The fourth annual Global Citizen Festival, co-hosted by Stephen Colbert and Hugh Jackman, galvanized 60,000 people in New York City’s Central Park September 26. Top headliners Beyoncé, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, and Pearl Jam entertained the crowd while raising awareness for global poverty and women’s education.
The Global Poverty Project created this event in 2012 for the purpose of ending global poverty by 2030.
For the first time in four years, msnbc.com and the Global Citizen official website streamed the event live for a world-wide audience to watch and participate in the movement.
From 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm, the event brought musicians, politicians, and world leaders from across the world to the Great Lawn in Central Park.
Convent of the Sacred Heart junior Tatiana Lieberman attended the Global Citizen Festival and was thrilled to see her favorite performers and actors at the event.
“It was cool to see how they not only educated the public on world problems, but also performed enjoyable music,” Tatiana said.
During Beyoncé’s performance, the singer performed, “Halo,” “Crazy in Love” and “Single Ladies” while also sharing her passion for women’s rights. She channeled the voices of poet Maya Angelou and the Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to demonstrate the power of women across the world.
“Beyoncé’s music gives off the powerful message that women are strong, independent, and can do incredible things in the world,” Tatiana said.
Following her performance, Beyoncé introduced First Lady Mrs. Michelle Obama. Mrs. Obama spoke about the hashtag #62milliongirls, which publicizes the need for compulsory girls’ education.
“Right now 62 million girls are not in school,” Mrs. Obama said, according to the New York Times. “What’s important to know is that these are our girls, they deserve the same chances to get an education as my daughters and your daughters, and all of our children.”
Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai also spoke about girls’ education and her experiences growing up in conservative Pakistan.
“Malala represents hope for many girls. that things can change and they can get the basic right of an education. Malala is an unbelievable human being, she is incredible and inspirational,” Tatiana said.
In addition, Vice President Mr. Joe Biden raised public awareness for Global Citizen’s fundamental causes.
“We have to move beyond, reach beyond ourselves. We have to be a light to the world, not just in the world,” Vice President Biden said, according to dailynews.com. “Everybody in the world should be treated with dignity. We’re called to care. Whenever or wherever dignity is denied, we’re called to work toward change.”
The event was successful in uniting thousands of people together in order to support global causes. Spectators watched their favorite performers and listened to influential figures speaking about international issues.
“As a student at Sacred Heart, it was inspiring to hear influential speakers speak about equal education and opportunities for women all over the world,” Tatiana said.
– Kathryn Allyn, Staff Writer