Global Citizen is an organization working to create a better environment for people experiencing extreme global poverty. The charity advocates for those who are experiencing inequalities, such as racial, ethnic, gender and economic disparities, which in turn influence the rise in poverty. To help eradicate extreme poverty worldwide, Global Citizen prioritizes advocacy campaigns and encourages others to support.

The organization’s key goals include promoting access to quality education, urging governments to increase funding for poverty reduction, improving water and sanitation, addressing hunger and fighting inequality. It also works to protect human rights, support freedom of expression, advance the rights of girls and women and improve access to health care systems.

New York’s Global Citizen Festival

To achieve this, it needs public support. So, every year, Global Citizen holds a festival to “amplify the movement.” On September 27, 2025, Global Citizen held the Global Citizen Festival in New York.

A-list celebrities such as Shakira, Tyla and Cardi B made appearances, influencing around 60,000 attendees. By taking their cause to a wide audience, the Global Citizen Festival helped exceed set targets, thanks to the support of the singers’ fans.

What did the Global Citizen Festival Achieve?

As a result of the festival, Global Citizen achieved 4.3 million actions from this event alone. Global Citizen launched the “Scaling Renewables in Africa” campaign with the European Commission due to the number of people in Africa without access to electricity. The Global Citizen Festival influenced “4.6 million homes across Africa to be powered by 2030.”

The event helped drive a widespread boost in support for the campaign. Another result of the Global Citizen Festival was “$140 million mobilized for children’s education and nutrition, including $30 million for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.” This will significantly help reduce poverty by giving children access to high-quality education and football, which supports movement and health worldwide.

What is even more significant about the amount of money going toward the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund is that “Global Citizen is getting closer to its $100 million goal by the 2026 FIFA World Cup.” A portion of this funding will be used to teach invaluable “skills, learning and community development through football around the world.”

Safeguarding the Amazon Rainforest

Global Citizen has a campaign to raise $1 billion. The goal is to safeguard 25 million hectares of the Amazon rainforest and protect the rights of the Indigenous peoples living there. These communities are deeply involved in protecting wildlife and nature full-time.

To date, the Protect the Amazon campaign has raised $280 million.

Final Thoughts

Global Citizen can fight extreme poverty more effectively thanks to the Festival, which gives the organization the boost it needs to implement its campaigns. Celebrity appearances allow the general public to get involved by appealing to their interests, even if they have not previously engaged in anti-poverty efforts. This benefits the organization and helps it make a real difference.

– Freya Bryers

Freya is based in the UK and focuses on Good News and Celebs for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr