Ever since the great success of “We Are the World,” the music industry has been known for being a big part of poverty awareness, as many artists use their notoriety to make a difference.

The Global Poverty Project (GPP), started in 2008 by Hugh Evans, is best known for its once-per-year event, the Global Citizen Festival. Due to all the success the festivals have had in the past few years, the GPP has started a new concert series to help work toward its goal to end global poverty by 2030: Global Citizen Nights.

Billboard announced on February 26, 2014 that The Fray will be the headliner for the very first Global Citizen Night, taking place at Emo’s East in Austin, Texas on March 10. In addition to The Fray, Allen Stone and Saints of Valory will also be playing the event.

The lead singer of The Fray, Isaac Slade, said to Billboard recently, “It’s almost unimaginable how many people live in extreme poverty today. With all the technology and connectivity in our so-called modern global landscape, you’d think we’d have this figured out by now. We hope the Global Citizen Nights concerts will help bring attention to this important issue.”

The GPP is planning for additional Global Citizen Nights in Nashville, Chicago and St. Louis. Those performers and the venues they will be playing will be announced soon.

The process to earn tickets for Global Citizen Nights will be in the same vein as earning tickets for the Global Citizen Festival. Anyone can take action online by visiting Globalcitizen.org and entering a prize draw for whichever event he or she chooses. Any person can put his or her name in the draw up to three times. These tickets that are earned are completely free of charge. In addition, there are a small number of VIP tickets available that guarantee a ticket to the show and better seating.

One of the trademarks of the GPP is that it works tirelessly to get everyday citizens involved and to educate them about the extreme poverty that exists in our world. Partnering with musicians has further allowed the GPP to connect with the “Global Citizens” that it tries to create and unite, because it provides both incentive and inspiration to make a difference.

Evans hopes that this new venture will continue to attract a young crowd, as these individuals can become some of the most involved Global Citizens. Evans has said, “The Global Citizen Nights concert series lets us bring major artists to small venues as a reward to young, energetic, and socially-conscious Global Citizens who are engaging with us online.”

Evans is taking a unique approach to demonstrate the progress that has been made in alleviating poverty and emphasizing what still needs to be done to end poverty as a whole. By encouraging activism and spreading awareness, Evans’ goal is get increased United States government funding to provide a wide range of aid.

The focus of Global Citizen Nights, in addition to spreading awareness, is to guarantee that every single child has access to food, clean water, an education and basic healthcare. By partnering with the music industry and using free concerts as rewards, the GPP is targeting a younger audience and uniting Global Citizens to successfully end poverty by 2030.

– Julie Guacci

Sources: Global Citizen, Billboard
Photo: Global Citizen