and Cedella Marley, Sol Homar, Songhoy Blues, Stefano Tomaselli, Taikoproject, Taimane, Tal Wilkenfeld, Tatiana Muñoz, The Cape Town Ensemble, The War and Treaty, Tia Vilma, Tito Puente Jr., Toumani Diabaté, TP OK Jazz, Tuca Da Cuica, Tula Ben Ari, Tushar Lall, Twanguero, Twin Eagle Drum Group, Venkat, Victor Gabriel Castro, Victor Jiménez, Vientos de Cordoba, Vusi Mahlasela, Washboard Chaz, Welele Doubout, Whitney Kroenke Silverstein, Wilbert Valdés Torres, Williams Callender, Yo-Yo Ma, Yu Hatakeyama, ZEPA, Zulu Choir

For more information about Peace Through Music: A Global Event for Social Justice, please visit the Peace Through Music event website.

About Playing For Change

Playing For Change (PFC) is a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music, born from the shared belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. PFC spreads their positive message for humanity to millions of people through inspiring multicultural music videos, a live global touring band and a 501c3 foundation supporting music education around the world. Learn more at http://www.playingforchange.com/

About Playing For Change Foundation

Founded in 2007, the Playing For Change Foundation was established to create positive change through music and arts education. Its work engages marginalized youth in low income, yet culturally rich, communities around the world. Utilizing local music, teachers, and infrastructure, each student is able to rise up through music, dance, arts, sports, and much more, all within their own culture. It currently operates 15 music programs in 11 countries, teaches over 3,000 kids each week, and has positively impacted more than 40,000 lives of kids and families in need. The Foundation was awarded the Polar Music Prize in 2019. Learn more at http://www.playingforchange.org

About the United Nations Population Fund

UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. It is formally named the United Nations Population Fund. UNFPA's mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA calls for the realization of reproductive rights for all and supports access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services, including voluntary family planning, quality maternal health care and comprehensive sexuality education.

About UN75

To mark its 75th anniversary in 2020, the United Nations launched the world’s largest global conversation on ‘the future we want’. UN75 invites people everywhere to imagine the future they want and contribute ideas on how to make it a reality, building a better and more sustainable world, for all. It is also the largest survey to date on priorities for recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, over a million people from all countries and all walks of life have had their say. Their answers provide unique insights into what the public wants at this challenging time for the world.  For more information, please visit: www.un.org/UN75. Take the UN75 global survey – have YOUR say:www.un75.online

About the United Nations Remember Slavery Programme

The United Nations Remember Slavery Programme was established by the United Nations General Assembly’s resolution 62/122 to commemorate the victims of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery, and to mobilize educational institutions, civil society and other organizations to teach future generations about the causes and consequences and legacy of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery, and the dangers of racism and prejudice. The Remember Slavery Programme aims to bring attention to the history and legacy of  the 400 years of the transatlantic slave trade, to encourage action against all contemporary expressions of racism and prejudice.

About the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024)

In proclaiming this Decade under the theme of recognition, justice, and development, the international community is recognizing that people of African descent represent a distinct group whose human rights must be promoted and protected. Around 200 million people identifying themselves as being of African descent live in the Americas. Many millions more live in other parts of the world. Whether as descendants of the victims of the transatlantic slave trade or as more recent migrants, they constitute some of the poorest and most marginalized groups that still have limited access to quality education, health services, housing and social security.

About Blackbird Presents

Blackbird Presents is a leading global media company that creates and produces premium, music-driven events and content via a range of strategies including all-star concert events, tours, festivals, broadcast specials, episodic series, and documentaries.

Recent concerts, broadcast specials and releases include “Willie: Life & Songs Of An American Outlaw,” “All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers’ Farewell Concert Celebration,” “Sing Me Back Home: The Music of Merle Haggard,” “The Life & Songs of Kris Kristofferson,” “Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert,” “Outlaw: Celebrating The Music of Waylon Jennings,” “I'll Take You There: Celebrating 75 Years of Mavis Staples,” “The Life and Songs of Emmylou Harris,” “Lynyrd Skynyrd: One More For The Fans,” “The Musical Mojo of Dr. John: Celebrating Mac and His Music” and “All My Friends: Celebrating The Songs and Voice of Gregg Allman,” the last of which earned a GRAMMY® Award nomination for Gregg Allman and Taj Mahal's awe-inspiring performance of "Statesboro Blues. ”Blackbird Presents is also the creator and producer of The Outlaw Music Festival Tour, in partnership with Willie Nelson; The American Roots Music & Arts Festival, in partnership with Eric Church; and The Last Waltz 40 Tour in partnership with Robbie Robertson.

Learn more at www.blackbirdpresents.com.

About Corning® Gorilla® Glass

Corning® Gorilla® Glass launched in 2007.  Since its inception, Gorilla Glass has become the glass of choice for mobile consumer electronics manufacturers around the globe. The patented, durable glass technology has been designed into more than 8 billion consumer electronic devices by more than 45 major OEMs. Formed through Corning’s proprietary fusion draw process and strengthened through an ion-exchange process, Corning Gorilla Glass continues to deliver industry-leading performance and durability with a thin, pristine surface that is ideal for the mobile consumer electronics industry as well as automotive applications.

About Gibson

Gibson, the world’s most iconic guitar brand, has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across genres for more than 100 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville, TN, with a premiere acoustic facility in Bozeman, MT, Gibson Brands has a legacy of world-class craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships, and progressive product evolution that is unrivaled among musical instrument companies. The Gibson Brands portfolio includes Gibson, the number one guitar brand, as well as many of the most beloved and recognizable music brands, including Epiphone, Kramer, Steinberger, and the Gibson Pro Audio Division, KRK Music. Gibson Brands is dedicated to quality, innovation, and sound excellence so that music lovers for generations to come will continue to experience music shaped by Gibson Brands. Learn more at Gibson.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Gibson TV, and Instagram.

 

Playing For Change and the United Nations Population Fund announce "Peace Through Music: A Global Event for Social Justice" A Facebook Exclusive in celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations

Los Angeles, CA — November 23, 2020 — In honor of the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations and GivingTuesday, Playing For Change and the  United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) are thrilled to announce Peace Through Music: A Global Event for Social Justice, produced by Playing For Change and Blackbird Presents, exclusively on Facebook Live on December 1st, 2020.

The global virtual event will inspire people to act for peace, justice and equity, everywhere and for everyone. It will feature performances from some of the world’s most iconic artists, including: Aloe Blacc, Angélique Kidjo, Annie Lennox, Becky G, Brandi Carlile with Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Carlos Santana and Cindy Blackman Santana, Gabi Melim, Gary Clark Jr., Jack Johnson, Jim James, Keb’ Mo’, Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff, Peter Gabriel, Rhiannon Giddens, Ringo Starr, Robbie Robertson, Robert Randolph, Run The Jewels with Josh Homme, Sheila E., Skip Marley and Cedella Marley, The War and Treaty, Yo-Yo Ma and many more. Special appearances include Billie Eilish, Ellie Goulding, Killer Mike, Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird, Norman Lear, Prince Ea and Sara Bareilles.

Through the universal language of music and the art of storytelling, the event will call for equality, human rights, and an end to discrimination, spotlighting people of African descent and championing the full protection and promotion of human rights for all. It will embody the unity and common purpose that beat in the heart of humanity.

Peace Through Music: A Global Event for Social Justice will premiere exclusively on Facebook Live on the Playing For Change Facebook Page on GivingTuesday (December 1, 2020 at 12 pm PST / 3 pm EST). GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.

Contributions from partners and all donations made to Peace Through Music’s Facebook Fundraiser will support the Playing For Change Foundation, the United Nations Population Fund, Sankofa, Silkroad, and The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation - organizations that strive to eradicate poverty, inequality, and systemic racial and gender discrimination around the world.

“We are stronger together than we are apart, and it is an honor to partner with like-minded artists and charities that echo this sentiment. The power of music is one tool we can use to unite and eradicate racism, inequality, poverty, and all other diseases that have plagued our world for much too long. The things in life that divide us, disappear when the music plays, and that’s something we hope you see and feel during this event,” says Mark Johnson, Playing For Change Co-Founder.

“Music is a wonderful medium to raise awareness about our collective quest for peace, justice, equality and dignity – the noble ideals of the United Nations. It is a powerful, unifying language that can help build bridges and advance social justice in all of its forms,” says Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund.

“We need to rediscover and reassert the language of our unity, of our common fears and common hopes, forged through the crucible of the pandemic.  And what better example is there of a common language beyond our differences, notwithstanding our divisions, than music? We are delighted to be a part of this exciting event, advocating for social justice, and in honor of UN75,” says Fabrizio Hochschild, Special Adviser on the Preparations for the Commemoration of the United Nations’ 75th Anniversary.

“We are honored to work with artists and organizations that share in the values of peace, justice, and equality for all humans. This event is a reflection of these values at a time when they are sorely needed in this world,” says Keith Wortman, Founder, and CEO of Blackbird Presents.

“On Giving Tuesday, people all over the world come together to support great causes and give something back,” said Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer of Facebook. “We are proud to be working with Playing For Change to inspire people everywhere to work toward a more peaceful, just and equal world for everyone.”

