Global Citizen Returns to Australia With the First International Edition of Global Citizen Now, Featuring Crowded House; Hugh Jackman; Charlie Puth; Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York; Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank; Xanana Gusmão, Prime Minister of Timor-Leste; And Julia Gillard, 27th Prime Minister of Australia

Summary

Summit to take place 4-6 March 2024 to Drive Urgent Action to End Extreme Poverty and Address the Climate Crisis in the Asia-Pacific Region

Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne concludes with Global Citizen Nights headlined by Crowded House at the Palais Theatre on 6 March

Earn free tickets to Global Citizen Nights by taking action on the Global Citizen app and at globalcitizen.org/nights 

Global Citizen Honours Thirty-Two Youth Leaders Taking Action to Defend the Planet, Defeat Poverty and Demand Equity across the Asia-Pacific Region

Co-Chairs of Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne include Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York; Xanana Gusmão, Prime Minister of Timor-Leste; Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations; Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD; Peter Thomson, UNSG’s Special Envoy for the Ocean; Ben Dawson, Brianna Fruean, Osher Günsberg, Benson Saulo and Mark Woodruff

Global Citizen, the world’s leading advocacy organisation, announced the first international edition of the Global Citizen NOW action summit will take place on 4-6 March 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne will feature leading voices and innovators from across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond for a dynamic, two-day program focused on driving decisive action to end extreme poverty across the region and the world, including Crowded House; Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York; and Xanana Gusmão, Prime Minister of Timor-Leste. Global Citizen Ambassadors Hugh Jackman and Charlie Puth; Julia Gillard, 27th Prime Minister of Australia; and Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank, will join virtually. 

With a focus on engaging and elevating young innovators from across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne will convene world leaders, artists, advocates, journalists, influencers, policy experts and more than 300 of the brightest young leaders from across the region. Hosted at CENTREPIECE at Melbourne Park, the summit will drive action on the climate crisis, gender inequity, innovations in health systems and fighting food insecurity, as Australia hosts ASEAN leaders in Melbourne. 

Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne Co-Chairs include Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York; Xanana Gusmão, Prime Minister of Timor Leste; Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations; Alvaro Lario, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); Peter Thomson, UNSG’s Special Envoy for the Ocean; Ben Dawson, Vice President for Cisco Australia and New Zealand; Brianna Fruean, Climate Advocate and Global Citizen Prize winner; Osher Günsberg, Media Personality and Climate Advocate; Benson Saulo, Managing Partner, First Australians Capital; and Mark Woodruff, CEO, Citi Australia. 

Additional Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne participants include: Chris Anderson, Head of TED; Nornie Bero, CEO & Founder, Big Esso; Senator The Hon. Simon Birmingham, Australia’s Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs; Hon. Pat Conroy MP, Australia’s Minister for International Development and the Pacific; Professor Brendan Crabb AC, Director and CEO; Co-Head, Malaria Virulence and Drug Discovery Group; Chair Australian Global Health Alliance and Chair Pacific Friends of Global Health; Rev. Tim Costello AO, Executive Director, Micah Australia; Zoe Daniel MP, Member of the Australian House of Representatives; Sabrina Elba, United Nations IFAD Goodwill Ambassador; Abby Finkenauer, US Special Envoy for Global Youth Issues; Jesse Fleay, Research Associate, National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth, and Justice, Federation University; Daniel Flynn, Founder, Thankyou; Craig Foster AM, Broadcaster & 2023 NSW Australian of the Year; Moana Hope, Radio Host and Former AFLW Player; Natalie Hutchins, Victoria’s Minister for Jobs and Industry and Minister for Women; Hon. Michael McCormack MP, Australia’s Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific; Cleveland McGhie, Co-Founder of Yaali Collective, beneficiary of Youth Co:Lab; Jessie McLachlan, CEO & Chair, Altru; Lady Roslyn Morauta, Chair of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Nooky, Artist and Founder, We Are Warriors; Ziggy Ramo, Artist and Activist; Marie-Ange Saraka-Yao, Chief Resource Mobilisation & Growth Officer, GAVI; Cissy Shen, Youth Co:Lab Coordinator, UNDP; Janet Tobias, Director, Writer, Producer and Founder & CEO of Ikana Health Action Lab and Sierra Tango Productions; Mariam Veiszadeh, CEO, Media Diversity Australia; Anna Wellenstein, Regional Director, East Asia and Pacific, Sustainable Development Practice Group, World Bank; and Kylie Woodham Magner, Managing Director of Magners Farm; with more names to be announced. 

