Some years are bigger than others, and I’m here to tell you that 2015 is one of those years. It’s a year that will genuinely define the future of our planet, and the stakes are high. That’s because during the course of 2015, the world’s leaders will be assembling at a number of very important events that will shape our global economy, global environment, and global society between now and 2030.
These aren’t meetings that will happen again next year, or the year after that. This is our one big chance to make an impact and shape the debate. We need our national leaders to make some big, bold bets; bets that can create a more sustainable, equitable world that is free of the blight of extreme poverty.
That’s where you and I come in.
A powerful movement of global citizens demanding action can embolden our leaders, elevate their ambitions, and provide a huge mandate for them to make these important bets on behalf of people everywhere.
The publication of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s annual letter today, further promotes the importance of 2015 as a year for change, and a turning point in the broader community embracing this opportunity to have a major impact.
At Global Citizen, we’re excited that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has encouraged people to become global citizens, because challenging the status quo and campaigning on behalf of the world’s poor is what we’re all about. You can read the letter from Bill & Melinda here, it’s a great overview of what can be achieved in 2015.
This year at Global Citizen, we’re going to be making some big bets of our own, and with global citizens like you on board, we’re determined to make an impact.
Simon Moss
Managing Director - Programs for Global Poverty Project
Disclosure: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a funding partner of Global Citizen.
Editor's note: This piece has been updated to include a disclosure that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a funding partner of Global Citizen. We regret the oversight.