Pitbull to Visit the United Nations to Speak on the Global Water Crisis

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Pitbull is headed to the United Nations…

The 37-year-old Grammy-winning rapper is heading to the intergovernmental organization’s offices to discuss the global water crisis on World Water Day.

The organization Clean Water Here announced that the international pop star will be named Clean Water Here Ambassador on March 22, when he visits the U.N. in New York City.

Pitbull also will receive the 2018 World Water Champion Award for his global humanitarian efforts. He is leading the celebrity-driven social media campaign dubbed “Clean Water Here Cause Flash,” in hopes of raising awareness of the water crisis. Other participants include Bruno Mars, Pink, Maroon 5, Demi Lovato, Monica and Juanes.

On March 22, U.N. General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak will launch a 10-year plan focused on sustainable development of water resources.

Demi Lovato Designs Sportswear Collection for Kate Hudson’s Fabletics

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is expanding her empire into the fashion world…

After meeting actress and Fabletics founder Kate Hudson at the gym, the 24-year-old part-Mexican American singer/actress has a strong interest in being part of Hudson’s sportswear endeavors.

“We connected, and she’s just a really cool person. So when Fabletics came to me with the offer, I knew I couldn’t resist. It was something that was the perfect fit,” Lovato tells Billboard.

Proceeds from the Demi Lovato for Fabletics collection directly benefit the United Nations Girl Up initiative. The focus is on their SchoolCycle program, which works with UNFPA to give girls bicycles, spare parts and maintenance training to provide a quick and safe mode of transport to school.

For Lovato, who champions self-love and body confidence, the charity aspect of the capsule collection is a necessary element.

“I’m all about female empowerment, and I think anytime you can empower other women to be a stronger, better version of herself, I’m all for it,” she says. Adding that her advice for girls who are feeling upset or lacking self-confidence is “don’t allow anything to get you down. It’s all about being the best version of yourself. Whether you have to do daily affirmations and tell yourself that you’re beautiful, you’re a rock star or strong. You just have to do it.”

Lovato makes time for morning workout sessions six times per week where she does a variety of strength and stamina building moves through MMA fighting along with weight training, conditioning, and strengthening exercises with a personal trainer.

“I really don’t like pushups, but I like burpees because I feel like I’m doing something [effective] and those are probably my favorite [exercise move].” Lovato also notes that she enjoys listening to hip-hop and rap music while training, including “Unforgettable” by French Montana ft. Swae Lee [of Rae Sremmurd] and “Humble” by Kendrick Lamar.

As for what’s next in her 15-year career? A YouTube exclusive documentary and new music, naturally.

“I’m releasing an album later this year, so my fans can look forward to that. It’s more soulful and I want to go more R&B with it.”

Click here to purchase Demi Lovato’s Fabletics Collection.

Shakira Calls for Global Education Reform

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Shakira is calling for educational reform globally…

The 39-year-old Colombian superstar and activist appears in a new video calling for action on education.

“Our future generations will surpass our greatest expectations if we give them the tools to do so,” Shakira says in a video for The International Commission on Financing Global Education (also known as The Education Commission), that coincides with its new report on financing global education.

“They have the talent the potential and the power to change the world for the better. But we know that their future will be written by how we act today… Education is their birthright, not a luxury.”

Shakira, whose Pies Descalzos Foundation has built schools in Colombia, is a member of the United Nations commission, alongside current and former heads of state, Nobel laureates and education experts who include Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, former Mexican president Felipe Calderón, and Anthony Lake, the Executive Director of UNICEF.

The Commission’s report calls for national governments to “reform their education systems to maximize learning and efficiency and to ensure that every child has access to quality education, free from pre-primary to secondary levels, through the progressive and sustained increase of domestic financing.”

That amounts to a tripling of the to over three trillion dollars a year by 2030.

Gomez to Headline This Year’s Global Citizen Festival

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez is a global citizen…

The 24-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress has been named one of the headline acts at this year’s Global Citizen Festival.

The annual free-ticketed event, which is held on the Great Lawn in New York City’s Central Park, will take place on Saturday, September 24, 2016.

In addition to Gomez, other headliners include Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Major Lazer and Metallica.

The Festival will harness actions from millions of Global Citizens around the world to hold world leaders accountable to the progress made toward achieving the Global Goals set out by the United Nations last year.

Special guest performers include Usher, Chris Martin, Eddie Vedder, Ellie Goulding, Yandel, and Yusuf/Cat Stevens.

Hosts for this year’s festival include Chelsea Handler, Deborra-lee & Hugh Jackman, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra, Salma Hayek Pinault and Seth Meyers.

Since 2012, more than six million actions from Global Citizens have led world leaders to enact policy changes and commit significant resources to issues of girls and women’s equality, education, health, water and sanitation, environment, finance and innovation, and food and hunger. These financial and policy commitments and announcements are set to affect the lives of up to 656 million people.

“I couldn’t be more honored to participate in the Global Citizen Festival as it continues to help solve important issues around the world. I am particularly proud to be involved this year as the focus is on education. As an artist with many young fans, I believe everyone has the right to an education,” said Gomez.

A live simulcast of the full concert will air on MSNBC and MSNBC.com.

Global Citizens can earn their admission to the free-ticketed Festival by joining the social action platform at globalcitizenfestival.com. Ticket draws will occur throughout the summer and fans will be notified via Global Citizen when they have been selected. A limited number of VIP tickets will also be available for purchase through Ticketmaster starting on Thursday, July 28th.

Bündchen to Serve as Correspondent for National Geographic Channel’s Docu-Series “Years of Living Dangerously”

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Gisele Bündchen is returning to her roots…

The 35-year-old Brazilian supermodel, a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme, has signed on as a correspondent for season two of National Geographic Channel‘s docu-series Years of Living Dangerously.

In her new role, the supermodel will explore the effects of deforestation and climate change in the Amazon.

Bündchen used Instagram as the medium to announce the news, just as she did last week when she revealed her involvement in the United Nation’s Wild for Life campaign.

“I’m excited to be joining season two of @YearsofLiving Dangerously as a correspondent, exploring deforestation and climate change in my beautiful home country of Brazil,” Bündchen, who was appointed as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2009, wrote in both English and her native Portuguese, alongside an image of her sitting beneath a huge tree, smiling and flicking a peace sign.

The show is expected to air in October, and will run as weekly episodes featuring celebrity investigators – season one included Jessica Alba and Olivia Munn – who are involved in environmental activism and well-known journalists with backgrounds in environmental reportage.

Spain’s Queen Letizia Named a Special Ambassador for Nutrition by the United Nations

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Queen Letizia of Spain is taking on a global role…

The 42-year-old Spanish wife of King Felipe VI has been named a Special Ambassador for Nutrition by the United Nations.

Queen Letizia was appointed during a special ceremony in Rome following her work campaigning against hunger and malnutrition across the world – and said she will use her new role to highlight the benefits of a Mediterranean diet.

She turned heads during a state visit to Honduras last month where she was photographed wearing a tiny black dress, showing off her slender figure.

As a Special Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN, she will now raise awareness of global hunger and help drive support around the world to help the problem.

Calling the Mediterranean diet ‘the best example of healthy and sustainable eating’, she used her first address as an ambassador to urge for ‘collective action’ from businesses, governments and individuals around the world to end malnutrition around the world.

The appointment of the FAO special ambassadors has an initial term of two years, which can then be renewed.

O’Brien to Host This Weekend’s Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day Rally

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Soledad O’Brien is rallying for the planet…

The 48-year-old half-Cuban American broadcast journalist is set to host the free Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day rally alongside will.i.am.

The all-day Earth Day rally and concert will take place on Saturday, April 18 at the National Mall from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm ET near the Washington Monument.

Usher, Mary J. Blige, Gwen Stefani, Common and Train are scheduled to perform during the event.

Earth Day organizers also are announcing plans with developers of the popular Angry Birds game to create a new in-game experience about climate change. Angry Birds has been downloaded 2.8 billion times worldwide. The game’s climate change campaign will coincide with the United Nations General Assembly in September as world leaders tackle sustainability goals.

Earth Day Network president Kathleen Rogers says the game and celebrity power will help more people focus on solving climate change.

The rally is a joint initiative with the Global Poverty Project to end extreme poverty and coincides with meetings at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington. Top officials from the World Bank and United Nations are expected to speak at the rally.

