More than 50 Musicians, 13 countries, 1 world anthem: UNFPA debuts music video on Facebook
"Some say our planet is too crowded. I say we are seven billion strong," said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "In our increasingly interconnected world, we all have something to give and something to gain by working together. Let us unite, seven billion strong, in the name of the global common good."
United, the result of a partnership between UNFPA, Playing For Change and the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund, is part of 7 Billion Actions, a global campaign to build awareness around the opportunities and challenges of a world of seven billion people.
The initiative calls on citizens and organizations to post their commitments for making a healthier and more sustainable world. With every social issuefrom the environment and urbanization to health and youth empowermentrequiring action more urgently than ever before, the 7 billion milestone in human history offers an opportunity to rethink relationships with one another and with the planet.
"The world population is interconnected like never before," commented UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin. "I see the milestone of 7 Billion as a call to action to ensure that everyone can enjoy equal rights and dignity."
UNFPA has enlisted a diverse group of corporations, organizations and individuals to help lead the 7 Billion Actions initiative, and make use of online, mobile and offline actions to tell the story of the people behind the number. With the release of United, individuals around the world are invited to create their own unique versions of the song at www.7billionactions.org/music and have a chance to be included in a Playing For Change mash-up. In this way, the song and the broader 7 Billion Actions campaign hopes to inspire all people and organizations to address the challenges of our time and improve our world of seven billion people and counting.
The musicians featured in the United music video include:
Jie Ma - Lanzhou, China
Benicio Torres Reyes - Palenque, Colombia
Ahmed Hassan - Cairo, Egypt
Lkatos Mnica - Budapest, Hungary
Pter Kovts and gota Bendik - Budapest, Hungary
Avnee Mithaiwala - Mumbai, India
Mahamadou Diabate - Kirina, Mali
Mountaga Sissoko - Bamako, Mali
Passakorn Matura - Chiang Mai, Thailand
Daryl Simpson - Omagh, Northern Ireland, UK
Grandpa Elliott - New Orleans, USA
Renard Poch - New Orleans, USA