From Biden to Beyoncé, #GlobalCitizen Festival kicks off another international effort to fix everything

Anyone concerned that Pope Francis wasn’t giving climate change and economic inequality enough attention likely skipped his speech in Philadelphia this afternoon and instead headed to New York’s Central Park for the Global Citizen Festival.

What is Global Citizen? It’s part of the Global Poverty Project’s mission to end extreme poverty by 2030. (If you can remember which channel on your TV is MSNBC, you can watch a live simulcast there.) You might remember in 2000 when a U.N. task force developed a set of eight Millennium Development Goals, which were supposed to have been met by 2015. Obviously they weren’t, so we’re hitting the reset button and unveiling a new set of 17 global goals for sustainable development.

Here they are in handy graphic format:

17 #GlobalGoals.
17 songs.
4 #GlobalCitizen artists.
1 ultimate @Spotify list.#TellEveryone
http://t.co/NztCr2GcDg pic.twitter.com/ie55ktSYEH

— UK at the UN ?? (@UKUN_NewYork) September 26, 2015

Fish, usually overlooked by the social justice crowd, will appreciate that “Life below water” has its own separate but equal block next to “Life on land.”

By the way, the four #GlobalCitizen artists are Pearl Jam, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, and Coldplay, all of whom are playing in Central Park today and tonight.

Here’s a sneak peek behind the scenes at the fight against global poverty and hunger.

We've got your sneak peek backstage at #GlobalCitizen Fest in the VIP tent! pic.twitter.com/YI9LbZepLK

— People (@people) September 26, 2015

Recommended

History Teacher to Minnesota Republicans: Good Luck Winning... A State You Haven't Won Since Nixon

justmindy

Advertisement

Also present: global health ambassador Raya, a Muppet created to teach kids in Bangladesh, India, and Nigeria how to use the toilet; and Joe Biden — insert your own joke here.

Our global health ambassador, Raya, wants to teach kids around the world about clean water! Follow 'SesameRaya' on Instagram! #GlobalCitizen

— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) September 26, 2015

“Whenever or wherever dignity is denied, we’re called to care…and we’re called to work to change” —VP Biden at the #GlobalCitizen Festival

— VP Biden (Archived) (@VP44) September 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/dissident641/status/647911882326564865

Don’t stand by. Tell everyone about the #GlobalGoals & become a #GlobalCitizen http://t.co/VuNE0YZkCJ pic.twitter.com/Dj99JFQj7J

— Joshua Morgan (@jshmorgan8) September 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/shampoodan/status/647914827797495809