Every Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne session will drive definitive actions across five core areas:

• The climate crisis, including calling for increased funding for the region’s green transition and the adoption of the Fossil Fuel Non-proliferation Treaty;
• Unleashing women’s economic power and tackling inequalities, including calling for equal access to financing and entrepreneurship opportunities, quality education, and gender responsive health services; 
• Strengthening health systems and health financing, including increased budgets to support routine immunisation, combat malaria and eradicate polio;
• The global food crisis and food insecurity across the region, driving increased support of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); and
• Unlocking investments into youth-driven entrepreneurship focused on achieving the UN’s Global Goals.  

The summit will conclude with Global Citizen Nights, an intimate evening of music and storytelling, headlined by Crowded House. Taking place at the Palais Theatre on St Kilda’s foreshore on 6 March, this free, ticketed event will honour the stories of young trailblazers from across the Asia-Pacific region who are profoundly impacting their local communities in the areas of climate action, gender equity and more. Earn tickets to Global Citizen Nights by taking action on the Global Citizen app and at globalcitizen.org/nights. Additional performers will be announced in the coming days.

Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne is presented by the State Government of Victoria. Proud partners of Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne include Cisco, Citi and P&G. 

The Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne campaign and policy objectives are supported by the ASEAN Youth Agenda Indonesia 2023, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Foreign Policy Community Indonesia, Oaktree, Rotary International, Safer World For All and Uniting to Combat NTDs. 

“We’re thrilled to bring Global Citizen back to Australia for the first ever international edition of Global Citizen NOW, where young innovators will take their place alongside leaders in policy, culture, philanthropy and business to drive impactful, sustainable change and address the global challenges shaping tomorrow,” said Global Citizen. “The Asia-Pacific region sits at the epicentre of some of the world’s most pressing issues; but young people are not the passive inheritors of these challenges – they are powerful innovators playing a vital role in solving them, with much to teach the rest of the world. We look forward to a dynamic few days that will shift the future of the region.”  

“Oh Hi….we are delighted to be providing a closing performance for Global Citizen, who are bringing together talented and passionate young advocates and innovators to help solve the most urgent problems facing all of us…equity and climate,” said Neil Finn of Crowded House. “Who knows from what distant corners brilliant ideas might come from. Young people’s amazing potential is sometimes hidden from view. We want to be there to help bring it into the light.”

“All my life I have lived and loved being outside enjoying every moment. My parents always highlighted the need to champion the quiet voice of Mother Nature, and now even more so since becoming a grandmother I’ve become acutely aware of my responsibility, and that of my generation, to do everything we can to improve the state of the world we are leaving for our grandchildren,” said Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. “I’m coming to Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne to participate in vital intergenerational conversations with young leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region, who are doing frontline, grassroots work to address the climate crisis, the hunger crisis, girls’ education and issues perpetuating cycles of extreme poverty. I look forward to listening to them, learning from them, and contributing whatever voice I have to speak up for the future of our planet.”

“There is no better place than Melbourne to bring together change-makers who are driven to deliver fairness and equality for everyone,” said Tim Pallas, State of Victoria Treasurer and Minister for Economic Growth. “Victoria is a global leader in key areas that will shape our future, led by emissions reduction where we have brought forward net zero to 2045. We look forward to hosting a dynamic Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne event that will make a real difference to our world.”

“Victoria is a global hub for innovation and knowledge, home to world-class universities and Australia’s most liveable and best student city - Melbourne,” said Natalie Hutchins, Victoria’s Minister for Jobs and Industry and Minister for Women. “We look forward to welcoming all the youth leaders and innovators from across the Asia-Pacific to our marvellous state for Global Citizen NOW.”