Full Lineup:

Afro Fiesta, Abiodun Oyewale (The Last Poets), Ahmed Al Harmi, Al Harban Brothers, Alcione, Alfred Howard, Ali Boulala, Aloe Blacc, Amina J. Mohammed (UN), Angélique Kidjo, Annie Lennox, Azueï, Baaba Maal, Barou Sall, Becky G, Béla Fleck, Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead), Bill Summers, Billie Eilish, Binho, Bizung Family Band, Brandi Carlile with Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Carl C-Wyya Edwards, Carlos Santana and Cindy Blackman Santana, Chandrajit and Venkat, Chango Spasiuk, Char, Clarence Bekker, Cristina Pato, Congo Drums, Cory Henry, Courtney "Bam" Diedrick, Donald Harrison and Congo Square Nation, Dr. John, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Dudu Nobre, Dynamic Music Collective, EduMundo and Caveman, Ellie Goulding, Eyadou Ag Leche, Fabián Miodownik, Gabi Melim, Gary Clark Jr., George Porter Jr., Grandpa Elliott, Guardians Of The New Fire, Hiromitsu Agatsuma, Hutch Hutchinson, Ibram X. Kendi, Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, Ivan Neville, Isabella Madrigal, Jack Johnson, Jaiksona Soto, Jamal Murray, Jane Elliott, Jim James, John Cruz, John Prine, Johnny Herno, Kasha Sequoia Slavner, Keb’ Mo’, Keiko Komaki, Killer Mike, Kimberly L. Jones, Kolgate, La Escuelita del Ritmo, Larkin Poe, Los Hijos de Benkos, Louis Mhlanga, Lukas Nelson, Mamadou Sarr, Marcus King, Mark Johnson, Mark Lozano, Massamba Diop, Mateo, Mavis Staples, Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird, Mermans Mosengo, Meshell Ndegeocello, Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead), Mohammed Alidu, Nasreen Sheikh, Natalia Kanem (UNFPA), Nathaniel Rateliff, Nikki Burt, Norm, Norman Lear, Ousseynou and Assane Kaba, "Papi" Felix Garemua, Patrick Simmons (The Doobie Brothers), Paulo Heman, Peter Bunetta, Peter Gabriel, Playing For Change Band, Playing For Change Foundation, Prince Ea, Pyramid Lake, Paiute Tribe, Rahat Inayat Ali, Rajeev Shrestha, Reggie McBride, Rhiannon Giddens, Ringo Starr, Robbie Robertson, Robert Randolph, Roberto Luti, Robin Moxey, Roger Ridley, Rubén Rada and Family, Rudson Daniel and Enio Taquari, Run The Jewels with Josh Homme, Sanjay Shrestha, Sean "Pow" Diedrick, Sebastian Robertson, Sexteto Tabala, Sara Bareilles, Sheila E., Shemekia Copeland, Sherieta Lewis & Roselyn Williams, Skip Marley and Cedella Marley, Sol Homar, Songhoy Blues, Taikoproject, Taimane, Tal Wilkenfeld, Taslima Khan, The Cape Town Ensemble, The Silkroad Ensemble, The War and Treaty, Tito Puente Jr., Toumani Diabaté, TP OK Jazz, Tula Ben Ari, Tushar Lall, Vusi Mahlasela, Washboard Chaz, Whitney Kroenke Silverstein, Yo-Yo Ma, Zulu Choir.

For more information about Peace Through Music: A Global Event for Social Justice, please visit peacethroughmusic.live/. Watch it live on December 1st through the Playing For Change Facebook Page.

About Playing For Change 

Playing For Change (PFC) is a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music, born from the shared belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. PFC spreads their positive message for humanity to millions of people through inspiring multicultural music videos, a live global touring band and a 501c3 foundation supporting music education around the world. Learn more at http://www.playingforchange.com/

About Playing For Change Foundation

Founded in 2007, the Playing For Change Foundation was established to create positive change through music and arts education. Its work engages marginalized youth in low income, yet culturally rich, communities around the world. Utilizing local music, teachers, and infrastructure, each student is able to rise up through music, dance, arts, sports, and much more, all within their own culture. It currently operates 15 music programs in 11 countries, teaches over 3,000 kids each week, and has positively impacted more than 40,000 lives of kids and families in need. The Foundation was awarded the Polar Music Prize in 2019. Learn more at http://www.playingforchange.org

About the United Nations Population Fund

UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. It is formally named the United Nations Population Fund. UNFPA's mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA calls for the realization of reproductive rights for all and supports access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services, including voluntary family planning, quality maternal health care and comprehensive sexuality education.

About UN75

To mark its 75th anniversary in 2020, the United Nations launched the world’s largest global conversation on ‘the future we want’. UN75 invites people everywhere to imagine the future they want and contribute ideas on how to make it a reality, building a better and more sustainable world, for all. It is also the largest survey to date on priorities for recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, over a million people from all countries and all walks of life have had their say. Their answers provide unique insights into what the public wants at this challenging time for the world.  For more information, please visit: www.un.org/UN75. Take the UN75 global survey – have YOUR say: www.un75.online

About Blackbird Presents

Blackbird Presents is a leading global media company that creates and produces premium, music-driven events and content via a range of strategies including all-star concert events, tours, festivals, broadcast specials, episodic series, and documentaries.

Recent concerts, broadcast specials and releases include “Willie: Life & Songs Of An American Outlaw,” “All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers’ Farewell Concert Celebration,” “Sing Me Back Home: The Music of Merle Haggard,” “The Life & Songs of Kris Kristofferson,” “Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert,” “Outlaw: Celebrating The Music of Waylon Jennings,” “I'll Take You There: Celebrating 75 Years of Mavis Staples,” “The Life and Songs of Emmylou Harris,” “Lynyrd Skynyrd: One More For The Fans,” “The Musical Mojo of Dr. John: Celebrating Mac and His Music” and “All My Friends: Celebrating The Songs and Voice of Gregg Allman,” the last of which earned a GRAMMY® Award nomination for Gregg Allman and Taj Mahal's awe-inspiring performance of "Statesboro Blues. ”Blackbird Presents is also the creator and producer of The Outlaw Music Festival Tour, in partnership with Willie Nelson; The American Roots Music & Arts Festival, in partnership with Eric Church; and The Last Waltz 40 Tour in partnership with Robbie Robertson.

Learn more at www.blackbirdpresents.com.

 

Art to inspire the future with the United Nations

October 24th is United Nations Day, and this year we're marking 75 years of the United Nations (UN75). To commemorate this anniversary, the United Nations Secretary-General asked the world, "What are your hopes for the future?" Over one million people from every country spoke up, expressing their thoughts and ideas for the future we want.

One of the ways people answer this question is by making art. That's why we've partnered with Google Arts and Culture to bring online a collection of over 500 artworks created in response to this prompt. We're inviting everyone to learn more about how contemporary artists are answering today's challenges and helping us imagine a better future. Exhibits include The Future is Unwritten, with inspiring contributions from nine international artists, as well as the Agora photo exhibit, which features submissions from members of the public exploring #TheWorldWeWant.

You too can join this conversation by creating your own Street Galleries, a new online tool allowing you to "project" selected artworks in the streets of cities around the world and share the images with your friends to spark a conversation.

Don't know where to start? Find inspiration in the Street Galleries created by former Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth Jayathma Wickramanayake.

• The newly launched site is available at: http://g.co/UN75
• Google blog post: https://www.blog.google/outreach-initiatives/arts-culture/art-inspire-futureunited-nations/

 

#TheWorldWeWant online exhibit, in support of UN75, launches 20 October 2020

October 20, 2020 –This year, to commemorate the United Nations 75th anniversary, UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched a global conversation inviting everyone, everywhere to participate. Since its launch in January 2020, over a million people from all countries have taken part in the UN75 dialogue. Their answers provide unique insights into what the public wants at this challenging time for the world. 

#TheWorldWeWant virtual exhibit is a special collection of 75 photos curated from more than 50,000 images from over 130 countries and is a creative extension of the UN75 global conversation, and the UN Secretary-General’s call to hear directly from the peoples of the world about their priorities for the future. 

“I want a world where children can grow with light in their eyes and hope in their hearts,” photographer Zulqarnain Tiwana of Pakistan said of his photo, which is part of the virtual exhibit. 

Photography is a form of expression that transcends borders and spoken languages. Photos can speak to us in ways that require no translation. The photo competition offered a creative way for people to share their vision of the future and the world they want for themselves and generations to come. 

Fabrizio Hochschild, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for the United Nations 75th Anniversary stated: “Now more than ever, the many voices of ‘we the peoples’ are needed to fortify human solidarity and overcome the unprecedented global challenges we face. I am grateful that Agora [which organized the photo competition] is supporting the 75th anniversary of the United Nations by giving people from diverse countries and from all walks of life the opportunity to share their vision of the future in this unique photo competition.”  

The special competition was organized by Agora to promote the values of the United Nations for the 75th anniversary. Octavi Royo, the CEO of Agora, noted that “It has been an immense honor to participate in the United Nations 75th milestone anniversary celebrations and provide the Agora App for people worldwide to express their wishes for change. I would like to thank all the participants from 133 countries who uploaded more than 51,000 photos to #TheWorldWeWant photo competition, communicating the values which are needed today to make our world a better place for future generations." 

On 20 October 2020, the UN will unveil the 75 best photos from the competition in an online exhibit. Together the 75 photos presented in the exhibit form a visual manifesto illustrating a collective drive to protect, heal, and regenerate our world.  

On 22 October, the UN will also launch an online gallery and virtual presence on Google Arts & Culture. #TheWorldWeWant photos will be featured as an inaugural exhibit on this platform. 

For resident press, a physical exhibit featuring selected photos from #TheWorldWeWant is available to view outside UN Headquarters, on First Avenue between 46th Street and 47th Street, as well as inside the Visitors Lobby in Exhibit Gallery B.  

All 75 photos and captions are available on the exhibit Trello Board. 

About UN75  

To mark its 75th anniversary in 2020, the United Nations launched the world’s largest global conversation on ‘the future we want’. UN75 invites people everywhere to imagine the future they want and contribute ideas on how to make it a reality, building a better and more sustainable world, for all. Representing the UN’s most ambitious effort to understand expectations of international cooperation and of the UN in particular, it is also the largest survey to date on priorities for recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, over a million people from all countries and all walks of life have had their say. Their answers provide unique insights into what the public wants at this challenging time for the world. 

 

Christie’s, WHO Foundation and UN75 announce Global Art Initiative to support COVID-19 Response

New York, NY, October 6, 2020 –COVID-19 has revealed that a virus can affect not only our physical health but also our ability to cope with the psychological impact in its wake. The cultural community is often among the first to support in solidarity and compassion, standing together against common existential threats. In that spirit, The Future is Unwritten’s Healing Arts Auction series is today unveiled by Christie’s, the WHO Foundation and UN75, a cultural call-to-action to support a global COVID-19 response through the arts.

As part of The Future is Unwritten’s initiative to engage the international art world in UN priority areas, and World Health Organization (WHO) Solidarity Series of Events, the auction series aims to increase awareness around a global path to recovery and raise critical funds to mobilize artists and health professionals in support of communities most vulnerable, at-risk and with the weakest health systems to act effectively in response to the pandemic.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General, comments: “This initiative represents a unique opportunity for the art world to step up to this global challenge and support communities on the front line of the pandemic, ensuring everyone, everywhere has the tools they need to overcome it.”

All proceeds from this initiative will benefit the WHO Foundation, supporting the urgently needed mental health response to the pandemic through the applied use of arts in health-giving and recovery; and The Future is Unwritten’s Artist Response Fund, supporting artist-led projects that directly facilitate community healing and healthcare messaging in the aftermath of the pandemic. In addition to the auction series there is a program of educational events covering urgent thematic areas from emergency response, to mental health, to the health effects of the environmental crisis, to the achievement of Universal Health Coverage, each through the lens of the supportive power of the arts.

Christopher Bailey, WHO Arts & Health Lead, adds: “Art has a unique ability to help us comfort, confront, contextualize and create community. And when embracing science and evidence as a bedrock, art and culture can help us imagine a better way forward to a positive future.”

Artist-led projects being supported include an urgent public-health campaign in Yemen; The Painted Desert project by artist-physician Dr. Chip Thomas addressing the nutrition crisis among the Navajo Nation in Arizona (Navajo deaths from COVID-19 were among the highest per capita in the US); a cultural preservation project with Yazidi communities on the Iraqi-Syrian border following the ISIS genocide in 2014; a public health data campaign by Mona Chalabi in New York City; and community rebuilding projects in Beirut, Khartoum and failing small town main streets across the United States.

Fabrizio Hochschild Drummond, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General for the Commemoration of the United Nations 75th Anniversary commented: “Arts are socially influential and help us better understand the world and one another. It is imperative for the United Nations to engage with the arts and include cultural voices in its global policy discussions at this time.”

The Healing Arts Auctions in collaboration with Christie’s will run over the course of a year, with works to be offered in a number of sales across a wide range of genres. The first work to come under the hammer will be Magnetism (2012, estimate: £80,000 - £120,000) by Ahmed Mater, appearing in the November Middle East Contemporary Art Sale in London. One of his most important pieces to date, Mater fuses art, science and the concept of identity and religion, creating one of the 21st Century’s most iconic cultural images from the Islamic world. The central focus of the piece is a cuboid magnet that resembles the black draped Kaʿbah, the central element of the Meccan rites, considered by Muslims everywhere to be the most sacred place on Earth. Around the cube are spiral patterns made of tens of thousands of particles of iron evoking the Hajj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, that include a series of rituals like walking counter-clockwise seven times around the House of God. Mater’s counterpoint of square and circle, whirl and cube, of black and white, light and dark, places the primal elements of form and tone in dynamic equipoise. The overall aim of the artist is simple, but enchantingly alluring. Given, during COVID-19, Mecca was seen mostly empty for the first time in its history, this work is well positioned to launch the Healing Arts Auction series. Details of lots from other categories will be announced in the coming months.

Dirk Boll, President of Christie’s Europe, Middle East and Africa, remarks: “Christie’s is honoured to be working with the WHO Foundation and UN75, offering a platform for artists and works in the coming year, to assist individuals and communities. We’re also very pleased to present the work of Ahmed Mater as the debut lot in our year-long auction collaboration, today one of the most celebrated artists from Saudi Arabia, as well as a doctor and an individual who is very active in promoting the different artistic strengths of his region, dedicated to making culture accessible to as many as possible.”

 

Global Conversation 2020 Group Art Exhibition

Art-driven research group, F.99 teams up with the United Nations’ UN75 and Ikono Space to host humanity-focused group art exhibition ‘Global Conversation 2020’ during the opening weeks of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.

September 25, 2020, A first-ever global humanity-focused group art exhibition titled ‘Global Conversation 2020’ was launched by the United Nations’ UN75, art-driven research group F.99, and creative studio Ikono Space on September 21, 2020, the day of the UN General Assembly High-Level Commemoration of UN75. The exhibition features emerging, professional and leading artists from around the world, intended to inspire and engage visitors in an open dialogue with the 99 artworks selected.

Amidst COVID-19, the ‘Global Conversation 2020’ virtual exhibition aims to raise awareness of the UN75 global conversation, and the universal challenges faced by our world today. The selected 99 artworks featured in the virtual exhibition explores human creativity, knowledge, emotions, and social perspectives. Through the medium of art, ‘Global Conversation 2020’ invites the public, art aficionados, activists, artists, heads of state, ministers, and diplomats, to bridge together discussions on creative solutions, adding to the UN75 global conversation on the future we want, where over 1 million people have had their say.

F.99’s international artist call to the ‘Global Conversation 2020’ was open to the public, worldwide. In less than 2 months, over 350 artists, including Philip Michael Wolfson, Jay Rechsteiner, Fu Wenjun, Elisa Pritzker, Jeramy Turner, and many more, submitted artwork, resulting in a total of over 1700 works for the jurors to consider.

“This special group of artists were selected based on the leading judgment criteria of telling a story, transporting knowledge, giving community perspective, and the intention of making an impact with your art to showcase compelling stories and feelings to emotionally captivate audiences through the medium of art and to drive social impact,” said Gillead-Gaari Mziray, Founder and Chief Curator of F.99. “This exhibition is the first of many that will show our commitment to international social improvement and serve as our social purpose by binding, healing, and generating social capital through art to strengthen communities both local and abroad.”

The ‘Global Conversation 2020’ art exhibit will take place from September 21st - 28th with digital viewing to the public, courtesy of multidisciplinary creative studio Ikono Space. The first round of artworks has been placed virtually inside a customized web gallery that you can visit at F-99.org.

Attendees are encouraged to rethink existing systems, constructs and paradigms as they tour the exhibition's artwork.

For more information about ‘Global Conversation 2020’, participating artists, and more, visit F.99.org or email info@F-99.org

About UN75:

Launched by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the UN’s 75th anniversary initiative aims to listen to the global public, with particular focus on youth, marginalized communities and new audiences. Over 12 months, the UN75 team will gather public perspectives on global challenges and solutions on how to tackle them through a one-minute survey, online dialogues, formal opinion polling and media analysis. The results will be presented in September 2020, at the official commemoration of the UN’s 75th anniversary, after which UN75 will focus on how best to take them forward, with a final report to be published in January 2021. For more information, see: www.un.org/UN75  Join the global conversation, have YOUR say: www.un75.online

About F.99 (FREE.99)

F.99 (FREE.99) is an independent art-driven research organization and art-fund that annually curates exhibitions with artists who care to engage in contemporary issues facing society to create action that helps solve real world problems.

F.99 stands for FREE.99 which originally is street terminology for something that is free. Founder Gilléad-Gaari Mziray took this word out of the street and gave it a philosophical meaning. A meaning that now exists as the cost or price for freedom.

The freedom of thought or expression. F.99.org

 

Street Art for Mankind teams up with the United Nations and Kashi on the first UN75 Mural in NYC

September 23, 2020, New York - In honour of its 75th anniversary, the United Nations (UN) announced today that it is teaming up with Street Art for Mankind (SAM) to create a series of murals around the world. The first mural in this unique UN75 series will live in midtown Manhattan, a few blocks away from the UN Headquarters, at 243 East 44th Street and is to be completed on September 24, 2020. The mural is created by prominent Street Artist Emmanuel Jarus and is made possible by Kashi, part of Kellogg’s, a UN Global Compact member. The theme for the mural is inequality and zero hunger, amplifying the voices of the over 1 million people across the world who have told the UN this year, that access to basic services, including food, is a top priority for the future they want.

Launched in January 2020 to mark its 75th anniversary, the UN75 global consultation represents the UN’s most ambitious effort to date to understand expectations of international cooperation and of the UN in particular.  It is also the largest survey to date on priorities for recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Through surveys and dialogues, the UN asked people about their hopes and fears for the future. As of 21 September 2020, over a million people from all countries and all walks of life have taken part. Their answers provide unique insights into what the public wants at this challenging time for the world.  

As part of this collaboration, SAM will curate murals around the world, with prominent artists, reflecting on people’s top priorities, and the future they want. SAM’s #UN75Murals will amplify the UN75 global conversation with the universal language of Art by bringing it to the streets, and by extending its legacy through the years to come. SAM’s free App “Behind the Wall®” enables the public to scan the mural to hear the UN75 stories and engage with the art from home.

In addition to the sponsorship of the first UN75 mural, Kashi will create a social media campaign and donate meals to a local non-profit organization to amplify its action against hunger.

“We are truly honoured to bring this beautiful mural to New York City in collaboration with SAM and Kashi, which will through the means of art address the global challenges confronting humanity today. I am hopeful that this powerful artwork will inspire meaningful action.” said Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on UN75, Fabrizio Hochschild

“We are proud to be part of this ambitious UN75 initiative, with murals that will highlight the hope and dreams of millions of people for a better the world. We welcome the support of UN Global Compact companies and warmly thank Kashi for stepping up in the fight against hunger with this first mural in NYC” said Audrey and Thibault Decker, Co-founders of Street Art for Mankind. “We hope that this mural, created by the talented Emmanuel Jarus, will inspire generations to build a fairer world for all.”

“I truly feel that the world is at a crucial time, and it gives me pleasure to share my abilities as an artist with NYC and the world to focus their attention on the message of #ZeroHunger. The world appears to be in crisis in a variety of ways, and I feel it is important for humanity to unify over aspirational, but achievable goals.  It is with great honour that I participate as a muralist during #UN75.” said artist Emmanuel Jarus

“It's an honour to work with the UN and Street Art for Mankind on the first mural in the UN75 initiative. The mural represents a better tomorrow and a world where our children are supported - not just by their families - but by people everywhere. Kashi's mission is to democratize healthy eating and we know there is so much we can do on the way to achieving zero hunger,” said Louise Cotterill, Director of Marketing and Communications at Kashi. 

About UN75

Launched by the UN Secretary-General, the UN’s 75th anniversary initiative aims to listen to people across the world, especially youth. Over 12 months, the UN75 team will gather public perspectives on global challenges and ideas on how to tackle them through a one-minute survey, online dialogues, formal opinion polling and media analysis. The results will be presented in September 2020, at the official commemoration of the UN’s 75th anniversary, after which UN75 will focus on how best to take them forward, with a final report to be published in January 2021.

For more information about UN75 visit www.un.org/UN75  
Follow UN75 on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Join the #UN75 global conversation and have YOUR say here: www.un75.online

About Street Art for Mankind (SAM)

SAM is a 501c(3), non-profit organization working with prominent street artists from all around the world to raise awareness on SDG’s and child trafficking through the power of art. SAM has collaborated with the United Nations since 2017 and has curated in 2019 a series of murals for the UN oldest agency, the ILO, as part of their 100th anniversary. This initiative included the tallest mural ever created in Manhattan.

For more information about SAM contact us at:
Email: sam@streetartmankind.org
Web: https://www.streetartmankind.org/UN75
Web: https://streetartmankind.org/artists/emmanuel-jarus
Follow-us on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter  

About Kashi: Kashi is joyfully democratizing healthy eating and shares a vision with the UN of a world where everyone can have access to the food they need. A natural lifestyle pioneer for the past 35+ years, Kashi produces nutritious plant-based foods including cereals and snacks with curated ingredients and is still the #1 natural and organic cereal brand. All Kashi products being made today are Non-GMO Project Verified. Kashi products are available nationwide in the U.S. and Canada at Target, Walmart, Costco, Amazon and more. Kashi is based in sunny Solana Beach, California.

 

Sustainable First joins forces with the United Nations on its 75th Anniversary

The United Nations announced today that it is teaming up with Sustainable First, the platform dedicated to championing sustainable tourism initiatives while advocating for the SDGs, as part of its strategy to amplify the reach of its 75th Anniversary initiative, UN75. Launched in January 2020, UN75 is the largest exercise mounted by the Organization to gather public opinion and crowdsource solutions to global challenges.

As part of this collaboration Sustainable First will activate a campaign on its website, as well as partner sites and social media channels, inviting users to participate and share the One Minute Survey spearheaded by UN75, a global consultation that invites people to have their say on the future of the UN.

Sustainable First will also host a UN75 dialogue (along social media discussions) to gather as much input as possible, giving people an opportunity to share their hopes and fears, and source solutions for global cooperation. The outcome of these events will be included in the results presented to world leaders in September 2020, at the official commemoration of the 75th Anniversary.

“It is essential that we listen to people across the world at this challenging time. The United Nations wants as many people as possible to take part in this global conversation. We are most grateful for the support of Sustainable First, enabling us to reach further, and to include the voices of its extensive networks.” said Fabrizio Hochschild, USG and Special Advisor to the Secretary-General for UN75.  

“We are proud to support the United Nations and congratulate it on its 75th Anniversary. These are times of dramatic changes where collective action is needed more than ever before. It is everyone’s responsibility to take part and have their say and we hope to help encourage people to put their heads together to define how we can help realize a better world by 2045, the UN’s 100th birthday.” said Mafalda Borea, CEO of Sustainable First.

About UN75

Launched by the UN Secretary-General, the UN’s 75th anniversary initiative aims to listen to people across the world, especially youth. Over 12 months, the UN75 team will gather public perspectives on global challenges and ideas on how to tackle them through a one-minute survey, online dialogues, formal opinion polling and media analysis. The results will be presented in September 2020, at the official commemoration of the UN’s 75th anniversary, after which UN75 will focus on how best to take them forward, with a final report to be published in January 2021.

For more information about UN75 visit www.un.org/UN75  
Follow UN75 on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Join the #UN75 global conversation and have YOUR say here: www.un75.online

About Sustainable First

Sustainable First inspires actions and strategies for moving towards a more sustainable pattern of development in Tourism providing prosperity and opportunities for all. The program’s vision is to make the tourism industry the leading activity sector in implementing sustainable strategies while linking them to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable First is not a certification program but aims to recognize individuals, companies and organizations making significant efforts and contributing to the environmental, social and economic welfare of the planet.

For more information contact us at:
Email: press@sustainablefirst.com
Web: https://www.sustainablefirst.com

 

Third Paradise – symbolic art for solidarity in global fight against COVID-19 presented in Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN – On 8 July 2020 in Nur-Sultan on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and in support of the global fight against COVID-19, the online presentation of the world-renowned artist Michelangelo Pistoletto’s “Third Paradise” art installation was held. The project is organized by the United Nations in Kazakhstan together with “Artios” creative agency and Nur-Sultan City Mayor’s Office. Prominent Italian artist Michelangelo Pistoletto’s concept was previously exhibited at the world’s leading art venues and for the first time presented in Kazakhstan.

In light of the growing COVID-19 crisis the “Third Paradise” invites people to dialogue on the future they want to see and serves as a constant reminder on how important it is to strive to create a sustainable environment and conscious consumption. Michelangelo Pistoletto has been developing the idea of ​​this symbol over the past ten years. "Third Paradise" is the third phase of humanity, realized as a balanced connection between technology and nature, which reflects the desire of mankind to achieve the goals of sustainable development.

UN Resident Coordinator for Kazakhstan Mr Norimasa Shimomura noted: “Inclusive growth, prosperity and secure life couldn’t be achieved without peace and society, where people work together to overcome their differences. The “Third Paradise” is an artistic expression of what is represented by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which were adopted by all counties, including Kazakhstan, back in 2015 and all countries are committed towards achieving them”.

Michelangelo Pistoletto, who has recently recovered from COVID-19, addressing the audience in Kazakhstan, underlined that “It's an honor to represent my work in Kazakhstan. The “Third paradise” is balance, unity and harmony. I hope that this symbol will bring great luck to your country”.

The "Third Paradise" is a combination of progressive art project and traditional materials of nomadic culture of the Great Steppe. In the creation of the 40-meter size installation solely local materials have been used, including 193 square meters of white wool felt, symbolizing the number of the UN Member States, and authentic “basqur” – embroidered ribbons, each of them has an infinity sign in the patterns, thus duplicating the message of the project.

This art is inspired by the mathematical infinity sign, and features three circles which represent the worlds of nature, technology, and a new world where people work together to bridge differences, find sustainable development, promote peace and create dialogue. An important part of the “Third Paradise” concept is an environmentally friendly way of thinking and criticism of anthropocentric consciousness, which also reflects the main ideas and directions of the UN.

“The wool felt from which the entire installation is created continues Arté Povera ideas of using natural materials, embodying environmentally conscious art. This symbol transforms reality, and is a vehicle for global ideas to reassemble the world, reflecting unity and sustainable development, which more than ever, resonates in this difficult time of pandemic for all countries”, noted curator of the installation, Director of Artios Ms Dina Baitassova.

During the opening of the installation, several dance and music performances have been held: prominent ethno-musician and composer of Kazakhstan Yedil Khussainov mastered a rare type of guttural singing that fascinates the listener with its mystic and shamanistic vibes. The art installation is placed in the heart of the capital city Nur-Sultan, at the amphitheater in front of the Residence of the President of Kazakhstan – Akorda, and to be displayed during the next two months. In the framework of the project several online educational seminars, master classes and UN75 dialogues are planned.

Previous embodiments of the “Third Paradise” installation have been exhibited in Louvre (Paris), the UN Headquarters in Geneva, at the European Council building in Brussels, Milan, Tokyo and many other cities of the world.

Note for the editors

All video footage from the presentation: https://yadi.sk/d/J9MZ7xzHcFdK4A

Timelapse view of the project creation:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CNxjf92pTQn_fRaiIyUWXy6IkNwmyKlU

Welcoming speeches: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1bokmnprR3ejh82Z_ORgjRGcQCFEcR-L-

Photos of the installation:https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1Rnh11kOSBvPtz3sBj7HvEnxnrJlkGdst

Background information

Michelangelo Pistoletto (born June 23, 1933, in Biella, Italy) is one of the most important artists of our time, who influenced contemporary art of the XX century. The legendary Italian artist, one of the founders of the Arte Povera movement. In the 90s, he created a multidisciplinary project "Cittadelarte" (City of Art). In 2003, he received the “Golden Lion” at the Venice Biennale. Michelangelo Pistoletto is a recognized master of the international art scene. More information about the Third Paradise project: http://terzoparadiso.org/en/what-is

For additional information please contact Press Officer of the UN in Kazakhstan Ms Elnara Bainazarova: +7 701 9400086, e-mail: elnara.bainazarova@one.un.org

 

UN75 Teams up with One Earth Rising to Reach Gamers

New York City, NY: The United Nations today announced a new collaboration with One Earth Rising™. This partnership will see One Earth Rising providing direct communication support to the UN75's efforts to reach millions of people as it marks its 75th anniversary at a time of great challenge. Launched by the UN Secretary-General in January 2020, UN75 is the biggest ever global conversation on the future we want, and the largest exercise mounted by the UN to gather public opinion and crowdsource solutions. 

"One Earth Rising's Social Impact Gaming mission is spearheading positive change within the Video Game Sector." says Lisa Laskaridis, Head of Communications for #UN75 at United Nations. "which makes them a perfect partner to help drive awareness and engagement of the UN75 and to ensure voices of the gaming community are included in this global conversation on our future"

"Our collaboration with the United Nations is all about creating a dialogue with video game players," says Jan Roessner, CEO at One Earth Rising. "There is now an even greater need to engage and encourage us all to be a positive change."

The benefits of this new collaboration include. 

• Inviting the vibrant video gaming community to take an active role in supporting the UN's UN75 Survey: https://un75.online/partner/one-earth-rising
• With over 2.5Billion gamers worldwide, the video game industry represents the no.1 entertainment channel globally. 
• Encourage players and the video game industry to take an active role in making our society and the world a better place for all. 
• One Earth Rising will also be actively encouraging other video game developers/publishers, to include the QR code within their communication. 

About UN75:
Launched by the UN Secretary-General, the UN’s 75th anniversary initiative aims to listen to the global public, with particular focus on youth, marginalized communities and new audiences. Over 12 months, the UN75 team will gather public perspectives on global challenges and solutions on how to tackle them through a one-minute survey, online dialogues, formal opinion polling and media analysis. The results will be presented in September 2020, at the official commemoration of the UN’s 75th anniversary, after which UN75 will focus on how best to take them forward, with a final report to be published in January 2021. For more information, see: www.un.org/UN75 

About One Earth Rising P.B.C.: One Earth Rising™ is a video game development and entertainment company bridging the gap between great immersive experiences and raising people's awareness of social issues in a subtle blend of ideas-driven narratives. They call this: Great Games, Great People. 

As an entity, One Earth Rising is a B-Corp driven by producing profit while meeting the highest standards environmentally, socially, and the company's positive culture as a force for good. 

For all enquiries please contact: press@oneearthrising.com 
For information please visit: www.oneearthrising.com 

One Earth Rising is a registered trademark, all rights reserved 2020. 

 

ONE Championship Partners With United Nations on UN75

As the United Nations marks its 75th anniversary at a time of great challenge, ONE Championship – Asia’s largest global sports media property – is teaming up with the organization in an effort to get more voices heard, particularly from Asia, in the UN’s global conversation on the future.

As part of this collaboration, several of ONE Championship’s real-life superheroes will invite their fans to take the United Nation’s one-minute survey, which has the aim of hearing from people around the world to bring about positive change.

Those real-life superheroes include ONE Championship Vice President Miesha Tate, mixed martial arts icon Vitor Belfort, ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion "The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan, Japanese-Korean superstar Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama, Indian wrestling legend Ritu Phogat, Thai star Rika Ishige, Vietnamese-American dynamo Bi Nguyen, and Indonesian darling Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol.

ONE Championship will also host a special webinar entitled TOGETHER AS ONE #UN75. The webinar, which will be released on Tuesday, 14 July, features a panel of speakers that will talk about the responsibility that sport, brand, and business industries have in unifying communities around the globe in 2020 and beyond.

“I’m thrilled to be participating in this webinar with the UN, a global organization that drives international change and brings communities together,” said Hua Fung Teh, Group President of ONE Championship. “ONE Championship, like the UN, is a values-based organization, and our mission is to unleash real-life superheroes who ignite the world with hope, strength, dreams, and inspiration. We believe in the unifying power of sports, especially in these difficult times, and collaboration with entities like the UN represents our continued commitment to effect positive change in the community via our global platform.”

Joining Hua Fung for this webinar will be Fabrizio Hochschild, the UN Under-Secretary-General leading the United Nation’s efforts to commemorate UN75, Cheryl Goh, the Group Vice President of Marketing at Grab, and Dr. Daiana Beitler, the Regional Business Lead, Philanthropies at Microsoft Asia.

“It is absolutely crucial that we listen better to the concerns of people across the world and come up with effective solutions on how we can bring people closer together, overcome shared fears, and better serve future generations,” Hochschild said. “Working with a dynamic organization like ONE Championship, we hope that together, we can make a meaningful impact through the UN75 initiative.”

 

Bridging Foundations for a Liveable Future

With the recent pandemic which has tremendously shaken the world’s life and habits, “Bridging Foundations for a LiveAble Future” emerges as a series of online conversation events intended to connect citizens of the world together around the most important challenges of our time. In the aftermath of this unique context, most of us have questions: What is it that we, as humans, are currently experiencing? What contributions should and can we offer individually and collectively, while this different reality unfolds? How can we change our relationship with our natural resources at large, with our planet and the rest of Mankind?

With all these questions in mind, and because we care for our life today, for that of future generations and for Life on Earth (read our Vision Statement), we've decided to create this unique series of web events and share a new vision of thinking and living. 

These online events will premiere via YouTube and Facebook (see the references of our pages below) and will be subtitled in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian.

The genesis of the project

This is an open invitation to all, around the world, looking to follow these free online “Insightful Conversations” and interact with entrepreneurs, researchers, artists, conservationists, writers and more. These inspirational speakers (see full list below) embody different fields and areas of expertise. What they all share is a profound insight in the understanding of living systems.

Unlike many other events of this type, this is not a simple conference, nor yet another long monologue of sorts. Instead of trying to prepare the best questions for our guest speakers, we choose to reverse the process. We invite the speakers to share with us their most meaningful questions. We offer them the opportunity to share with us what it is they are struggling with at this precise moment in history. And to offer us their answer!

"The pace of change is exponential. We must address today the direction we want as humanity. We all have the power to be part of it. We know that the environmental, economic and societal crisis are extremely linked. What kind of future do we want?" said Humberto Maturana.

Starting June 21st, these conversations will be broadcast and released every week “on the air”. They will be guided by such principles as integrity in listening, benevolence of thought and mutual respect. With this, we seek to promote and value a loving approach to conversation, so as to access relevant insights for mankind, and take action rather than suffer passively this time of crisis, today, because tomorrow means nothing.

Speakers

We are incredibly lucky and grateful to welcome some of the most inspirational people during these 5 unique online events. Discover below the list of confirmed speakers (read their bios). More to be announced in the next few days, stay tuned!

 

 

Unlike many other events of this type, this is not a simple conference, nor yet another long monologue of sorts. Instead of trying to prepare the best questions for our guest speakers, we choose to reverse the process. We invite the speakers to share with us their most meaningful questions. We offer them the opportunity to share with us what it is they are struggling with at this precise moment in history. And to offer us their answer!

"The pace of change is exponential. We must address today the direction we want as humanity. We all have the power to be part of it. We know that the environmental, economic and societal crisis are extremely linked. What kind of future do we want?" said Humberto Maturana.

Starting June 21st, these conversations will be broadcast and released every week “on the air”. They will be guided by such principles as integrity in listening, benevolence of thought and mutual respect. With this, we seek to promote and value a loving approach to conversation, so as to access relevant insights for mankind, and take action rather than suffer passively this time of crisis, today, because tomorrow means nothing.

Who are we?

We are a group of individuals and organizations from North America, South America and Europe, who have altruistically mobilized our energies and resources in a process of radical non-profit collaboration to democratize mankind's access to these high-level conversations.

Launching dates

The first event will be released June 21st at 8:00pm CET (6:00pm GMT) on our Facebook page and YouTube channel (see the links below).

Vision statement

The Human way of life is experiencing a crisis... and by holding on to our current way of living, we are bound to recreate, deepen, and expand this crisis further. The consequences of COVID-19 have been a definitive proof that we are globally connected as ONE. We are alive and we live with one another. But, we are one living species, part of the entire Nature. Obviously, until now, things have shown that everything we are doing as humans is having a huge impact on the rest of the world.

We have understood for years that the rhythm of change is exponential. Environmental, economical, and social crises are exploding globally. Now is the time for all of us to find a moment of stillness and reflect upon crucial questions we need to ask ourselves. We must address today, not tomorrow, the direction we want as a species. Everyone and everywhere, it is time to unite and connect globally to carry out local actions towards a liveable future for the sake of all beings on this planet.

Everyday, we all have a real impact on Earth and the power to be part of the change to design our future. What kind of future do we want? A liveable one?

Website : liveablefuture.today

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UComxkvMdU9c1GomWYcibGiA

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/liveablefuture/

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/liveablefuture.today/

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LiveableFuture

Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/company/liveable-future/

 

Connecting for a better future

UN global consultation to be supported by Vodafone ‘chatbot’and SMS campaign

3 June 2020, The United Nations is being supported by Vodafone, one of the world’s leading technology communications providers, in helping the UN reach millions of people as marks its 75th anniversary at a time of great challenge. ^[1]

As the UN continues its efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic, it has launched UN75 – an ambitious effort to crowdsource priorities and solutions for the future. A one-minute survey, www.un75.online, sits at the heart of UN75, giving people a chance to make their voices heard. The survey asks people to share their priorities for recovery from the pandemic, and to imagine the future they want. The results will be presented to world leaders in September 2020, at the official commemoration of the anniversary. ^[2]

To help the UN reach as many people as possible, Vodafone – one of the world’s leading technology communications providers – has created a ‘chatbot’, to help promote the survey to its customers in seven European countries. The app, built on Rich Communications Services technology, which brings a visual, interactive chat experience to text messaging, will allow Vodafone subscribers to opt in to the UN75 survey, enabling them to give their views on future priorities for the United Nations. Vodafone will also use standard text messaging to enable customers with older phones to take part. ^[3]

Joakim Reiter, External Affairs Director, Vodafone Group:

“Vodafone is proud of its long-standing association with the United Nations, and congratulates it on its 75th anniversary this year. We have a shared belief that the opportunities and promise of a better and more sustainable future should be accessible to all, and that the vulnerable among us are not left behind on the journey towards that future. Vodafone is fully committed to using digital connectivity, services and solutions to that end. The recent health crisis, and the dire social and economic ramifications that have followed in its footsteps, is a harsh reminder of how much we all depend on each other, and that by coming together at local, national and international levels, we are stronger.”

Fabrizio Hochschild, the UN Under-Secretary-General leading UN75 said:

“Vodafone’s support for UN75 is critical. The United Nations does not want this anniversary to be just another milestone. We want it to be a turning point – bringing people’s hopes, fears and priorities for the future to us, so the UN can better serve them and future generations. The support from Vodafone to disseminate the UN75 survey is catalytic, enabling us to reach and engage people through its mobile network.”

Notes to editors

[1] Launched by the UN Secretary-General, the UN’s 75th anniversary initiative aims to listen to the global public, with particular focus on youth, marginalized communities and new audiences. Over the next 12 months, the UN75 team will gather public perspectives on global challenges and solutions on how to tackle them through a one-minute survey, online dialogues, formal opinion polling and media analysis. The results will be presented in September 2020, at the official commemoration of the UN’s 75th anniversary, after which UN75 will focus on how best to take them forward, with a final report to be published in January 2021. For more information, see: www.un.org/UN75 

[2] The survey was created by the UN75 team in collaboration with the SDG Action Campaign (sdgactioncampaign.org/), which is part of the UN Development Programme. The SDG Action Campaign developed the MYWorld survey used to gather views ahead of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 (http://about.myworld2030.org/about-new/). Users complete the UN75 survey on an anonymous basis. They are asked to share demographic data (their age, gender, city etc) to help with analysis. The data is stored on SDG Action Campaign servers and shared only with the UN75 team for analysis purposes. The first analysis report is available at www.un.org/UN75

[3] Vodafone has created an RCS (Rich Communications Services) chatbot to help publicise the UN75 survey. The bot will be promoted to customers, in line with relevant data and privacy protection regulations, in the following countries: Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey. In addition, it will be available on the Vodafone RCS directory in Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the UK. This programme builds on previous Vodafone collaborations with the United Nations including the recent support for the United Nations Global Compact ‘Recover Better’ statement, which urges governments to consider climate science and emissions targets as initiatives to rebuild and recover economies as they emerge from the pandemic crisis.

 

Facebook supports un75 global consultation as world faces covid-19 crisis

The world’s most prominent social media platform is helping the United Nations reach people across the world at this challenging time

29 May 2020. The United Nations turns 75 this year, as humanity faces an unprecedented crisis. COVID-19 has upended the lives of billions of people around the globe, spreading human suffering and destabilizing our societies and economies.

As the UN continues to help fight the pandemic, it has launched UN75 – its most ambitious effort to date to crowdsource priorities and solutions for the future. A one-minute survey, www.un75.online, sits at the heart of UN75, giving people a chance to make their voices heard at this time of global anxiety and uncertainty. ^[1]

The survey asks people to share their views on what the UN should focus on to best serve those most in need and make progress on issues such as ending poverty, reducing inequality and tackling the climate emergency. It invites people to share the future they want and contribute ideas on how to make this vision a reality.

The results will be presented to world leaders in September 2020, when the international community will set out a vision for the future at the official commemoration of the UN's 75th anniversary. ^[2]

To help the UN reach people around the world during its anniversary year, Facebook will provide $1 million in free advertising, along with creative support and guidance on best practices for using its platforms. ^[3] The UN will use part of the advertising donation to promote a new initiative, Verified, which aims to counter misinformation around COVID-19 and promote solutions for mitigating the social and economic impact and ways to recover better.

Fabrizio Hochschild, the UN Under-Secretary-General leading UN75 said:

“I am grateful to Facebook for its support in amplifying UN75. The UN does not want this anniversary to be just another milestone but a turning point in bringing people closer together, and in bringing their hopes, fears and priorities for the future to us -- so we can better serve them and future generations. If we are to reach people from all walks of life, we need to meet them where they are - and for nearly a third of the global population, that's Facebook.”

Notes to editors

[1] Launched by the UN Secretary-General, the UN’s 75th anniversary initiative aims to listen to the global public, with particular focus on youth, marginalized communities and new audiences. Over the next 12 months, the UN75 team will gather public perspectives on global challenges and solutions on how to tackle them through a one-minute survey, online dialogues, formal opinion polling and media analysis. The results will be presented in September 2020, at the official commemoration of the UN’s 75th anniversary, after which UN75 will focus on how best to take them forward, with a final report to be published in January 2021. For more information, see: www.un.org/UN75 

[2] The survey was created by the UN75 team in collaboration with the SDG Action Campaign (sdgactioncampaign.org/), which is part of the UN Development Programme. The SDG Action Campaign developed the MYWorld survey used to gather views ahead of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 (http://about.myworld2030.org/about-new/). Users complete the UN75 survey on an anonymous basis. They are asked to share demographic data (their age, gender, city etc) to help with analysis. The data is stored on SDG Action Campaign servers and shared only with the UN75 team for analysis purposes. The first analysis report is available at www.un.org/UN75

[3] The ad credits will be deployed by the United Nations on its main Facebook and Instagram accounts (@unitednations). In addition, Facebook has donated creative support through one of its marketing partners, The Source (www.thesource.social),  which will help UN75 adapt its content for social media platforms.

 

LG Uplus boosts United Nations 75th anniversary outreach

The telecommunications firm is helping the UN to engage South Koreans in global discussions on humanity’s future.

22 May 2020, The United Nations is marking its 75th anniversary this year, at a time of great challenge for the world. COVID-19 continues to upend the lives of billions of people, destroying lives and livelihoods, and destabilizing the global economy. ^[1]

As the UN continues its efforts to fight the pandemic, it has launched UN75 – a global consultation that gives the public a chance to shape our collective future. A one minute-survey, www.un75.online, sits at the heart of UN75.

The survey asks people to share their priorities for recovering from the pandemic, and to build a safer, fairer and more sustainable world. It also invites ideas on how to make this vision a reality, for all people, everywhere. The results will be presented to world leaders in September 2020, at the official commemoration of the anniversary. ^[2]

LG Uplus is supporting UN75 by engaging the public in South Korea. It will disseminate the survey through its platforms, hold events to raise the profile of the initiative and work with UN75 to encourage participation. From 21 May, people will be able to take part via the LG Uplus website. ^[3]

Fabrizio Hochschild, the UN Under-Secretary-General leading UN75, said:

“It is essential that we listen to the global public at this challenging time for the world. The United Nations wants as many people as possible to take part in the UN75 consultation. I am therefore delighted to be working with LG Uplus. Its extensive reach in South Korea, and expertise in digital communications will help us to engage people across the country.”

LG Uplus CRO Park said:

“LG Uplus hopes to share with the world and UN75 perspectives on the current global challenges, solutions like the UN SDGs, and the future we might have in 25 years to help set the direction for the United Nations’ future policy directions.”

Notes to editors

[1] Launched by the UN Secretary-General, the UN’s 75th anniversary initiative aims to listen to the global public, with particular focus on youth, marginalized communities and new audiences. Over the next 12 months, the UN75 team will gather public perspectives on global challenges and solutions on how to tackle them through a one-minute survey, online dialogues, formal opinion polling and media analysis. The results will be presented in September 2020, at the official commemoration of the UN’s 75th anniversary, after which UN75 will focus on how best to take them forward, with a final report to be published in January 2021. For more information, see: www.un.org/UN75 

[2] The survey was created by the UN75 team in collaboration with the SDG Action Campaign (sdgactioncampaign.org/), which is part of the UN Development Programme. The SDG Action Campaign developed the MYWorld survey used to gather views ahead of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 (http://about.myworld2030.org/about-new/). Users complete the UN75 survey on an anonymous basis. They are asked to share demographic data (their age, gender, city etc) to help with analysis. The data is stored on SDG Action Campaign servers and shared only with the UN75 team for analysis purposes. The first analysis report is available at www.un.org/UN75

[3] Information on the UN75 initiatives and a link to the customized survey platform for LG Uplus https://un75.online/partner/lguplus will be available on their official website at https://www.uplus.co.kr/ and various social media and blog platforms.

 

Increased support for Global Solidarity as people unite around the world for a Day of Action

New UN research shows a surge in support for strengthened solidarity across the world. The research is published as hundreds of civil society and community organisations come together for a ‘Global Day of Solidarity’ to call for greater global cooperation in the fight against Covid-19 and to share the acts of kindness and mutual support springing up all over the world.