Eliminating poverty will require solving climate change, Rogers said. So advocates on both issues are collaborating to push for sustainable international development.

“Whether it’s the big migrations we expect to see or soil depletion or emptying the oceans, loss of species, loss of timberland — all these things are creating poverty at the same time that they are also creating climate change issues,” Rogers said.

While Earth Day is officially on April 22, the Saturday rally will ask participants to commit to making environmentally friendly “acts of green” this year. Organizers also are asking attendees to sign petitions for a U.N. conference on climate change planned for Paris in December.

Sanz Joins Greenpeace’s “Save The Arctic” Campaign

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro Sanz is encouraging you to help Save the Arctic…

The 44-year-old Spanish singer has recorded a video to raise awareness on how climate change and destructive industry is affects the planet in the North Pole and beyond.

It’s all part of Greenpeace’s “Save The Arctic” campaign, which aims to demonstrate evidence of the possible consequences of the disappearance of the continental and marine ice in the Arctic on the world.

The Grammy-winning singer joined forces with the environmental organization to encourage people throughout the world to sign a petition to have the United Nations General Assembly declare a global sanctuary in the North Pole and ban drilling and destructive industry in the Arctic.

In the video, Sanz expresses his concern for the environmental effects of oil drilling, industrial fishing and conflict in the Arctic; and he encourages others to act now to protect the North Pole so that his children can enjoy the world and its marvels as they exist today.

Greenpeace warns that the Arctic could remain without marine ice in the next 10 to 20 years, which will have serious effects on the rest of the world.

Click here to sign Greenpeace’s petition, which has already been signed by 2.8 million people.

Mendes Joins the ILO’s “End Slavery Now!” Campaign

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Sérgio Mendes is speaking out against slavery across the globe…

The 71-year-old Grammy-winning Brazilian musician has teamed up with Jada Pinkett Smith, Mila Kunis and others in supporting the International Labour Organization’s fight to end slave labor throughout the world.

The ILO reports that an estimated 21 million people around the world—most of them women and children—work as forced labor or in conditions so oppressive that they would be considered “slave-like.” Sadly, one out of every four contemporary slaves is a child.

The dire situation has struck a chord in Hollywood, with a new group of celebrities like Mendes offering their public support for the International Labour Organization’s global “End Slavery Now!” campaign.

This week, Pinkett Smith released a video appeal for the ILO, a subsidiary of the United Nations, while Mendes released an image of himself holding an “End Slavery Now!” sign.

“When we think of slavery,” said Smith, “we think of the past. But the truth is that three out of every 1,000 people in the world today are either in forced labour, have been trafficked or work in slave-like conditions. . .It has to stop.”

In a statement issued from the organization’s Geneva headquarters, ILO Director General Guy Ryder said, “For all of us, having a decent job with a fair wage, having our fundamental rights protected and having access to minimum protection in times of need is a basic aspiration. Sadly, even today, millions of women and men, boys and girls are caught in the nightmare of slavery and forced labour. That’s why the ILO is greatly encouraged to see so many leading artists join this fight.”

Venegas to Perform at United Nations Concert in Cuba

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Julieta Venegas is set to take the stage on Cuban soil for the first time ever…

The 41-year-old Mexican singer-songwriter will perform in Cuba next month at a concert aimed at helping the United Nations’ worldwide campaign to end violence against women, according to Cuban officials.

Venegas will join Cuban musicians like Santiago Feliu, Rodrigo Garcia and Rochy Ameneiro at the special concert at Havana’s National Theater.

The Tijuana-raised Grammy-winning singer, known for songs like “Andar conmigo,” “Lento” and “Me voy” will also take part in a panel discussion the day after the concert alongside U.S. documentary filmmaker Catherine Murphy the next day in the Cuban capital to discuss the same subject.

Venegas has been a cultural goodwill ambassador for the Council of Ministers for Women of Central America since 2011. In 2009, she was appointed a UNICEF ambassador in her country.

Venegas, who has sold several million albums since she began her musical career in 1997, has won five Latin Grammys and is just finishing up a new album that should be released in 2013.

Her special Cuban concert will take place on December 3.

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