World leaders pledge $7.2bn at Global Citizen Festival, Nana Addo signs Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace[/caption] Ghana has become one of the latest signatories to the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace. President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, made the disclosure during the just-ended well-attended “Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100”, a concert that honoured the centenary and celebrated the legacy of South Africa’s first democratic President, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. The Paris Call is a high-level declaration on developing common principles for securing cyberspace. It has already received the backing of several civil society organisations, as well as many private companies including Microsoft, Google and Facebook amongst others. https://youtu.be/4ceGHb9PZo4 The Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 event, which took place at the over 90,000 seater FNB stadium in Johannesburg, aimed primarily at achieving the SDG goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030. Following Sunday night’s Global Citizen Festival in South Africa, the anti-poverty initiative reportedly raised over $7 billion in commitments — seven times the group’s original projected goal of $1 billion. [caption id="attachment_135859" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Prime Minister of Mozambique Carlos Agostinho do Rosario speaks on stage during the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 at FNB Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100)[/caption] According to an impact report on Global Citizen’s website, the concert won pledges from organizations such as the World Bank, Vodacom, Cisco and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, as well as the South African government. [caption id="attachment_135860" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] President of Rwanda Paul Kagame speaks on stage during the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 at FNB Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100)[/caption] Commitments will be applied towards the United Nations’ “2030 Program,” which aims to end extreme poverty by that year. [caption id="attachment_135861" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] President of Sierra Leone.Julius Maada Bio speaks on stage during the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 at FNB Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100)[/caption] The festival, typically held annually in Manhattan’s Central Park, was first established in 2012. A special one-off concert took place December 2nd in Johannesburg’s colossal First National Bank Stadium: Organized in conjunction with the House of Mandela museum, Global Citizen celebrated the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s birth with an explosive show, featuring performances by Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Femi Kuti, Eddie Vedder, Usher, Coldplay, Kacey Musgraves and many other artists. [caption id="attachment_135862" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Gayle King speaks on stage during the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 at FNB Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100)[/caption] Fans acquired tickets through a point system that quantifies acts of civic engagement, including signing petitions, tweeting and calling their local representatives. [caption id="attachment_135863" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Paul Stoffels, Chief Scientific Officer at Johnson & Johnson, Danai Gurira and Dr. Glenda Gray, President of South African Medical during the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 at FNB Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100)[/caption] This effort resulted in a total of 5.6 million actions calling for better sanitation, support for people living with HIV/AIDS and gender equity. “These are some of the same issues I advocate for with my foundation,” Usher told Billboard on Thursday. [caption id="attachment_135864" align="aligncenter" width="683"] President of Sierra Leone.Julius Maada Bio speaks on stage during the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 at FNB Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100)[/caption] The artist was joined onstage Sunday night by local DJ Black Coffee and the South African Indigenous Dance Academy. “You see how artists can fulfill their duty to give back,” he continued, “but also that there’s power in numbers.” [caption id="attachment_135865" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Barbara Lee speaks on stage during the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 at FNB Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100)[/caption]   https://youtu.be/09JXBR5xCGo President Akufo-Addo further disclosed that, next year, the country will host the first ever International Global Peace Initiative, which is intended to forge the connection between Peace and Development. “We want you to join us for that event and to reflect on how digital peace can be made foundational to Global Peace,” he said.]]>