Houstonian and international star Beyoncé, is partnering with the United Nations and humanitarian aid organizations from around the world to launching the 2012 global campaign that annually shines a spotlight on humanitarian workers.
Observed on August 19th, World Humanitarian Day, is annual global day designated by the UN to raise public awareness of humanitarian assistance worldwide, and recognize people who risk their lives to help people in need, wherever they are. The date itself was chosen to mark the day in 2003 when 22 people lost their lives in an attack on the UN offices in Baghdad.
The World Humanitarian Day music video for Beyoncé’s song “I Was Here” will be filmed in the UN General Assembly Hall in New York in front of a live audience, and be released globally on August 19th. Beyoncé and songwriter Diane Warren are donating the video to the campaign.
“World Humanitarian Day celebrates humanitarian work,” said Valerie Amos, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. “I hope everyone will pledge to complete at least one humanitarian action – however great or small – through WHD-IWASHERE.org. Together we can create an unprecedented awareness of the plight of people affected by crises around the world.”
The campaign website, which is launched Friday, provides everyone with an opportunity to unite and share his or her individual acts of good. On August 19, the campaign aims to reach 1 billion people in a day with a single message.
“We all see the headlines and we think what can I really do to help?”, said Beyoncé. “World Humanitarian Day is an opportunity for all of us to work together to make a difference. This is our time to leave our mark on the world and show that we were here and we care.”
Communities and organizations across the globe will celebrate World Humanitarian Day through commemorations and public events, from Dubai to Geneva, Bangkok to Panama City and Addis Ababa to New York.
It takes only five simple steps to support World Humanitarian Day.
- Visit www.whd-iwashere.org
- Click on “Show Your Support”.
- Choose to support World Humanitarian Day via Twitter, Facebook or both, and get the word out to your friends and followers.
- Continue tweeting and posting in the lead-up to August 19th.
- On August 19th, make your mark by doing something in your local community, and watch as everyone’s World Humanitarian Day messages are simultaneously shared around the world.