Global Citizen
We are all Global Citizens
Meet the exceptional women who are striving to be part of the great generation to end extreme poverty within our lifetime
On 2 December, Global Citizens from around the world came together in Jozi to celebrate the life, legacy and unfinished business of Nelson Mandela at the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100. Headlined by superstar talent such as Beyoncé & Jay-Z and Cassper Nyovest, the festival also featured world leaders making onstage commitments to help end extreme poverty by 2030.
Global Citizen has taken a ‘pop and policy’ approach, working with artists who have the power to reach and inform millions of fans and activists who can call on world leaders to make serious commitments toward ending extreme poverty.
Since the first festival in New York in 2012, Global Citizen has grown into one of the largest, most visible platforms for young people around the world calling on world leaders to honour their responsibilities in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and ending extreme poverty by 2030.
Global Citizen remains heavily focused on the issue of gender equality. As part thereof, it launched the #SheIsEqual campaign this year. Global Citizen recognises that if we are to achieve a more equitable world, we need governments, corporations and institutions to commit to actions on multiple fronts. Currently, Global Citizen is on track to achieving a $500-million target for SheIsEqual commitments covering areas such as girls’ and women’s nutrition, health, education, sexual reproduction and sexual health.
Behind the scenes of the festival is an incredible group of women from around the world who have worked tirelessly and passionately to bring to life the Mandela 100 campaign and December event.
Global Citizen has taken a ‘pop and policy’ approach, working with artists who have the power to reach and inform millions of fans.
Katie Hill, Vice-President of Artist & Talent Relations, Global Citizen:
In her role, Katie oversees booking artists, hosts and speakers for all Global Citizen’s major events and international development campaigns. She also launched Global Citizen’s year-round ambassador programme, which designs campaigns on specific issues for artists to champion and drive systemic change to further the mission of ending extreme poverty.
Prior to joining Global Citizen, Katie spent seven years working across artist and
philanthropist Marc Eckō’s portfolio, which includes lifestyle media platform
Complex Media, fashion brands Eckō Ultd and Marc Eckō Cut & Sew, and multiple non-profit organisations.
Sibu Madena, Scriptwriter, Global Citizen SA
Sibu, owner of creative communications agency Duma Collective, is a young creative with extensive experience in the event production, sponsorship acquisition, performance direction and street and social media marketing.
Having worked on several live event shows including the SA Music Awards, MetroFM Music Awards and Comedy Central International Comedy Festival—as well as some TV work including SuperSport promos and MTV Base’s Lip Sync Battle—her exposure serves as a good creative spring board for a variety of communications platforms: from linear and digital to stages and experiential events.
Sibu has been chosen as one of the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans and The Plug Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in SA Urban Culture for 2018.
What does it mean to you to be a part of the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100?
For an international event to take notice of the local talent in a territory to which they are new, speaks volumes of the intention to add to the country’s industry development through skills transfer and networking opportunities for locals. Celebrating the legacy of Madiba in his Centenary by utilising skills I had the opportunity to acquire as a result of the freedom for which he and other stalwarts fought is my small way of saying “thank you, Tata”. Every day I am reminded that the Long Walk that Madiba walked to fight for social justice is ours to continue.
What has been your most memorable moment working in South Africa for the Global Citizen campaign?
Meeting so many people who are so passionate about social justice and achieving the goal of eradicating extreme poverty by 2030 is my greatest takeaway from this event.
Caitria Mahoney, Chief of Staff, Global Citizen:
Caitria joined Global Citizen in this role in 2017, working in the Office of the CEO. Prior to Global Citizen, she served as a segment producer on The 11th Hour with Brian Williams at MSNBC.
She began her career working on US President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign in his Chicago headquarters, and went to work in the White House as a political aide to the President from 2012 to 2017. At the White House, Caitria worked for the deputy senior adviser and later as a special assistant to the President and deputy director in the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach.
What does it mean to you to be a part of the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100?
Being part of the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 is a privilege; to be able to honour the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela and grow the Global Citizen movement to bring an end to extreme poverty.
What has been your most memorable moment working in South Africa for the Global Citizen campaign?
The people I have met working in South Africa have been extraordinary. The passion for activism and making real change in the world has been inspiring and contagious to be part of.
Tina Farris, Run-of-Show Producer, Global Citizen:
Tina spent the last two decades weathering rained out stadiums, antagonistic customs officers and sexist promoters to become the tour manager for legends like The Roots, Chris Rock, Nicki Minaj and Queen Latifah. She quickly maturated into a logistics and production sorceress for the legendary crew of The Roots, their entire constellation of co-conspirators (Jill Scott, Common, Pharrell) and, subsequently, the world’s grandest arenas and events (Super Bowl to World Cup to NBA All-Star).
