Global Citizens

HPR — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:27:40 +0000

To whom much is given, much is expected

BY CAITRIA O'NEILL

Celebrity activism is not a new concept. In the 1950s, entertainer Danny Kaye brought much attention to UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, by becoming its global ambassador. George Harrison started off a string of musical benefits with his 1971 Concert for Bangladesh, not unlike the contemporary Live Earth concert series designed to raise awareness of climate change. But what is new in current celebrity activism is the higher level of competence and increased capability to create change found in the activists themselves. These “global citizens” represent a new and increasingly important breed of political leaders. They are well-known men and women who are able to spur cultural trends that focus attention on areas of their particular interest. Individuals such as Al Gore, Bono and Bill Gates have access to tremendous resources and are well suited to address transnational issues. Though they will certainly never compete with governments or international institutions, their influence is on the rise.

How Do They Do It?
Celebrity activists are not defined by managerial genius or business leadership, but instead their unique social positions. As popular figures they have the attention of millions before they even choose a cause for which to advocate. As Professor Jane Wei-Skillern of the Harvard Business School told the HPR, “These individuals can mobilize far more resources and direct more attention to the issue than an average person could.” But their success is due not only to their ability to attract a higher quantity of activivsts to their causes, but also an ability to attract extremely high quality activists. David Bornstein, author of “How to Change the World,” a study of social entrepreneurship, said that “Al Gore and Bill Gates have phenomenal convening ability, they can and have sought out the best people to help with their initiatives.” A prime example of this phenomenon came in 2006, when The Gates Foundation doubled in size through a $30 billion donation from investor Warren Buffet, which stipulated that Bill or Melinda Gates must be active in the charity’s administration for the donation to be valid.

Above the Fray
In addition to their celebrity, the most defining aspect of “global citizens” is their position outside of the political arena. This distance from government can lend them added credibility in the eyes of the public, as well as allow them to pursue issues generally ignored by politicians. As Wei-Skillern noted, “our culture pays attention to celebrities and is sometimes skeptical towards politicians. Some of these people…have a significant combination of resources and credibility, perhaps far greater than a politician’s. They can focus on issues that are not usually addressed as thoroughly by policy workers who must focus on so many other things as well.”

While being removed from the political fray permit greater discretion on the part of global citizens, it makes affecting substantive change more difficult - drawing attention to a problem is not the same as solving it. Though celebrities are able to generate incredible interest and direct resources towards their pet issues, such as Bono and the ONE campaign designed to end poverty, they still eventually must utilize political channels to change laws or draw a governmental response. Though Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth won an Oscar and spurred a New York Times bestselling book, the climate change movement is still inhibited by resistance from government and businesses. Unable to change policies themselves, it seems global citizens function best as figureheads, though this should not be considered a small role. Anna Huritz, consultant at the Social Enterprise Group, said, “Policy won’t change without awareness. Someone must create a buzz in order to get policy changed.”

Increasing Influence
Global citizens will likely become more influential in the near future. Wei-Skillern explained that as individuals operating outside of their governments they are well suited to transcend national boundaries. This is an invaluable skill in addressing global issues that are not conducive to action from a single political body, such as global warming, AIDS, or poverty. It is accordingly no coincidence that the most prominent global citizens have directed their aims at exactly such global issues. As these topics increase in significance it can be expected that global citizens will do the same.