In research, produced as part of the UN75 initiative, the option of  “Strengthening solidarity between people and nations” ranked second when survey respondents were asked “What (three things) should the international community prioritize to recover better from the pandemic?” - only “Universal access to healthcare” ranked higher.

The majority--60%--of respondents indicated that they are now in favour of more cooperation between countries in light of COVID-19, while only 9% indicated they now favour less cooperation.

A film, produced for the day of action, brings to life what solidarity means, highlighting examples of people coming together to tackle this crisis across the world. On the day, civil society organisations will take action using colour as a uniting theme. This will range from grassroots organisations sending messages of solidarity, children creating paper chains and a social media campaign using #StrongerTogether.

There are a range of actions people can take from signing a call to leaders to deliver a collective plan for the future, donating to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and nominating a hero for the SDG Action Campaign’s ‘Solidarity In Action Award’. The day focuses both on the immediate action needed to confront COVID-19 but also the need for leaders to work together to Build Back Better.

Fabrizio Hochschild, the UN Under-Secretary-General leading UN75, said:

“Whilst these are preliminary findings, we are clearly seeing increased support for solidarity between people and countries ranking highly in our survey -- and rightly so. We cannot get through this crisis without working together, and without putting the needs of the most vulnerable front and centre. So I welcome the Global Day of Solidarity that is taking place today. Civil society has a crucial role to play in both the response and the recovery.  Now, more than ever, we have to work in partnership as a global community”

Julia Sánchez, Secretary-General of ActionAid International, said

“Today, we are glad to be working in partnership with many community organisations around the world. The world faces immense challenges and this pandemic has further exacerbated inequalities but there are also incredible acts of solidarity and community action taking place across the world. We are sending a message to leaders that they must support and enable community voices to be heard and not excluded from decision-making at this critical time. This crisis is not an equaliser, it hits the poorest and most vulnerable hardest; so as we plan ahead for the recovery, support must be targeted to those who have been hardest hit.”

Katja Iversen, President/CEO of Women Deliver, said

“As the COVID-19 crisis intensifies around the world, it is clear that if we truly want to achieve the Global Goals and deliver health, wellbeing, and dignity for all; girls, women and gender equality must be front and center in global and national response and recovery. Women are on the frontline of the COVID-19 crisis, and we are #StrongerTogether when their unique needs are addressed, and their expertise and leadership is leveraged,”

Alice Macdonald, Campaigns Director of Project Everyone, said

“We’ve created this film to provide a snapshot of some of the amazing acts of everyday kindness we are seeing across the world. In fact, we could have made a feature-length film. We need our leaders to show the same kind of commitment and energy right now and for the long-term if we are to tackle COVID-19 and achieve the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, which risk being set back by this crisis.”

Notes

[1] The Global Day of Action has been organised by the SDG Action Campaign, GCAP, Action 4 Sustainable Development and Project Everyone. More information can be found at www.solidarityinaction.org

[2] The film produced for the Day can be viewed here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzBcu-2yB8U&feature=youtu.be

[3] Launched by the UN Secretary-General, the UN’s 75th anniversary initiative is markedly different from previous commemorations, with less emphasis on communicating the UN’s successes and a strong focus on listening to the global public, especially young people. Over the course of 2020, the UN75 team will gather public perspectives on global challenges and solutions on how to tackle them through a one-minute survey (in 53 languages) and dialogues – now overwhelmingly online – organised by partners across the world. The results will be presented in September 2020, at the official commemoration of the UN’s 75th anniversary, after which UN75 will focus on how best to take them forward, with a final report to be published in January 2021. For further information see: https://www.un.org/un75

[4] The data used was gathered between 1 January and 19 May 2020. During this period, 88,279 in 191 UN Member States took the one-minute survey online, in addition to 5,688 who participated through mobile applications. Over 828 UN75 dialogues are now registered in 94 countries. To take the survey please visit:  https://un75.online/

 

UN75 Dialogue: Climate & Environment Sustainability at a Financial Center, HK

Hong Kong's UN 75th Dialogue jointly hosted by UNESCO Hong Kong Association (UHKA) and Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development (HiESD) on the theme of "Climate & Environment Sustainability at a Financial Center, HK" at 4:00 p.m on the 18th of May, 2020. We invited the Chairman of Securities and Futures Commission - Mr. Tim LUI to make the keynote speeches, panel speakers of Prof. Bernard V. LIM, Prof. K C HO, Ir C S HO, with theme moderator by Prof Wilson CHAN from HiESD.

Our current generation is getting close to the tipping point of climate and environmental crisis, and it's accelerating at an unprecedented speed. However, it is by no means impossible to fight through this challenge, just as how the Secretary General of United Nations have ambitiously stated in his opening remarks at 2019 Climate Action Summit: "The climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win." The devastating consequences of climate change is inevitably endured by everyone on our planet. Facing such challenge, Hong Kong is utilizing its advantages of being an international financial center to foster the sustainable development of climate and environment, and more importantly, to complement the mainland’s green policies and objectives.

Mr. Lui pointed out the importance to support the development of Hong Kong into a green finance centre in the Greater Bay Area, and set up an internationally recognised green bond certification institution. The SFC were committed to lay link the necessary changes to help Hong Kong Financial Sector manage climate related issues while facilitating green and sustainable economic development. Professor LIM shared how Hong Kong had applied special architectural design, recycled constituents, low carbon building materials and environmentally friendly policy in construction industry. We were in line with international standards and in some fields, and we were proudly beyond the verge of them. Professor KC HO called attention to the prevention, control and management of climate changes from his experiences in the High Arctics. Rising Sea level, Increasing sea surface temperature, worsening climate conditions and the acceleration of shrinking arctic sea ice were all challenges that could be taken as opportunities. On the basis of scientific research, Hong Kong was well prepared to adapt, monitor, forecast and react to changes with positive and active mindsets. Ir HO said that over the years, the Hong Kong SAR Government and the financial community had done a lot of work in promoting green finance. The next step was to carry out regional and global cooperation, such as the Belt and Road cooperation with the Greater Bay Area; further cooperation between various industries, especially with the government; expanding the focus from the needs of large companies to the needs of SMEs. Responding to the UN 75th dialogue, Ir HO further envisioned for cooperation between the Secretary-General of the United Nations and governments to promote and implement green finance policies, expressing his ambitions of utilizing Hong Kong’s advantages to contribute to the development of both regional and global development in the field of green finance.

Professor CHAN summarized in the conclusion of the dialogue that the participants clearly saw the "milestone of sustainable financial development in Hong Kong" through the practice of local and international green cases, reflecting the innovation and leadership of Hong Kong professionals in green sustainability as well as the service capabilities of different countries and regions throughout the local area, the Greater Bay Area, the Belt and Road, and even the polar regions. We wished Hong Kong's sustainable finance to develop at a rapid pace. Let’s work together to shoulder the mission and jointly build a sustainable future under the principle of not leaving anyone behind.

The viewers of the online dialogue were from the United States, Japan, Mainland China and Hong Kong.

The second "Dialogue" will be held at 3 pm on May 30, with the theme "Education, Technology and Talents in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area". Welcome to visit https://www.un.org/en/un75/events

Notes

UNESCO Hong Kong Association (UHKA) is committed to supporting, promoting and realizing the core mission of UNESCO, creating conditions for dialogue among different civilizations, cultures and nations on the basis of respecting common values, and achieving A global vision for sustainable development. UHKA is a registered charity in Hong Kong. Through education, science and culture, it strives to promote sustainable development and promote international exchanges.

Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development (HiESD) is an interdisciplinary research-based innovative application college featuring interdisciplinary research and project application and training with the main purpose of promoting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the implementing agency of the United Nations Global Action Plan for Sustainable Development Education (GAP), expert partners and service providers of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) (registration number: 12958), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the Sustainable Development Goals Collaborative Partner (Registration Number: 26908). The Institute provides basic education, higher education, and continuing education through forums, special training, professional courses, professional certification, special projects, exchange visits, and research camp learning. This continuous development of a lifelong learning system assists companies and organizations to implement and achieve sustainable development goals at all stages.

 

Public support for international cooperation surges amid global upheaval

Data from 186 countries indicates overwhelming public support for international cooperation – with a significant increase since COVID-19 began spreading around the world. Collected through hundreds of conversations and an online survey, the data is part of the United Nations’ 75th anniversary initiative (UN75). Launched in January 2020, UN75 is the largest exercise mounted by the Organization to gather public opinion and crowdsource solutions to global challenges.

New York, April 20, 2020. As the whole UN system unites to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, the Organization is also scaling up its efforts to give voice to the global public through its 75th anniversary initiative (UN75). Launched in January, UN75 will run throughout 2020, to give all people the opportunity to shape global priorities by participating in a UN75 dialogue or completing a one-minute survey available at www.un75.online. ^[1]

Preliminary findings, based on data collected between 1 January 2020 and 24 March 2020, were published today ^[2] on www.un.org/en/un75/news-events:

1. An overwhelming majority—95%--of respondents agreed on the need for countries to work together to manage global trends, with a noticeable uptick from late February, as the upheaval caused by COVID-19 spread around the world. Support cut across all age groups and education levels. Ideas on strengthening international cooperation included more effective partnerships with civil society and the private sector, and greater involvement of women, youth, indigenous peoples and vulnerable groups in policymaking.

2. Climate and environment topped the list of issues that will most affect humanity’s future – with more than double the responses of any other issue. Conflict and violence came second, and health risks third, having risen sharply since early March.