Having spent 20 years amassing a diverse clientele from inside a profession inundated with males, Tina’s new dedication is empowering women intergenerationally with a broad and multi-dissemination of info and resources. Her platform, DECADES, is a mentorship conference for women of all social backgrounds and orientations that takes shape as music school, homeless drives and concerts, etc.
What does it mean to you to be a part of the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100?
It’s an amazing opportunity to celebrate one of my heroes and to be able to share it with the Mandela and Sisulu families. Imagine being involved in something you’ve only read about in history books? This is about celebrating our role model who showed what liberation of people looks like. And for that I am so honoured.
What has been your most memorable moment working in South Africa for the Global Citizen campaign?
Sitting at the Mandela family table for brunch and hearing his grandchildren pontificate in ways I’m sure their family did over the years. Nothing short of amazing.
Kate Orme, Senior Marketing Manager, Global Citizen:
Kate has spent the last 10 years helping corporations such as Pernod Ricard and Diageo grow and connect to young audiences through music, culture and technology. She has developed and executed large-scale marketing and communications campaigns, strategic partnerships and live events across Europe and in Brazil, Cuba, Russia and South Africa.
Now, Kate oversees marketing for Global Citizen in Europe where she is passionate about developing and mobilising the advocacy platform’s international movement of activists to drive positive and lasting change in areas that need it most.
What does it mean to you to be a part of the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100?
Our Mandela 100 Festival in South Africa is definitely the biggest campaign we’ve ever produced. It also feels the most special to me personally. Seeing all the artists and hosts come together to support our campaign has been incredible—they’ve inspired fans to take over 4 million actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, which is a record for us!
What has been your most memorable moment working in South Africa for the Global Citizen campaign?
On a prep trip to Johannesburg last April, I was able to bring one of the headlining artists to visit some of the programmes our campaigning supports. We work year-round campaigning for commitments to end hunger, and being able to see some of the nutrition programmes on the ground in Johannesburg was so meaningful. It made all the hard work and long hours feel beyond worth it.
Chebet Chikumbu, Head of Corporate Partnerships, Global Citizen SA:
Chebet oversees sponsorship management in South Africa and delivers local campaigns through Global Citizen’s world platform. She has spent her career working in private sector development in diverse industries, with experience in 30 African countries.
As a pan-African enthusiast, Chebet is committed to dedicating her 30s to a decade of service for socio-economic transformation on the continent. She is energised about being part of the Global Citizen movement and playing a role in achieving sustainable development outcomes that impact underserved communities.
What does it mean to you to be a part of the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100?
As an African woman, I am deeply encouraged to actively use my voice and my talents through the Global Citizen platform to raise awareness on critical challenges that must be solved so that we can live in a poverty-free world. I am determined to be a change agent for Africa, following the example of Tata Madiba: dedicating his life to serving others for the betterment of our communities, countries and continent.
What has been your most memorable moment working in South Africa for the Global Citizen campaign?
My most memorable moment to date has been working with one of our corporate partners to build out a co-branded action for a sanitation campaign to eradicate pit latrines by 2020. This action has turned out to be one of our most popular actions to date, with more than 110 000 action takers. This has been truly moving to see how much my fellow South Africans have been invested in rallying behind children’s safety through access to proper toilets in schools.
Taara Rangarajan, Country Director, Global Citizen SA:
Taara is the currently the country director for the newly opened Global Citizen headquarters in Johannesburg where she works with a strong team of advocates and campaigners to build the first office on the continent.
Previously, she served under President Obama at the National Security Council, US Mission to the UN, and at the White House. She served as adviser to former national security adviser Ambassador Susan Rice, handling foreign policy planning, interagency co-ordination and crisis management.
What does it mean to you to be a part of the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100?
I moved to South Africa in April 2018 to help start the Global Citizen Johannesburg office. The relationships working with our young team of campaigners, artists and advocates in support of incredible local organisations like Harambee, Afrika Tikkun, Lalela and Kliptown have been truly inspiring. I am excited to see how our campaigns fighting for equality, access to clean water and sanitation and improved health outcomes continue to grow in the coming years.
What has been your most memorable moment working in South Africa for the Global Citizen campaign?
The most memorable moment for me was having the honour of visiting with Dr Makaziwe Mandela to discuss how Global Citizen Mandela 100 could do justice to live up to her father’s legacy. She shared personal reflections on Madiba’s love for music and for building community, all while being a fierce advocate for equality. This has been a guiding principle for the work we are doing to build a movement of global citizens in South Africa and around the world.
Letlhogonolo (Tlhogi) Ngwato, On-Point Public Relations Account Director, Global Citizen SA:
Tlhogi is a dynamic communications and public relations professional specialising in the international development sector, and the connection between global issues, new media and innovative communications. She successfully manages relationships with media organisations and effectively navigates government institutions, NGOs and international organisations to meet client needs.
