Rahul Bose joins Global Celebrities and Dignitaries

NEW YORK, NY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2008: ‘in my name’, a new song by Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am  written for the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP), will be launched live today at a star-studded event in New York featuring dignitaries, celebrities and activists including UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon, Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan, Kristin Davis, Elle Macpherson, Mary Robinson, Ela Bhatt and Rahul Bose.

 African singer Angelique Kidjo will play the song live to launch the new GCAP campaign, also called ‘in my name’, outside the UN, where world leaders will be meeting to discuss how to save a world in crisis. The campaign features celebrities, dignitaries and citizens, all holding their governments accountable for the lack of progress on meeting the Millennium Development Goals and will also be launched across MTV and inmyname.com

 Prior to the song, Rahul Bose alongside activists, dignitaries and other Oxfam ambassadors including Kristin Davis and Angelique Kidjo  will sign his name on a pledge wall outside the UN building before addressing the crowds and media.  UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon, Queen Rania of Jordan and Mary Robinson will also address crowds.

Taken from his speech to be delivered tomorrow Rahul Bose observes:

Choose to win elections by talking about the shame of the worlds hunger, poverty and illiteracy. Risk not being elected by doing something about the worlds hunger, poverty and illiteracy. Choose to use words like ecosystem, paradigm shift, developmental initiatives.

Or you can choose to use words like….this is insane, this is cruel, this doesn’t make sense.

Choose to let momentum rule. The momentum of human ambition, of getting ahead, of amassing more. Or you can choose to rule momentum. Have the courage to put your hands out and say stop. This is wrong, let’s start again. You can choose to create islands of excellence, develop pods of uniquely skilled personnel. Or you can understand that there are no islands in this world and the only pod you need to worry about is the one inside your ribcage. In your name, nations will go to war believing that is the way to end suffering and injustice. In my name, actors, musicians, models, mothers, construction workers, sportspeople and journalists will go to work believing that is the way to end suffering and injustice.

"We can be the generation that ends poverty," said will.i.am <https://will.i.am/> . "Politicians promised in 2000 to halve poverty in 15 years. They made this pledge in my name, now they must act to achieve it."

 This campaign action is organized under the umbrella of GCAP together with Oxfam International,  Save the Children and Comic Relief,  and has garnered the support of various dignitaries and celebrities including Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jeffery Sachs, Annie Lennox, John Legend, Scarlett Johansson, Sergio Mendes, Missy Higgins, Fergie, John Butler, Mel B, Emmanuel Jal, Wyclef Jean, Khalid Abdalla and Mischa Barton.

 Messages from celebrities and global citizens feature in an ‘in my name’ video to air on MTV and also on a short film called Be the Generation.  - SAMPURN