This year at the Global Citizen Festival we had some amazing volunteers come out to support the Global Goals. Volunteers took part in some key activations including getting festival attendees to sign postcards urging their Congressman to support food aid reform and upload photos of themselves to twitter in support of the Let Girls Learn campaign #62millionGirls.
Rather than explain to you what happened ourselves - Global Citizen thought it best to have one of our awesome volunteers give you a recap of their time at the festival!
GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL 2015 By Alexis Benveniste
The morning started as most mornings in New York City do: I stood on the subway platform, bleary-eyed and waiting for my train, but little did I know that Saturday, September 26 would be unlike any other day in my life. It would change me, inspire me, and move me in a way that many search for their whole lives.
From the moment I stepped onto the Great Lawn at Central Park, I was invigorated. The combined energy of all of the volunteers refreshed me, and I instantly felt connected to a group of over 100 strangers. We weren't strangers, though. We were citizens, activists, and passionate advocates with a purpose. We want to end poverty by 2030.
I brimmed with excitement as I anticipated the amazing day ahead. After a quick volunteer chat with the coordinators, I grabbed a sign that advocated for gender equality and girls' education, and I began the journey towards making a difference.
The sign read, "Dear world leaders, I stand for gender equality. Let's end extreme poverty by empowering girls and women everywhere." I proudly ran around with the sign, sharing my deep interest in the issue and inspiring others to connect to the message and effort, as well. I danced, I jumped, and I passionately yelled. With each person I talked to and each connection I made, my energy grew.
After a few hours of photographing people with the signs (and encouraging them to post it on their social media accounts), I truly felt like I had made a difference. Sure, my voice was almost completely gone, but it was so worth it.
Volunteer Experience
As the gates opened, I headed towards the stage with two new friends and what happened from there was unbelievable. I had arrived that morning not knowing one soul, and by the end of the day, I felt like I had known my new friends for a lifetime. Our newly established friendship was based upon something so much deeper than mutual friends (or our love for Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Beyoncé and Pearl Jam). Our friendship was based upon our love for mankind and our deep desire to make a difference. That's a pretty incredible foundation, if you ask me.
Before long, Stephen Colbert took the stage, and the rest of the evening was completely magical. While watching Coldplay open up the festival was an incredible experience in and of itself, looking around at the incredible people around me was the most inspiring and invigorating part of it all. It truly felt like the crowd was emotionally invested in the festival, adamant on making a difference and changing the world.
Volunteer Experience
Ed Sheeran, Beyoncé and Pearl Jam took the stage after Coldplay, and the celebrities and guests in between were just as inspiring as the music itself. Seeing so many prominent figures pledge to make a difference moved me and inspired me to spread the word not just on that Saturday but every day. After all, these incredible celebrities and public figures are just like us -- citizens that want nothing more than to make the world a better place for everyone.
As Michelle Obama began her speech on stage, I looked to my left and I saw a young girl crying -- not in a sad way, though. It was beautiful. She was so moved by the moment, the goal, and the crowd, that she couldn't help but show it. I got the chills, and more than ever, my faith was completely restored in humanity.
Every moment of the festival was incredible. I felt an indescribable love for all 60,000 people on that lawn that day, and while I don't know all of their names --or their faces for that matter -- what I felt in those moments and on that day is something that will never leave me. Thank you, Global Citizen Festival.
Thank you to our friends at Influence Graphics for their support!
