However, Global Citizen’s Vice-President of Global Policy and Government Affairs Michael Sheldrick told CNBC by email that political and public pressure generated by the organization has helped lead to over $30 billion in financial commitments to help the world’s poor since 2012. “Global Citizen’s ongoing campaigning efforts then focus on ensuring these commitments are actually delivered upon and that politicians and partners are held accountable for their promises,” he said.
This year, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to lead fundraising with President Macky Sall of Senegal to raise $1.3 billion for the Global Partnership for Education, following emails, calls and tweets from members of Global Citizen. The organization’s campaigning also led to the Canadian government providing 100 million Canadian dollars ($79.9 million) towards the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
“It is easy to blame the politicians for inaction but we as citizens still have to give them permission to spend what is ultimately our money,” Sheldrick said. “Multiple politicians have told us that in order for them to support measures like increased foreign aid budgets, they need to see the constituency first.”
But for all its success as a movement, and for all the political and celebrity connections and support Global Citizen attracted, there was still one person with whom Evans had not connected: Sonny Boy. After he returned from Manila nearly 20 years ago with his Filipino friend’s address in his jean pocket, Evans and his mum put his clothes through the wash and the piece of paper was destroyed.
But after his TED talk last year, a woman from a Manila non-governmental organisation got in touch. “‘You’ll never believe this. It’s a small world, but we think we know who Sonny Boy is,’ (she said). And I was, like, beside myself. I was like: ‘You’ve got to be joking,’” Evans said.