As part of the summit, Global Citizen is honouring 32 young innovators from across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, who are working to address the issues perpetuating extreme poverty in their communities, through the Youth Leaders Award program. Selected from among hundreds of applicants, these inspiring awardees will travel to Melbourne to attend Global Citizen NOW and participate in a dynamic peer networking and training day alongside other awardees from across the region. They will each receive $5000 to further their vital work toward achieving one or more of the United Nations Global Goals. 

The Global Citizen Young Leaders Award winners are: 
Lester Dellosa, Founder and Creative Director of CICCADA, from the Philippines; Hjh Siti Norfarwizah, Founder and Managing Director of Kilang ReRoot (KRR); Gabrielle Cabodil, former Global Operations Manager for the Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) Movement, now independent intersectional youth activist, from the Philippines; Monal Bhattarai, Managing Director at Canopy Nepal, from Nepal; Minh Hoang, Founder of Agora Insights, from Vietnam; Raeed Roshan Ali, Co-Founder of Precious Plastic, from Fiji; Noor Azizah, Co-Founder of the Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network, from Australia; Alicia Tien, Founder & CEO of Asia Discovery, from Malaysia; Ahmad Nisar, Founder, Changemaker, from Afghanistan; Rose Singh, menstrual and political rights advocate from Nepal; Shah Rafayat Chowdhury, Co-Founder & President of Footsteps, from Bangladesh; Hazirah Sufian, Activist and Project Development Assistant of Green Brunei, from Brunei; Nathaniel Diong, Founder & CEO of Future Minds Network, from Australia; Noa Limpoco, Founder of the Neurodivergent Network Asia, from Philippines; Tylah Farani-Watene, Founder of Vaka to 2023, from New Zealand; Niyati Sharma, Founder & Executive Director of Pratisandhi Foundation, from India; Chamathya Fernando, Youth Activist, from Sri Lanka; Ashleigh Streeter-Jones, founder & CEO of Raise Our Voice Australia (ROVA), from Australia; Hadiqa Bashir, Executive Director of Girls United for Human Rights, from Pakistan; Vishal Tolambia, Founder & CEO of Humanity Centred Designs, from India; Belle WX Lim, Executive Director  & President  of Future Forte Inc., from Malaysia; Alanna Jane Sethi, Founder of HOPE (Helping Our Planet Earth), from Hong Kong; Brigitta Maria Andrea Gunawan, Ocean Advocate, Indonesia; Qiyun Woo, Founder and Climate Storyteller, The Weird and Wild, from Singapore; Phatsaline Vongsaly, Co-Founder of Gamlangchai, from Laos; Kha Le, Founder & Manager of BAO, from Vietnam; Tamara Dewi Gondo, CEO & Founder of Liberty Society, from Indonesia; Devni Wimalasena, Gender Equality Activist, from Australia; Maggie Blanden, Co-founder of Naarm Law Students on Voice, from Australia; Bianca Manning, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Campaigner, from Australia; Dave Rubite, Climate Justice Activist, from Australia; and Divyangana Sharma, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leader, from Australia.

Global Citizen is grateful for the support of leading media companies including JCDecaux Australia, Motio, oOh!media, and QMS Media.

Visit globalcitizen.org/now/melbourne and globalcitizen.org/nights for more information.

Global Citizen acknowledges the Wurundjeri and Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation, the Traditional Owners of the unceded land on which Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne and Global Citizen Nights will be held, and pays respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Global Citizen is the world’s leading international advocacy organisation on a mission to end extreme poverty NOW. Powered by a worldwide community of everyday activists raising their voices and taking action, the movement is amplified by campaigns and events that convene leaders in music, entertainment, public policy, media, philanthropy and the corporate sector. Over the past 10 years, $43.6 billion in commitments announced on Global Citizen platforms has been deployed, impacting nearly 1.3 billion lives. Established in Australia in 2008, Global Citizen’s team operates from New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Berlin, Geneva, Melbourne, Toronto, Johannesburg, Lagos and beyond. Join the movement at globalcitizen.org, download the Global Citizen app, and follow Global Citizen on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and LinkedIn. 

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Applications are now open for media outlets to attend and cover Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne at CENTREPIECE on 5-6 March, and Global Citizen Nights at the Palais Theatre on 6 March. Please complete this application form.