2016 Global Citizen Festival India: 20 Lakh Collective Social Good Actions of Global Citizens Push Leaders to Commit to Ending Extreme Poverty

MUMBAI, India, Nov. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday 19 November, the Global Citizen Festival India took place for the first time at the MMRDA Grounds, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai. World and business leaders, non-profit organizations, socially conscious artists, and thousands of Global Citizens united to kick-start India's progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Global Citizen Festival India is a celebration of what India is already doing, but it is also a powerful force to mobilize Indian youth and facilitate mass behavioral change as well as a call to action for our leaders to do more to achieve sustainable and more inclusive growth. It featured the first-ever programmed performances by Coldplay, Jay Z, and Demi Lovato in India. They were joined by celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan, Shankar Ehsaan Loy and A R Rahman, who performed in support of the #ShuruaatHoonMain message to the close to 70,000 Global Citizens in attendance.

In just two months since the launch of the Global Citizen India movement, more than 5 lakh young Global Citizens in India took more than 20 lakh actions calling on political, faith and business leaders, along with celebrities, to be more accountable in their efforts to improve education, gender equality and water, sanitation and hygiene in India.

Hugh Evans, Founder and CEO, Global Citizen, said: "Global Citizen Festival India showed the power of youth taking action together. More than 500,000 young Global Citizens took more than 2 million actions. And tonight, we saw the results - dozens of commitments that will affect the lives of 500m people. Tonight marks a moment of great celebration, but it is only the beginning of the journey. The growing movement of more than 8 million Global Citizens around the world will keep campaigning to make sure leaders deliver on these promises, and commit to do even more."

Gowri Ishwaran, CEO, The Global Education and Leadership Foundation, said: "Today's Global Citizen Festival India brought together 70,000 young people who made their voices heard by leaders from private industry, government, non-governmental, community and religious organisations on the issues that matter: Sanitation, Education and Gender Equality. Their incredible 20 lakh actions showed leaders that young people are serious in their commitment to hold them to account to use their resources for social good. The commitments made in response show the world that citizen-led change is possible. The commitments made here today are set to impact 50 crore people in India and around the world - and this is just the start."

In response, leaders at the Global Citizen Festival India made 25 announcements and commitments which are set to affect 500 million people (50 crore) people, with a collective value of US$5.93 billion (INR 40,500 crore).

And this is just the beginning. Global Citizens will continue to campaign to make sure that leaders deliver on these promises, and that they commit to do even more on the 7 ongoing calls to action that were launched from the stage of the event.

TOP CAMPAIGN VICTORIES AND COMMITMENTS

• GENDER EQUALITY: Global Citizens took 518,000 actions in support of investing in girls and women to achieve gender equality. These efforts secured 4 commitments that are set to affect the lives of more than for 2 million women, including the International Finance Corporation, private sector arm of the World Bank committing USD$2 billion towards banking on women and promoting women entrepreneurship by end 2019. This includes a US$100 million investment in India.
  
  "Tonight, before all of you Global Citizens, the IFC commits to mobilize US$ 2 billion for banking on women and promoting women entrepreneurship. And, this global commitment will see at least $100 million invested right here in India." - Roshika Singh, Advisor for Financial Institutions Group - South Asia, International Finance Corporation
  
  
• QUALITY EDUCATION: Global Citizens took 265,000 actions, and the Global Citizen team advocated privately to businesses to use their expertise and CSR spend, in support of improving the quality of education for children. In response, six commitments were secured, including HP committing to provide 48 mobile classrooms, investing US$3.6 million to result in 15 million people in rural areas of India getting access to quality education and technology over 6 years.
  
