Coachella Artists Join With UN Officials in Fight Against Global Hunger

During the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival opening weekend on April 15, the United Nations and CORE — an emergency relief non-profit co-founded by Sean Penn — held a gathering to discuss the roles that artists can play in spreading awareness about ending world hunger globally.

The event was attended by U.N. officials who traveled far and wide from Kenya, Sudan, The Hague, and Guatemala to Coachella to meet with artists and discuss ways to collectively garner support in fighting climate-induced global hunger and impending famine. The United Nations officials hope to replicate the music industry's efforts 40 years ago, in rallying support for famine relief.

Globally, approximately 45 million people — equivalent to California's population — face the threat of starvation. The newly appointed United Nations Coordinator for Famine Prevention and Response, Reena Ghelani, and Ann Lee, CEO of CORE, led the meeting in Coachella.

According to Lee, music is a powerful force for global change. “Music is a building block to humanity. It shapes culture, it moves us physically, emotionally, mentally. It is food for our soul — and therefore the best way to help feed the world,” Lee said.

The musical performances featured Haitian musician and Arcade Fire bandmember Paul Beaubrun, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Jupiter Bokondji of Jupiter & Okwess, and Pakistani singer and songwriter Ali Sethi, Harry Styles’ musical director Pauli The PSM, Grammy-nominated producer (Drake, Nas, The Game) Nabeyin and Nigerian DJ Sydney Love.

A sustainable food experience was provided by Chef Grace Ramirez. Chef Ramirez is an ambassador of the UN’s Chefs’ Manifesto, a network of chefs in 92 countries, aligned with actions to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Chef Ramirez also shared insights on how to promote sustainable food systems.

According to the World Food Programme, approximately 345 million people will suffer food insecurity in 2023. During the ceremony, United Nations Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator, Reena Ghelani, emphasized this by stating the importance of artists and musicians in tackling the global issue. "Musicians and artists are central to the culture of our times. They have the power to move people and evoke change. We need their powerful voice to galvanize the world to act," Ghelani said.

Watch the video recap here:

CORE and the UN Join Forces to Combat Global Hungerwww.youtube.com