3. The top five future priorities that emerged were: environmental protection, protection of human rights, less conflict, equal access to basic services, and zero discrimination.

“I look forward to our continued efforts to ensure a meaningful observance of the seventy-fifth anniversary of our Organization, and to use this milestone for reflection on the multilateral cooperation the world needs at this time, both in addressing the immediate pandemic and in achieving the longer-term goals for which the United Nations was founded.” – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres

Notes

[1] Launched by the UN Secretary-General, the UN’s 75th anniversary initiative is markedly different from previous commemorations, with less emphasis on communicating the UN’s successes and a strong focus on listening to the global public, especially young people. Over the course of 2020, the UN75 team will gather public perspectives on global challenges and solutions on how to tackle them through a one-minute survey (in 53 languages) and dialogues – now overwhelmingly online – organised by partners across the world. This data will be complemented by representative polling; academic research; and media and social media analysis in some 70 countries. The results will be presented in September 2020, at the official commemoration of the UN’s 75th anniversary, after which UN75 will focus on how best to take them forward, with a final report to be published in January 2021.

[2] The data used was gathered between 1 January and 24 March 2020. During this period, 35,556 in 186 UN Member States took the one-minute survey online, in addition to 5,688 who participated through mobile applications. Over 330 dialogues took place in 87 UN Member States, with 56 summaries from 32 of them included in this preliminary analysis.

Read the UN75 Update in full at: https://www.un.org/en/un75/news-events

Join the UN75 conversation at: www.un.org/UN75

 

The United Nations and Kahoot! announce innovative educational games to engage youth in the #UN75 global dialogue on shaping the future we want.

Kahoot! and the United Nations announce a new collaboration to reach out and engage young people across the globe on what the world should look like in 25 years. What role should international cooperation play in solving the global challenges we all face?

New York, April 8, 2020, the United Nations and Kahoot!, an game-based learning platform, launched a jointly-created set of online educational games and quizzes to engage young people around the greatest global challenges of our time like the Cononavirus pandemic, the climate crisis and the impact of digital technologies. The Coronavirus crisis reminds us that the world is highly interconnected and the need for international solidarity and cooperation– across borders, sectors and generations - is a lifesaving necessity.

To increase engagement in the world’s largest conversation on our future, the #UN75 initiative and Kahoot! have created five quizzes on key issues and mega-trends that the world is currently facing: global health challenges and crisis, a growing and aging world population, global trends in violence and conflict resolution, the challenges and opportunities of modern technology and growing inequality.

“The UN75 wants to hear from young people in particular as they will inherit the global challenges that our generation has not solved. The UN75 Kahoot! games are a great tool to engage young people and, at the same time, educate them about international cooperation. We are thankful to Kahoot! for its collaboration and support to the UN75 dialogue” said Fabrizio Hochschild, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Preparations for the Commemoration of the United Nations 75th Anniversary.

“Kahoot! is extremely proud to collaborate with the United Nations on this important cross-border initiative. Our hope is that the Kahoot! games made with the United Nations inspire student reflection on some of the world’s most challenging issues—planting seeds for future collaboration and positive global change,” said Eilert Hanoa, CEO, Kahoot!

At a time of the Coronavirus global health emergency, unlike any other in the history of the UN’s 75 years, the #UN75 initiative is gathering solutions, opinions and concerns for the future we want, and the UN we need.

The views and ideas generated through the #UN75 online dialogues and 1-minute survey will be presented to world leaders at a high-profile event during the 75th Session of the General Assembly, 21st of September 2020. Learn more at www.un.org/un75 and our Kahoot page

About Kahoot!

Kahoot! is on a mission to make learning awesome! Kahoot!’s game-based learning platform makes it easy for any individual or corporation to create, share and play learning games that drive serious engagement. Launched in 2013, Kahoot!’s vision is to build the leading learning platform in the world. In the last 12 months, over 200 million games were played on the Kahoot! platform with 1.3 billion participating players in 200 countries. The company is headquartered in Norway with offices in the US, the UK, France and Finland.

 

The United Nations and Kindred 2020 announce collaboration to engage the business community for 75th anniversary

Kindred and The United Nations will call on business leaders to help the UN define how private sector cooperation will help realize a better world by 2045

New York, NY — March 2, 2020 — Kindred and the United Nations announced a new collaboration  that aligns UN75, the largest, most inclusive conversation on the role of global cooperation in building a better future for all, and Kindred 2020, the most important event for sustainable, purpose-led business transformation.

Intended to engage constituencies across borders, sectors, and generations, the UN is calling on business leaders to take concrete action to realize a better world by  2045, the UN’s 100th birthday. Taking place on May 11-14 at the San Diego Convention Center, Kindred 2020 will respond to this call to action, as business leaders will define asks and ideas that will be presented to world leaders, the UN’s leadership, and the world.

In calling for participation, UN Secretary-General Antόnio Guterres said: “No country, no community, is able to solve the complex problems of our world alone. We need to come together, not only to talk but to listen. It is absolutely essential that you all join the conversation. We need your opinions, your strategies and your ideas for us to be able to deliver better for the people of the world that we must serve.”

“Business leaders have a unique ability to make more consequential decisions faster than other institutions, and have the potential to make a huge impact on the key issues and Sustainable Development Goals being addressed by the United Nations,” said Ian Schafer, co-founder, and chief executive officer of Kindred. “This partnership not only offers them a platform to share the goals they have as individuals but multiply them by the commitments they can make through their organizations and the companies they partner with.”

About Kindred

Kindred builds communities and events that enable brands, nonprofits, and cultural leaders to accelerate sustainable, purpose-led business transformation. Kindred’s inaugural event, Kindred 2020, will happen May 11-14 at the San Diego Convention Center.

To learn more and reserve tickets, visit kindred.live, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

About UN75

To mark its 75th anniversary in 2020, the United Nations is igniting a people’s debate: UN75. Launched by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, it promises to be the largest and furthest-reaching global conversation ever on building the future we want.

In a world of dramatic changes and complex challenges, from the climate crisis to population shifts to the unknown course of technology, we need collective action more than ever before. Through UN75, the United Nations will encourage people to put their heads together to define how enhanced international cooperation can help realize a better world by 2045.

The views and ideas generated will be presented to world leaders at a high-profile event during the 75th Session of the General Assembly, 21st of September 2020.

Join the conversation at www.un.org/UN75

 

The United Nations launches 75th anniversary dialogues: The biggest global conversation on the world's future starts now.

January 1, 2020 saw the launch of the UN75 initiative - the largest, most inclusive conversation on the role of global cooperation in building a better future for all. The initiative will see the UN spark dialogues throughout 2020 in diverse settings across the world.

In a ‘global reality check’, four innovative data streams will build the first ever repository of crowd-sourced solutions to major global challenges.

The UN75 dialogues together with a ‘One-minute Survey’ that anyone can take, opinion polling in 50 countries and artificial intelligence sentiment analysis of traditional and social media in 70 countries, will generate compelling data to inform national and international policies and debate.

In calling for participation, the Secretary-General said: “No country, no community, is able to solve the complex problems of our world alone. We need to come together, not only to talk, but to listen. It is absolutely essential that you all join the conversation. We need your opinion, your strategies and your ideas for us to be able to deliver better for the people of the world that we must serve.”

Intended to engage constituencies across borders, sectors and generations, the UN75 team is collaborating with a wide multi-sector network, including the UN Resident Coordinators, for a diverse and global reach, and for dialogues to be convened in every country of the world.

In a global listening exercise, with an emphasis on youth and groups not already engaged with the UN, the UN75 initiative aims to better understand expectations of international cooperation in light of pressing global challenges.

The views and ideas that are generated will be presented, by the Secretary-General, to world leaders and senior UN officials on September 21, 2020, at a high-level event to mark the 75th anniversary.

To inspire and inform the dialogues the UN is also partnering with Vox Media’s brand studio, Vox Creative to create a video informed by interviews with 38 people from around the world, sharing their experiences and opinions related to important global issues, to be launched January 6, 2020. Those who want to be a part of the conversation - physically or online – can see how to join through the website: www.un.org/UN75.

For further information and/or to request an interview, please contact Lisa Laskaridis (un75@un.org)

 

UN to launch biggest-ever global conversation on the world's future to mark its 75th anniversary in 2020.

On October 24, to mark UN Day, Secretary-General António Guterres announced that next year’s commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations will feature a large and inclusive global conversation on the role of global cooperation in building the future we want.

Starting in January 2020, the United Nations will hold dialogues around the world and across borders, sectors and generations. The aim is to is reach the global public; to listen to their hopes and fears; and to learn from their experiences.

The United Nations was founded in 1945 to support collective action to realize peace, development and human rights for all. The UN75 initiative seeks to spark dialogue and action on how we can build a better world despite the many challenges we face.

While UN75 seeks to drive conversation in all segments of society - from classrooms to boardrooms, parliaments to village halls - it will place special emphasis on youth and those whose voices are too often marginalized or not heard in global affairs.

In a film released today, the Secretary-General appealed to people everywhere to add their voices to this campaign: “We need your opinions, your strategies, your ideas for us to be able to deliver better for the people of the world that we must serve.”

Through the upcoming dialogues, UN75 aims to build a global vision for the year 2045, the UN's centenary; to increase understanding of the threats to that future; and to drive collective action to realize that vision. Global opinion polling and media analysis will be conducted in parallel to provide statistically representative data.

The views and ideas that are generated will be presented to world leaders and senior UN officials at a high-profile event during the 75th Session of the General Assembly in September 2020, and disseminated online and through partners on an ongoing basis.

For further information and/or to request an interview, please contact un75@un.org.

 

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