Trending Now
We have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for Eurasia Group and its affiliates, including GZERO Media, to clarify the types of data we collect, how we collect it, how we use data and with whom we share data. By using our website you consent to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, including the transfer of your personal data to the United States from your country of residence, and our use of cookies described in our Cookie Policy.
{{ subpage.title }}
Celebrities use their platforms for good at UN General Assembly
What do “Fight Club”’s Edward Norton, “Game of Thrones”’s Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Meryl Streep (from too manyiconic films to name) have in common? These actors lent their time — and reach — to initiatives at the UN General Assembly in New York City on Monday.
Norton and Coster-Waldau focused on how creatives can use the arts to drive social change. Norton, a UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity, lamented biodiversity’s “narrative problem.” But, he said, artists are in a unique position to tell these stories in new and exciting ways.
Coster-Waldau, a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, warned against focusing on “doomsday” scenarios when relating to the climate crisis. In an exclusive statement to GZERO Media, Coster-Waldau discussed the importance of using his platform as an actor to inspire “hope” in other people. “Because I do believe that, that’s not just something I Just say. I do believe that we can find a way.”
And Streep introduced a film screening of “The Sharp Edge of Peace,” a documentary following the only women in the Afghan government’s negotiating team during peace talks with the Taliban in 2020. She called the persistent degradation of women’s right’s “a cautionary tale for the rest of the world.”
A Hollywood red carpet and a global meeting of diplomats might not have too much in common. But at a time when everyone is vying for clicks and views to feed the attention-hungry algorithm, partnering with celebrities is an effective tool to lower the barrier of entry for some to learn about global issues.