International super star and GPE Global Ambassador Rihanna set twitter on fire recently, calling on world leaders to prioritize education financing and GPE’s replenishment. Within one day, her tweets were trending, retweets were increasing by the thousands each second.
Hot on the heels of releasing a video about her recent visit to Malawi with GPE and Global Citizen, Rihanna tweeted to G20 leaders, calling on them to prioritize funding for global education when they met in Hamburg, Germany and to support GPE’s replenishment.
Hey Navy – step up w/ me and be a @GlblCtzn ! Demand that #G20 leaders agree in July to support 4 @GPforEducation https://t.co/laLQ7SYS7Q pic.twitter.com/mkI21fxkpM
— Rihanna (@rihanna) June 23, 2017
She then took one step further, tweeting the leaders of France, Argentina and Canada, plus Steffan Siebert, the spokesperson for Germany's Chancelor Angela Merkel.
Germany, I'm checking in to see where we are on the commitment to #FundEducation w/ @GPforEducation? @regsprecher, I'm depending on you!
— Rihanna (@rihanna) June 23, 2017
The reaction has been phenomenal, with thousands of people taking to twitter to support Rihanna’s call to action for global education. Global leaders reacted too.
Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri and Seibert of Germany responded and publicly reaffirmed the primacy of education in their country’s policy goals, with Macri’s team also announcing that education will be at the center of his G20 presidency in 2018.
Hi @Rihanna, education is a key area of German development policy. We have nearly doubled spending since 2013.Thanks for spreading the word! https://t.co/ff4QX1rb0s
— Steffen Seibert (@RegSprecher) June 24, 2017
Hola @Rihanna! Education is in the central core of our political aims. Only education can change the world. @EstebanBullrich https://t.co/T49GIB0QXo
— Mauricio Macri (@mauriciomacri) June 24, 2017
Hola @rihanna! Argentina will host the G20 next year and we are fully committed to making education a priority https://t.co/5GA0iyLVRE
— Esteban Bullrich (@estebanbullrich) June 24, 2017
“We've got your back!” responded Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada who also shared that girls' education is part of Canada's feminist international development policy.
.@rihanna we've got your back! Thanks to @mclaudebibeau who made sure girls' education is in our feminist international development policy.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 26, 2017
Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, took to twitter to thank Rihanna for shining a light on the urgent need to address education financing, adding that it is time for the G20 to deliver.
Thank you @Rihanna for calling upon world leaders to #FundEducation. #Norway has doubled its funding in 4 yrs. #G20 : time to deliver! pic.twitter.com/Lzur6f5EuC
— Erna Solberg (@erna_solberg) June 28, 2017
GPE Board Chair Julia Gillard tweeted that real action by the G20 would be to support GPE's replenishment so that countries can build schools, train teachers and deliver quality education for all.
...Real action per @rihanna means pledging funds to @GPforEducation to build schools, train teachers & deliver quality education for all-JG
— Julia Gillard (@JuliaGillard) June 24, 2017
Worldwide media coverage
Rihanna advocacy for GPE was covered by hundreds of media outlets across the world from the BBC to Time magazine to L'Express.
With a following on social media the size of a small country (75 million and counting) the BBC article purported that perhaps Rihanna might get a mention at the G20 summit herself.
Alas no mention for Rihanna, but the world leaders heard her and the thousands of activist groups who tirelessly pushed the G20 leaders to prioritize education.
The G20 Leaders Declaration: Shaping an Interconnected World emphasizes the importance of education in achieving sustainability, women's empowerment, bridging the digital divide and boosting employment. The historic recognition of education in the G20 communique makes specific reference to the role of GPE, Education Cannot Wait and an international financing facility for education.
My statement welcoming #G20 commitment to #FundEducation and make it pillar for 2018 G20 summit in Argentina: https://t.co/4MAFZ6W69T
— Julia Gillard (@JuliaGillardGPE) July 10, 2017
Education advocacy works
The world is clearly recognizing the critical role equitable access to quality education plays in ensuring more prosperous, secure and healthy communities. In early 2018 GPE will hold a replenishment conference to raise funds that will help the education of up to 870 million children living in 89 countries.
GPE aims to be a US$2 billion per year organization by 2020, and is seeking donor contributions for 2018 to 2020 to strengthen education systems and improve learning, efficiency and equity so that all children and youth are equipped to work and thrive in the 21st century.
Now the eagle eyes among you may have noted that President Macron did not respond to Rihanna’s tweet. He did one better… he invited her to meet with him at the Élysée in Paris this Wednesday.
We at GPE are honored to work with Global Citizen and Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation to support Rihanna’s role as GPE Global Ambassador. With Rihanna on our side, and the growing number of civil society organizations joining advocacy efforts to ensure education for all, we cannot wait to see what comes next.
Stay tuned!