Kelly's record goal aims to 'eradicate global poverty'

Successful Portroe businessman Declan Kelly is on a new mission to “eradicate global poverty and climate change”.
His international advisory firm Teneo is spearheading a Live Aid-reminiscent campaign aimed at securing multi-billion-euro commitments to meet the United Nations' 'Global Goals' for a better world. Announcing details of 'Global Goal Live: The Possible Dream', Mr Kelly last week revealed that the year-long campaign would culminate in a global media event spanning five continents, the largest live-broadcast cause event in history.
Interviewed on the ‘Late, Late Show’ on Friday, the Portroe native told of how he was inspired to take action on the world’s problems after he met with Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen, an international movement aimed at ending extreme poverty by 2030.
“It changed my life when I met him because I suddenly realised that there was something else worth doing that was much more important than what I was doing,” Mr Kelly said. 
“And so I flung myself right into the whole cause of Global Citizenship with him.” 
Scheduled to take place on September 26th 2020, Global Goal Live will involve a 10-hour global media event. 
Some of the world's biggest music acts have already signed up, while a number of major multinational corporations have also thrown their weight behind the event.
But Mr Kelly stressed that Global Goal Live would be unlike Live Aid in that the campaign is calling specifically on governments, philanthropists and the private sector to step forward and provide the $350 billion needed annually for people and the planet to achieve the Global Goals.
“We’re not asking people to donate money,” he told ‘Late, Late’ host Ryan Tubridy. 
“It’s not a telethon like Live Aid was. Essentially there are 17 UN sustainable development goals. The three that are important in this context are gender equality, climate change and poverty eradication.”
He told of how five million children die from malnutrition every year.
There are a billion people in the world without access to clean water. 700 million people live on $1.90 a day or less.
“When you go around the world and you tell people this, what can we do to change it? We’re going to raise awareness to get commitments up to the value of $350 billion between now and the 26th of September next year. Why $350bn? Because that’s what it costs, every year for the next 10 years, to eradicate global poverty and climate change.”
Asked whether individual countries should first seek to get their own houses in order – such as the homelessness problem in Ireland – Mr Kelly replied that such issues cannot be looked at isolation. He called for a global view.
“Every country has its own domestic issues it has to deal with and I think they are legitimate. I also think that if every country was just focusing on its own problem, the world would be a very different place.
“The world spends $1.8 trillion a year on arms and munitions. The vast majority of the world’s trade with each other in donor aid goes to countries that are already doing business with each other. If they just gave the money to Third World countries – the 59 countries that are the poorest – it would eradicate the entire problem. It would go away.
“There are 2,150 billionaires in the world. If they gave away 1% of their wealth, the entire thing would be solved.”
Describing Ireland as a “great champion of both the Global Goals and Global Citizen”, Mr Kelly said his campaign is being met with strong support. “I think that Irish people are unique and I think that we can play a huge role in this campaign,” he said, adding: “We’re not being met with cynicism. We’re being met with warmth and welcome everywhere we go.”
A former reporter with the Nenagh Guardian and Tipperary Star, Mr Kelly co-founded Teneo in 2011. It is the world’s largest advisory firm and currently has 820 people working in 20 countries. Prior to that, he was an international executive consultant and served as US Special Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland.
Son of Tom and Nan Kelly, and brother of local TD Alan, Mr Kelly also spoke briefly in last week’s interview about growing up in Portroe and set-dancing with Liam Sheedy. He talked about the loss of the family home in a fire when he was eight years old, a “formative experience” that gave his family the drive to succeed.
“Portroe is a very special place,” Mr Kelly said. “600 people on the banks of the River Shannon. It’s an amazing, amazing place and I’m very proud to be from there.”
Big-name music acts such as Coldplay, Cyndi Lauper, Eddie Vedder, Metallica, Miley Cyrus, Muse, Ozzy Osbourne and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are among those that will be on the bill for Global Goal Live. Simultaneous anchor events are currently planned for Central Park in New York, and Lagos in Nigeria, with to-be-announced cities in Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
Global Goal Live is also supported by a coalition of many of the world’s leading corporations, among them Cisco, Delta Airlines, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, and Verizon, who will work together to engage additional support from the private sector.
And multi-award-winning producer and director John McColgan, best known for Riverdance, has been announced as chairman of the committee in Ireland that will be responsible for working with businesses, government and local performing artists to generate support for the campaign.
Further details will be available at GlobalGoalLive.com; follow @glblctzn on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube