Earlier this year, 300 young activists from Australia and the Asia-Pacific joined forces with global leaders at the summit to address urgent social and climate challenges.
American pop singer Charlie Puth, Australian actor Hugh Jackman, World Bank president Ajay Banga and former prime minister Julia Gillard were among the big names ‘virtually’ present.
Rowan Farren, who studied at Greater Shepparton Secondary College, received an invitation after working as a member of the Victorian Youth Congress in 2023.
Mr Farren expressed his gratitude for being able to attend but said he was sceptical going in.
He said he was concerned about corporations invading activist spaces for a boost in public approval without a real commitment to change, saying that maintaining a balance between social and corporate needs was critical.
“At its root, (activism) always needs to come back down to making sure social movements are about improving society,” Mr Farren said.
Global Citizen is known for its music festivals, which have boasted headliners such as Beyoncé and Billie Eilish in past years.
The 2023 festival drew a crowd of 60,000 and rallied $290 million in commitments from world leaders.
Through the announcements made at their events, Global Citizen credits itself with billions of dollars worth of impact.
However, it does not contribute any significant amount of its own funds.
Notable announcements made at the Melbourne summit included one by vaccine organisation Gavi’s Marie-Ange Saraka-Yao, who revealed the introduction of HPV vaccines for Timor-Leste in July 2024 and the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s announcement of its first official mission to the Solomon Islands, where its projects intend to safeguard against climate threats to food security.
When asked what he thought about the summit’s efficiency in creating change, Mr Farren said the summit and similar events definitely had the capacity to create change if used as a tool with further action.
“Events like this can be a catalyst for real change, and I think that bringing so many people (with a shared passion) together can genuinely have positive impacts,” Mr Farren said.
“Ultimately though, (events like the summit) need to be treated as a stepping stone which provides inspiration, collaboration and broader capabilities for tackling the challenges of the day.”
He said that although there were many differing political stances and backgrounds at the summit, all attendees agreed that urgent change was imperative.
“There was consensus among politicians present not necessarily on how to go forward, but certainly that we need to go forward,” Mr Farren said.
He recalled one statement that stuck with him, delivered by Nooky, an Indigenous rapper from Nowra in NSW and the founder of We Are Warriors.
Mr Farren said a quote from Nooky, “It’s not about escaping our home towns for the world but bringing the world back to our home towns”, definitely left an impact.
“Moving to Melbourne for university and witnessing all the opportunities available there made me realise a responsibility to return to and support my community,” Mr Farren said.
“Going away for events and programs just helps fuel me, either through knowledge or energising my motivation.
“Hearing from leaders from across the Pacific and Australia, it was difficult to leave without a new sense of energy.”
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