NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� The antipoverty nonprofit Global Citizen is no stranger to big stages. The advocacy group at its Central Park concert last year around issues of rainforest protection and energy access.
But Global Citizen is preparing for its most ambitious production yet: the on July 19, . Super Bowl-style performances 鈥� uncommon in soccer 鈥� will . Also Thursday, Shakira released the featuring Afrobeats giant .
Organizers plan to direct the tournament’s billions of projected viewers worldwide toward a humanitarian initiative launched alongside soccer’s international governing body. Leveraging what Global Citizen founder Hugh Evans called the 鈥渃omplementary鈥� unifying powers of soccer and music, the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund aims to raise $100 million for grassroots groups providing underserved children with access to education and sports.
鈥淚 hope that on the world鈥檚 biggest stage, finally, the importance of investing in education steals the show,鈥� Shakira told the Global Citizen NOW summit in New York on Thursday. Later, she told The Associated Press in an interview that she wanted to help the 鈥渕any children who are being left behind.鈥�
“That should be our first concern,鈥� Shakira said. 鈥淚鈥檓 so excited that finally we鈥檙e gonna use a global event like this one as a platform to discuss what鈥檚 most important: kids鈥� education.鈥�
That push could be complicated, however, by the . A dollar from every World Cup ticket sale will go toward the education fund. But with tickets selling for four- to five-figures, not to mention the high price of travel and lodging, some host cities are lowering their attendance expectations.
Further complicating that humanitarian image are FIFA’s agreements with countries such as Saudi Arabia, whose sovereign wealth fund on Thursday. Critics say the kingdom uses sports to distract from its .
And the message of unity could be hindered by FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s connection to President Donald Trump, whose restrictive immigration policies and recent military pursuits amount to what critics consider an unwelcoming environment atypical of an international sporting event.
Infantino to Trump in December. Ivanka Trump, the president鈥檚 daughter, was also .
Evans is not focused on politics, though. 鈥淚鈥檓 a pragmatist,” he told the AP. 鈥淚鈥檝e always believed that if we can do something so unbelievably positive, it has the potential to unite people at a time when the world needs it most.鈥�
The summit’s speakers emphasized their ability to build cross-sector support for causes like the education fund. The annual spring gathering to discuss shared solutions to ending extreme poverty, oftentimes aligned with the ranging from eliminating hunger to achieving gender equality.
They’ve raised $47 million so far for the education fund, according to a Thursday announcement. Corporate sponsors Bank of America, MetLife and Cisco put in $15 million between them, according to Evans. MetLife is donating an additional $5 for every video that fans post online of themselves juggling a soccer ball with the hashtag #FootworkForFutures.
Indian education entrepreneur Sunny Varkey and his Varkey Foundation contributed $3 million. Also being donated are ticket proceeds from as well as the joint tour recently announced by Usher and Chris Brown. Shakira announced Thursday she will donate 100% of her 鈥淒ai Dai鈥� proceeds plus $1 from every ticket to her newly expanded tour in the United States.
Evans is now turning to heads of state for more financial support. He invited existing or future World Cup host countries to supplement funding.
鈥淚t has the potential to say to the whole world: We are global citizens… We鈥檙e all on this amazing planet together. Let鈥檚 solve the world鈥檚 biggest problems together,” Evans said, adding that the move can foster a human approach rather than a 鈥渘ationalistic鈥� one.
Evans cited the 27 inaugural FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund grantees, released earlier this week, as inspiration. Among the recipients was Hit the Books, a Harlem-based nonprofit that uses mixed martial arts as the hook to provide students with additional educational resources.
The grants range from $50,000 to $250,000. Jhae Thompson, executive director of Hit the Books, said the support is meaningful because many nonprofits support hundreds of children on incredibly small budgets.
鈥淲hat we are really leveraging is the foundation of what a young person needs in order to build character, to build discipline, to build confidence,鈥� Thompson told the Global Citizen NOW audience.
Global Citizen has pursued partnerships in new regions as traditional actors including the U.S. cut their international aid budgets. That expansion includes the Middle East, represented by the addition of 2PointZero Group Vice Chair and Managing Director Mariam AlMheiri to their board.
AlMheiri, who heads the International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court of the United Arab Emirates, emphasized that 鈥渨hen you look at a football, everyone’s happy” 鈥� a positive association she hopes will translate into support for the education fund.
Marcus Samuelsson, a multiple James Beard Award-winning chef and avid soccer fan, noted that this World Cup is spread across three different countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada. The tournament, he added, has expanded from its origins as a competition largely between South American and European nations to represent countries in Africa and Asia, too.
He hopes that wide geographic spread inspires curiosity about global issues.
鈥淵ou start thinking about these countries. You maybe want to go there on vacation, maybe you want to go there, volunteer and help out. Whatever gets you going,鈥� Samuelsson told AP. “And it can start by falling in love while watching them.鈥�
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