Six remarkable leaders working in their communities and around the world to advance progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) have been honoured by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
The Foundation recognized the six leaders for their contributions as this year’s Goalkeepers Global Goals Award winners.
The awardees include Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, former US President and First Lady Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter, Bono, and activists from Cameroon, Ethiopia, and the United States
The awards ceremony took place during UN General Assembly week on the evening of Tuesday, September 19, 2023 in New York.
The 2023 Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards Ceremony was hosted by Elaine Welteroth, award-winning journalist, TV host, and author, and was attended by global leaders, activists, and celebrities.
The event included special performances by Tiwa Savage, Nigerian singer-songwriter and actress; Usha Jey, Tamil dancer and choreographer; Zara Larsson, Swedish singer-songwriter; and the Harlem Gospel Choir.; Zara Larsson, Swedish singer-songwriter; and the Harlem Gospel Choir.
The daytime event featured special guests Jon Batiste, American musician and singer; David Oyelowo, actor, director, and producer; Titilope Sonuga, Nigerian poet and former poet laureate; and Sallie Krawcheck, founder of Ellevest.
The 2023 Global Goalkeeper Award, which recognizes a leader who has driven progress on a global scale toward achieving the Global Goals, was presented to the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida.
PM Kishida was presented with the award for championing resilient, equitable, and sustainable universal health coverage for all; embedding the Global Goals in Japan’s development cooperation charter; and strengthening the global health architecture to prevent future pandemics.
The 2023 Campaign Award, which celebrates a campaign that has raised awareness or built a community by inspiring action and creating change, was presented to The Farmlink Project, founded by Aidan Reilly, Ben Collier, and James Kanoff, for its work advocating for and building community around food equity in the United States.
Through its network of more than 600 student fellows and 6,000 volunteers, The Farmlink Project has provided 83 million meals and transferred more than 130 million pounds of nutritious food to communities facing hunger.
The 2023 Changemaker Award, which celebrates an individual who has inspired change using personal experience or from a position of leadership, was presented to Ashu Martha Agbornyenty for her work reducing high rates of maternal mortality in Cameroon.
Ashu writes about the work of midwives and shares her knowledge on pregnancy through her blog, Marthie’s Midwifery Diary. Through her For Mom & Baby Foundation, she and her team provide community workshops and distribute emergency kits containing essential birth supplies to pregnant women in crisis-stricken areas, reaching 1,000 women and girls in the region since 2021.
The 2023 Progress Award, which celebrates an individual who supports progress via a science, technology, digital, or business initiative, was presented to journalist, social entrepreneur, digital innovator, and human rights activist Eden Tadesse.
Tadesse founded the online platform Invicta, a global impact platform that promotes digital financial inclusion, skills development, and access to job opportunities for urban refugees.
Through her efforts, more than 35,000 people from 90 countries have registered on Invicta, with 7,000 of them completing online courses and more than 2,200 refugees finding employment.
Special recognition awards were presented to Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter and Bono for their tireless work over many decades towards global health and development.
The Goalkeepers Lifetime Achievement Award was given to former President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, honouring their extraordinary work on disease eradication, mental health, democracy, conflict resolution, human rights, and, most notably, combating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) such as Guinea worm disease, river blindness, and malaria.
The award was accepted on their behalf by Paige Alexander, CEO of the Carter Center, and Jason Carter, chair of the Carter Center Board of Trustees.
The Goalkeepers Voice Award was presented to Bono, founder of the ONE Campaign and (RED), lead singer of the band U2, and activist, for his significant impact on SDG progress through advocacy and campaigning with ONE and (RED).
Speaking on the 2023 awards, Blessing Omakwu, deputy director, global content and campaigns and Goalkeepers lead said: “This year’s Goalkeepers Global Goals Award winners show us how human ingenuity and innovation can help tackle some of the world’s most difficult challenges.
“Everyone has the power to make a difference in their communities, and these courageous and indefatigable advocates are helping tens of thousands of people live healthier, more productive lives.”
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