From suffrage and the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter and the #MeToo movement, people-led social movements have long inspired and demanded real change in the world.
To highlight the collective power of people, the best movement-building activists from across the arts, culture, political, social good, and behavioral science spheres will convene on Sept. 25 in New York for the annual Movement Makers Summit.
As part of Global Citizen Week 2018, the event will see expert influencers share their individual experiences on how impactful movements can be built to ensure the Global Goals are realized by 2030.
This year’s speakers will participate in an array of panel discussions and TED-style talks to convey to local activists and citizens how they shaped movements related to civil rights, education reform, environmental protection, gender equality, and disability rights.
The Essential Details
We’re inviting Global Citizens to join us at the Movement Makers Summit on Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 9 a.m to 5 p.m at the Times Center, located on 242 West 41st Street. The event is already sold out, but you can follow along and join the discussion with the hashtag #MovementMakers.
The summit, hosted by Global Citizen and presented by our global partner Johnson & Johnson, will consist of three major elements.
First, the main stage programming will feature a diverse mix of speakers that will encourage attendees to consider their own movement-making journeys.
Secondly, the Action Village will provide interactive experiences for audiences members and allow guests to speak one-on-one with a range of organizations.
And lastly, facilitated discussions will provide a structured moment for learning, engagement, and collaboration among the 500 leaders, citizens, and campaigners in attendance.
Speaker Lineup
The opening plenary will feature presentations by author Derrick Feldmann, KEEN Chief Marketing Officer Tyler LaMotte, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Victor Ochen, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, and Founder of The Big Quiet and Medi Club Jesse Israel.
Talks will also be given on inclusive hiring practices by WeWork Director of Cultural Deployment Deborah Alden and Greyston Bakery employees Dion Drew and Sunitha Malieckal.
A discussion on global health will be given by Johnson & Johnson’s Executive Vice President Michael Sneed, before a talk on HIV youth leadership by Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Youth Ambassador Matsepo Mary-Anna “Dee” Mphafi.
From 11:45 a.m. to 12:35 p.m., audiences will hear from attorney Scott Hechinger on the topic of bail reform, James McLeary and Rick Misener on their documentary The Work, and poet and activist Emi Mahmoud on the power of poetry.
Next, from 1:35 p.m. to 2:25 p.m., writer and activist Dylan Marron will present on the possibility of turning hateful online judgments into constructive offline conversations.
Emy Kane and Mia Ives-Rublee will discuss the importance of inclusive movements. Petra Nemcova, the Founder of All Hands and Hearts, and Howard Sherman, the CEO of Good360, will reveal why resillient responses are necessary when it comes to disaster relief.
Climate activist Jamie Margolin and Afroz Shah — the brain behind the world’s biggest beach cleanup movement — will join Senior Adviser to the Global Social Enterprise Initiative Ladan Manteghi to discuss how best to mobilize a cause.
From 2:35 p.m. to 3:25 p.m., Syrian refugee and acclaimed violinist Mariela Shaker will discuss the power of music, and Congolese-Swedish singer-songwriter Mohombi will reveal how he rose up to fight malnutrition in his home country.
Filmmaker Zach Ingrasci will discuss the power of immersive filmmaking, and Manuel Oliver — who lost his 17-year-old son Joaquin during the February shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — will speak about the healing power of art.
The session will end with a Q&A featuring all speakers.
Lastly, the closing plenary will see speeches from historian and human rights expert Lyndsey Stonebridge, author and co-founder of Run For Something Amanda Littman, civil rights activist and member of the Little Rock Nine Minnijean Brown Trickey, and Nobel Peace Laureate and child rights activist Kailash Sayarthi.
As with most Global Citizen events, the day will end with a musical performance. This year, guests will be treated to a performance by the Revival Resistance Chorus, a group of 60 women who combine to sing protest songs in the name of universal joy and resistance.
You can find more information here.
The 2018 Global Citizen Festival in New York will be presented for the very first time by Citi. MSNBC and Comcast NBCUniversal will air a live simulcast of the Festival on MSNBC and MSNBC.com. The Festival will also be livestreamed on YouTube and Twitter, presented by Johnson & Johnson. Proud partners of the 2018 Global Citizen Festival include Global Citizen’s global health partner and major partner Johnson & Johnson, and major partners P&G, CHIME FOR CHANGE Founded by Gucci, Verizon, House of Mandela, iHeartMedia, and NYC Parks. Associate partners include Microsoft, Great Big Story, and One Championship.