  "Today we are pleased to announce the deployment of 48 HP 'World on Wheels' digital inclusion and learning labs, in response to the calls from Global Citizens to help people in rural India gain access to technology and education. These mobile learning labs will bring access to quality education, digital literacy, and common public services to isolated and disadvantaged groups in rural areas. Thank you Global Citizens for your actions; together, we will drive digital literacy and end poverty." - Rajiv Srivastava, Managing Director India, HP
  
  
• WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE: Global Citizens took 651,000 actions calling on government, businesses, faith groups and NGOs to outline how they would deliver on India's commitment to clean water and sanitation for all, securing 11 commitments and announcements that are set to affect the lives of 486 million people, including:
  • Maharashtra's Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis made three commitments that are set to affect 29 million lives following 100,000 actions by Global Citizens:
    • Maharashtra will become an Open Defecation Free state by March 2018; it will invest INR 5,000 crore to provide toilets for 36 lakh households
    • To improve the nutrition of 98,000 severely malnourished and 9 lakh moderately malnourished children Maharashtra will invest INR 142 crore per year in special nutrition programmes
    • Maharashtra will build 10 lakh homes for the homeless by 2019 with an investment of INR 12,000 crore

  "I am delighted to commit to investments in Maharashtra that will make us: an Open Defecation Free state by March 2018 by building toilets; a state that lifts children out of extreme hunger through special nutrition programmes; and a state which provides for the homeless through investments in building homes. Shuruaat hoon main!" - Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra
  

  • Mr. Ratan Tata committed to an INR 300 crore investment from Tata Trusts over the next two years to water and sanitation programmes
    
    
  • Following 30,000 tweets by Global Citizens to Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of the Drinking Water and Sanitation Ministry, the Central Government committed to 200 districts being Open Defecation Free by 19 November 2017, affecting the lives of 120 million people
    
    "The Swachh Bharat Mission is arguably the biggest mass mobilization and social change campaign in the history of mankind. As India moves towards becoming an economic superpower, it is absolutely critical for us to rise above the practice of Open Defecation, so that our children can be healthier and achieve their maximum productivity. The Hon'ble Prime Minister gave the clarion call from the ramparts of the Red Fort, and this is a war that will be won only when all of you join hands and make this a Jan Aandolan. I hope you're ready!" - Shri Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary of The Drinking Water And Sanitation Ministry, Democratic Alliance (NDA)
    
    
  • Toilet Board Coalition committed to help 130 million people gain improved access to sanitation and hygiene by 2020. As part of this, the board's corporate members committed $15 million over three years to entrepreneurs to invest in innovative solutions to end open defecation
    
    "Sanitation is the opportunity of the decade: we need sanitation entrepreneurs and toilet innovators because toilets are the future. Through our members we will reach over 130 million people in the next three years with innovative solutions to end open defecation." - Cheryl Hicks, Executive Director, Toilet Board Coalition
    
    
  • Hindustan Unilever India ‎CEO and Managing Director Sanjiv Mehta committed to reaching 1 in 7 Indians by 2020 with initiatives to improve water, sanitation and hygiene through the programmes of their brands including Lifebuoy, Domex and Pureit. This is set to affect the lives of 198 million people
    
    "We understand the challenges of water, sanitation and hygiene that India faces and since 2010 we have driven initiatives that have reached millions of people. But we will not stop with that. With the youth of India leading the way we will ensure that by 2020 our programmes reach one in seven Indians. I believe that we can do this together to bring about the change we are talking about. " - Sanjiv Mehta, CEO and MD, Hindustan Unilever India
    
    
  • As part of Telangana's flagship Mission Bhageerath, Minister K T Rama Rao committed to taking potable water to 2 million more families by end 2017. The government will commit to invest INR 9,000 crore as part of this effort which will affect the lives of 9.6 million people.
    
    
  • In response to 30,000 actions by Global Citizens, IDFC Bank committed to provide 200,000 micro finance loans for water and sanitation, worth INR 200 crores (US$29.4 million) to reach 450,000 people by the end of 2019.
    
    "Open Defecation is one of the biggest hygiene issues facing India, but most of us feel that it isn't our problem. It is, and it impacts each one of us. That's why IDFC Bank decided to do something about it. We are committed to make sanitation accessible and affordable through 1,000,000 water and sanitation loans – Global Citizens we have heard you!" - Gaurav Rajput, CMO, IDFC Bank

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the Global Citizens via video link and congratulated everyone for their unparalleled energy and idealism and said he believed that a Swachh Bharat could be built within one generation.

