Global citizens called for Norway to invest in education and succeeded in a matter of weeks. That's amazing.

But how were you able to achieve something so incredible?

Step 1: Knowing the problem

Global citizens recognized that investing in global education is essential in the fight to end extreme poverty. A key to increasing education is to get leaders (like Norway) to increase funding and pressure the rest of the international community to follow suit.

Step 2: Tweets to Norway

Global citizens, as part of Action Journey 1 for the 2015 Global Citizen Festival, sent tweets to Norway’s Prime Minister calling on her to lead the world in investing in education.

Step 3:Emails to Norway

Global citizens sent thousands and thousands of emails directly to Prime Minister Erna Solberg. This was part of Action Journey 2 of the 2015 Global Citizen Festival.

This opened the door for a meeting between the Global Poverty Project and the Prime Minister. But GPP needed more support from global citizens.

Step 4:Calls to Norway

Global citizens went further with Norway, and literally left thousands of voicemails for the Prime Minister in Action Journey 3 of the Global Citizen Festival.

These powerful voicemails were handed over to the Prime Minister herself at a meeting, with this highlights reel cut together:

Step 5: An “invasion” of Norway led by Stephen Colbert

But still, the campaign needed one more global citizen to get involved: Stephen Colbert. Colbert joined global citizens around the world and launched an “invasion” (via twitter) of Norway.

This sealed the deal. In a personal meeting with Global Poverty Project, Prime Minister Solberg sent this message to all global citizens:

And then she took the time to make a video of her own, because who doesn’t want to get into a discussion with Stephen Colbert via video?

In between being as funny as Colbert (check out her closing line, hilarious) she slipped in some really powerful words about the importance of getting girls educated. I think I found a new personal hero.

Amidst all this high impact campaigning, it’s important to remember where this all started: YOU. Global citizens came together, recognized a problem, picked a champion in Norway, and got a commitment for more funding for education.

This is the power of global citizens. And the world media is paying attention. From The New York Times to The Daily Beast, major publications highlighted the creative power of global citizens.

"It’s an unlikely partnership, Colbert and Prime Minister Solberg, but it shows some expert-level social media savvy deployed towards the worthiest of causes."

Spread the word, shout from the rooftops (ok, the social media equivalent) about this achievement and get everyone you know involved in ending extreme poverty by joining Global Citizen. Your voice can and does change the world.