Every person should have the chance to reach her full potential, no matter where she is born. To that end, Comcast NBCUniversal is constantly trying to find ways that we can improve the world around us, using our technology to benefit both people and planet, whether through our Internet Essentials program, Comcast Cares Day, our commitment to military and veteran hiring, our work to make our products accessible to the widest possible audience, or our commitment to the environment through the Green is Universal initiative.
We are also a company that values hard work - we believe that if you work hard, you should see the results. But our global society is too unequal. And as extreme poverty, injustice, and inequality persist, many people around the world simply do not have the opportunities afforded to us, many do not have the chance to work hard and succeed.
Yesterday, 193 world leaders came together to commit to 17 Global Goals to achieve three extraordinary things in the next 15 years - ending extreme poverty, fighting inequality and injustice, and protecting the environment.
We are proud to announce that Comcast is partnering with GlobalCitizen.org, a technology platform that harnesses the power of content to end extreme poverty and to raise awareness for these important Global Goals. Over the next 12 months, we will use our multiple platforms to spread the word about the Global Goals to all of our 22 million plus customers.
This effort kicks off with the 2015 Global Citizen Festival live from the Great Lawn in Central Park today featuring Pearl Jam, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, and Coldplay. MSNBC will be the exclusive broadcast partner of this year’s Global Citizen Festival and MSNBC’s Willie Geist, Thomas Roberts, Alex Wagner, and Janet Mock will host the coverage. The concert will also be live streamed on MSNBC.com. And NBC will air a one-hour special of the event produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Ken Ehrlich and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Richard Curtis on Sunday, September 27 (check your local listings).
These Global Goals represent a truly historic opportunity to ensure the health, safety, and future of the planet for now and for generations to come. Our commitment is to help make these Goals famous. We want every customer and employee to know about them because for the first time in history, we have a globally agreed plan to end the worst forms of injustice in our society. That’s really powerful, but it’s only half of the job - we must work hard to make sure these goals are met. And so our commitment goes beyond simply raising awareness. We’re committing to encouraging every Comcast employee and customer to become a Global Citizen.
If we can come together and take action as global citizens, we can realize the ambition of the Global Goals and change the world.
By the numbers:
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About 2.8 billion people live on a total of less than $2 a day. (United Nations)
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1 out of every 9 people in the world (~795 million) suffers from chronic undernourishment or extreme hunger including 161 million children who are malnourished and stunted. (World Food Programme)
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Global temperatures are predicted to rise by 4 degrees by 2100.
Photo: AP Images