She has worked on a wide range of industry and brands including MultiChoice Africa, Audi South Africa, Red Bull South Africa, EY South Africa, OMO South Africa and The Unemployment Insurance Fund.
Dr Okito Vanessa Wedi, Manager of Global Policy and Government Affairs, Global Citizen:
Dr Wedi is a South African medical doctor and advocate of Congolese descent, who has worked in both low- and middle-income countries. She is also one of the founding members of the Ona Mtoto Wako project (“See Your Baby” in Swahili), a social initiative that uses mobile ultrasound clinics and mhealth technology to take trained local healthcare workers to pregnant women in remote communities in the DRC.
Her nine years of experience in health, policy and social development are founded on a commitment to help tackle health inequity, gender inequality and extreme poverty in the Global South and the world.
What does it mean to you to be a part of the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100?
It means being a part of something bigger than myself—something focused, prime and purpose-driven. Being a part of this moment is nothing short of blessing.
What has been your most memorable moment working in South Africa for the Global Citizen campaign?
Hearing the voices of hundreds of women and non-conforming people across South Africa sharing their stories of gender-based violence, sexual violence and homophobia. It was a sobering reminder that we as Global Citizen have been entrusted with the stories and experiences of real people, and thus have a responsibility to them and every person who has taken action on the key issues that need to be tackled if we are ever to realise a non-violent, non-sexist, non-prejudice world.
Allana Foster-Finley, Business Development Campaigns Manager, Global Citizen:
Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Allana has an extensive background in the fashion industry. Before making South Africa her home in 2000, she worked her way around the US fashion world.
For the past 18 years, she has been focused on telling the story of the Africa in innovative ways. She has produced a 14-part series for the US government programme Pepfar, is an advisory board member to the first ever South African Menswear Week, a non-executive board member of the Cape Town Fashion Council (2014–2016), served on the board of the Museum of African Design, and contributed to the book African Catwalk by award-winning photojournalist Per-Anders Pettersson.
What does it mean to you to be a part of the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100?
When Global Citizen came on my radar, I was working in the fashion industry and doing my MBA in Kigali, Rwanda. I didn’t think twice about shifting courses to help make this festival a reality. Being part of the festival means I am a part of changing the negative narrative that has plagued the African continent. It is so powerful that Global Citizen is putting the power of impacting policy change in the hands of African citizens.
What has been your most memorable moment working in South Africa for the Global Citizen campaign?
My most memorable moment was during our first action journey, watching a whole community in Soweto, young and old, come out of their homes to clean up a dump site that had been laden with trash for so long. I had honestly never witnessed anything like it—and in that very moment I knew that Global Citizen was unlike any movement to hit Africa before.
Victoria Fortune, Global Manager of Strategic Partnerships; Special Events Producer, Global Citizen:
Victoria is a proud alumna of Howard University, currently residing in Brooklyn, New York. Her love for the community and performing arts has led her to various opportunities in the humanitarian and entertainment space.
Upon graduating, Victoria worked at AEG Live in the marketing and touring department, after which she transitioned to Global Citizen where she leads on partnerships that engage diverse communities. In her producer role, she has led on executive-producing the 2017 Global Citizen Week kick-off event, “Breaking the Silence – Beyond the Dream”, honouring Dr Martin Luther King Jr; as well as the 2018 sold-out events The Spirit of a Movement (honouring global movements of the past and present) and At What Cost?, an event on criminal justice and bail reform.
What does it mean to you to be a part of the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100?
I remember Madiba once said, “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that enhances and respects the freedom of others.” It is my hope that through my efforts in producing The Next 100 Summit, and my overall involvement in our Mandela 100 endeavours, I am able to inspire this generation and generations to come to be the change agents they want to see—as Madiba was for us.
What has been your most memorable moment working in South Africa for the Global Citizen campaign?
Visiting the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator. I had the opportunity to speak to the scholars about my journey to Global Citizen. After I spoke, they were tasked with reflecting on what they heard. One common thing that was brought up was the importance of sacrifice, and the willpower to keep pushing through, even when things get tough.
Festival: Mandela 100?
The December festival was the culmination of a six-month long campaign engaging Global Citizens around the world on seven Global Goals:
○ Poverty (Global Goal 1) – End all forms of poverty everywhere.
○ Zero Hunger (Global Goal 2) – End all forms of hunger and malnutrition.
○ Health (Global Goal 3) – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
○ Education (Global Goal 4) – Ensure every child has access to a quality education.
○ Girls & Women (Global Goal 5) – End all forms of discrimination against women and girls everywhere to ensure that #SheIsEqual.
○ Water & Sanitation (Global Goal 6) – Ensure everyone has access to clean water and sanitation.
○ Life Below Water (Global Goal 14) – Address the threat that plastic pollution poses to the oceans.