Sachin Tendulkar spoke to Global Citizens to remind them of the responsibility each of them holds as champions of water, sanitation and hygiene issues: "I'm delighted to be here as a Global Citizen. And you are all here as ambassadors to pass on my message. Tell people to remember two simple things: wash their hands before they eat and after they use the toilet. This is one match that I want to win at any cost!"

Amina J Mohammed, Nigerian Minister of Environment said that India is inspiring the world in its leadership on sanitation through Clean India. She committed that Nigeria will follow India's example through a strategic partnership where both countries will stand in solidarity to achieve inclusive development together.

And this is just the beginning. Global Citizens will continue to campaign to make sure that leaders deliver on these promises, and that they commit to do even more on the 7 ongoing calls to action that were launched from the stage of the event, and which can be taken at www.globalcitizen.in. 

A full list of commitments and announcements can be seen at www.globalcitizen.in/impact.

Following the Festival, Global Citizens have volunteered to clean up the grounds; volunteers from Swachhalay will clean up any litter that has been left behind, and partner NGO Robin Hood Army will collect and distribute semi-perishable raw food among underprivileged communities in Mumbai.

The Global Citizen India movement is a 15-year commitment to catalyse India's journey to eradicate extreme poverty in line with the SDGs. Over the years to come, it will continue its work to influence world leaders and decision makers to enact policy changes and commit significant resources to help solve the world's biggest challenges through a distinctive mix of youth-led events, grassroots activism, media campaigning and online activation.

The Global Citizen Festival India was presented by Colors Viacom18 and Venky's, and was powered by UPL and NECC. The festival, a collaboration between The Global Education and Leadership Foundation and Global Citizen, was hosted in Mumbai by the Government of Maharashtra and was event-produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd. Other partners include: the United Nations; the Times of India Group; Google; Hindustan Unilever; Ola; Spykar; Make My Trip; Taj Group of Hotels; BookMyShow; Rishtey Cineplex; Voot; Radio Mirchi.

About Global Citizen India

Global Citizen India is a movement brought to India by Global Citizen, a social action platform, and The Global Education and Leadership Foundation (tGELF), an organisation focused on cultivating ethical, altruistic leadership to improve the state of the planet through collective action.  Global Citizen India will comprise a distinctive mix of events, grassroots activism, media campaigning and online activation, to catalyse India's 15-year journey towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and to bring about the end of extreme poverty.

About the Global Citizen Festival India 2016

The inaugural Global Citizen Festival India, held at the MMRDA ground in the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai on 19 November 2016, served as Global Citizen India's first initiative. The festival was headlined by Coldplay, Jay Z, Demi Lovato, Aamir Khan, Arjun Kapoor, A. R.Rahman, Arijit Singh, Amitabh Bachchan, Ayushmann Khurrana, Dia Mirza, Farhan Akhtar, Freida Pinto, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Katrina Kaif, Malaika Arora Khan, Monali Thakur, Parineeti Chopra, Ranveer Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Sakshi Malik, Shah Rukh Khan, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Shraddha Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Vidya Balan, Vijender Singh and Vivek Oberoi.

To find out more visit www.globalcitizen.in, follow @glblctznIN on Twitter and Facebook, and on Instagram using #GlobalCitizenIndia. Global Citizen Festival India is being presented by Colors Viacom18 and Venky's, and is powered by UPL and NECC. It is being hosted in Mumbai in association with the government of Maharashtra with event-produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment PVT. The United Nations is a partner, and the Times of India Group and Viacom18 are strategic partners. Other partners include Google, Hindustan Unilever, Ola, Spykar, Make My Trip, Taj Group of Hotels and BookMyShow. Key media platforms include Times of India group, Colors, VH1, Colors Infinity, Rishtey Cineplex, the fast-growing digital major Voot, Times TV network and Radio Mirchi.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Sunshine Sachs, [email protected], 212.691.2800

SOURCE Global Citizen

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