On Thursday morning, the lineup for the 2015 Global Citizen Festival went up on Twitter and the action journey to earn FREE tickets to the event went live. Then global citizens everywhere got down to business.

In just one instance of the activism that swept the internet: Using the hashtag #GlobalCitizen, more than thirteen thousand people showed their support for ensuring global access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (collectively known as “WASH”) by tweeting words of encouragement to Isabella Lövin, the Swedish Minister of International Development and a key influencer in the realm of WASH.  

The flood of tweets prompted this response from none other than Mrs. Lövin herself:

That’s right: by uniting behind a worthy cause, thousands of global citizens convinced a world leader to make a public declaration in support of a cause.

And that’s not all they did. More than 18,000 global citizens phoned the US State Department, asking them to commit more of the US foreign aid budget to the world’s poorest countries. The US State Department got so many calls, they had to empty their voicemail box—not once, not twice, but twelve times. 

13,000 tweets and 18,000 voicemails in one day! Just think how much more can be accomplished between now and the festival in the fight to end extreme poverty. 

Campaigning for WASH on Twitter and calling the State Department were just two of eight different actions global citizens began taking Thursday in order to draw attention to some of the most crucial issues affecting the world’s poor. Participants who complete all eight actions by July 29 will be entered to win two free tickets to the 2015 Global Citizen Festival, September 26 in New York City’s Central Park.

Every summer since 2012, the Global Citizen Festival has brought together world leaders, top music acts, and thousands of global citizens to build momentum in the fight to end poverty. This year’s festival boasts an incredible group of headliners: Pearl Jam, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, and Coldplay. Check out this article to learn why 2015 is a BIG year in the fight against extreme poverty, then CLICK HERE to find out how you can take action and earn your tickets.

Of course, an event this big had Twitter talking about more than just WASH. Some pretty famous folks took to Twitter to show their support for the 2015 Global Citizen Festival and its policy goals. Take a look:

Two of the festival’s headliners shared their excitement.

Coldplay frontman (and Global Citizen Festival curator) Chris Martin even snuck a selfie at the spot where the festival will take place in two months.

Pearl Jam and Coldplay weren’t the only musicians rocking #GlobalCitizen tweets.

Author and msnbc host Janet Mock pretty much summed up everyone’s excitement about getting to see Beyoncé at the festival: ​


The buildup to the festival is just getting started! Stay tuned to Global Citizen all summer long for the latest festival news, and unlock YOUR power as a global citizen by taking action against poverty to earn a shot at free tickets to the festival.

TopicsCitizenshipGlobalSwedenarticle2015 Global Citizen FestivalAnnouncement

Editorial

Demand Equity

YOUR voices helped #GlobalCitizen take Twitter by storm

By Hans Glick