Africa’s Next Move, Big Shifts in Aid to End Extreme Poverty, How We Can Save 8 Million Lives, and Your Last Chance to Nominate for the Global Volunteering Awards
Join an upcoming webinar on Africa’s next big opportunities, discover how we can help save 8 million lives. Plus, don’t miss your last chance to nominate leaders for the Global Volunteering Awards!
Dear Friends and Supporters,
If you’re reading this before 3 PM EST | 9 PM CET today (February 19th), I’d love for you to join a webinar I’m moderating with Beyond Bretton Woods, featuring Patrick Achi, the former Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire. Achi has been at the forefront of designing what the next 80 years of finance should look like—making sure that everyday people benefit everywhere.
We’ll be exploring “Africa’s Next Move”—the challenges that still hold progress back, but more importantly, the big opportunities ahead.
No registration needed—click here to join directly via Zoom at 3 PM EST | 9 PM CET today.
If you miss it, don’t worry! It’s being recorded, and I’ll include the link in the next newsletter.
Now, onto other updates!
A Busy and Impactful Few Days in D.C.!
Last week, our team was in Washington, D.C., meeting with foundation and nonprofit partners to talk about the future of U.S. foreign aid—especially in light of the recent USAID pause. While there are real challenges ahead, one thing was clear: there’s strong commitment from our partners to making sure U.S. aid continues to fight poverty, support economic growth, and keep the world more stable.
A big focus of our conversations was how to better explain why foreign aid matters—not just as a moral responsibility, but as a smart investment in security and prosperity for everyone. We’ll keep working with partners to push for aid policies that actually deliver results, and we’ll share ways you can get involved.
On that note, check out the video I recently recorded below, along with a podcast interview I did while in D.C. with The Bunker, where I dive deeper into these conversations—why they matter to all of us, and, on a hopeful note, the opportunities ahead to create even greater impact in the world. As everyone knows, to be an effective policy entrepreneur, you need to keep a healthy dose of optimism—and I’m nothing if not a glass-half-full kind of person. The real excitement lies in how we can reimagine the fight to end poverty, and I’ll be sharing more thoughts on this in the weeks to come.
Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who braved the snow to join us for happy hour drinks! Whether philanthropists, nonprofit leaders, government officials, or musicians, I noticed a real yearning for community—and everyone left feeling a little more energized by the connection. If you missed it, no worries—we’ll catch you next time we’re in town.
Big Changes Ahead for the European Union’s Budget—Why It Matters
While global headlines focused on NATO, Ukraine, and other major developments in Europe this week, an equally important update flew under the radar—the European Commission unveiled its new plan for the next 7-year EU budget, officially known as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), set to be finalized in July 2025. We’ve broken down the key takeaways in this article, and here’s the bottom line: there’s a real push for a stronger, bigger, and future-ready EU budget.
But there’s also reason to be concerned.
Ahead of this announcement, there were talks of merging all external EU funding—like humanitarian aid, development assistance, and pre-accession support—into one single “foreign policy fund.” While it might sound simpler, this kind of merger could actually water down the impact of vital programs, reduce transparency, and undermine the EU’s reputation as a reliable global partner—especially when strong partnerships matter most.
That’s why Global Citizen, alongside 30 other organizations, is calling for a smarter approach: ‘Refinement, Not Overhaul.’ We want to make EU aid and climate investments more effective without risking what’s already working.
We’re staying actively involved to ensure the EU scales up investments where they’re needed most—like global development and climate action—and positions itself as the partner of choice for countries around the world.
Want to get involved? Join over 75 organizations already working together through the MFF hub or reach out to Global Citizen’s EU Representative, Valentina Barbagallo (valentina.barbagallo@globalcitizen.org) to learn more.
Move Afrika & John Legend Arrive This Weekend — Empowering the Next Generation!
The countdown is on! As we gear up for Move Afrika tour with John Legend this weekend, we’re celebrating the incredible young leaders who are ready to make a difference.
Last week, Global Citizen’s Move Afrika Training Week wrapped up at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, where a new wave of young ambassadors gained the skills and confidence to step up and lead. A huge thank you to our partner, Harambee, and the entire Move Afrika team for making this possible.
A Win for Global Health — But We’re Not Done Yet
Since 2000, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has helped save 18.8 million lives, protecting vulnerable communities and driving down child mortality. This is what real health progress looks like.
Now, Gavi is seeking additional funding to save another 8 million lives over the next five years — and while we’re hearing promising signs of new commitments, we’re not there yet. The cost of saving an additional 8 million lives equates to less than two days of global military spending. This is something we can get behind!
That’s why we launched a push with 20 other organizations calling on key decision-makers — including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson — to step up, invest in the future of children’s health, and help save even more lives. Take action today.
Book Tour Update & Upcoming Events
I’m continuing to hear from readers picking up my book, From Ideas to Impact, who say it feels more relevant than ever—especially when it comes to turning apathy into action and reminding us that our efforts can truly make a difference. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who’s left a review on Goodreads or Amazon—it’s helping more people discover the book. (If you haven’t yet and feel inspired, I’d really appreciate it if you could leave a review!)
Last night, I had the chance to speak to a group of next-generation philanthropists about how they can multiply their impact—and there’s more to come! I’ll be doing additional book talks in the months ahead, including one in May on Friday, May 9th in my mum’s hometown of Swindon, UK, where I’ll be in conversation with the local MP and Transport Secretary. Swindon’s just about an hour by train from London, so if you’re nearby, I’d love for you to join!
🏆 Global Volunteering Awards – Don’t Miss Out!
Next week, I’ll be speaking at the Global Volunteering Awards, where I’m also honored to be serving as a judge. These awards shine a spotlight on businesses that go beyond profits, making a real difference by embedding volunteering into their company culture—something more and more employees are actively looking for today.
There’s still time to get involved! Nominations are open until February 21st—so if you know a company or leader doing great work in employee volunteering, this is your chance to recognize them.
My Reading List
If you read my last newsletter, you’ll remember my update about Collie—the coal community featured in my book—and how it offers a blueprint for change by setting aside past rivalries and ideological differences to create win-win solutions that sustain the community and generate jobs.
Here’s another great overview of the town’s latest transformations, along with a YouTube video featuring interviews with many of the people you read about in the book!
The Global Solidarity Levies Task Force is exploring 16 new ways to raise funds—like taxes on fossil fuels, flights, and big financial deals—and your feedback could help shape real solutions; share your thoughts by February 28th and join our newsletter to stay in the loop!
Pakistan just vaccinated 45 million kids in response to 2024's polio resurgence
Why Foreign Aid Makes Smart Foreign Policy: A View from the Forest
Why merging USAID into State would undermine U.S. strategic interests
As always, if you’re enjoying the weekly newsletter format, and want even more, you can subscribe to my Substack here where I publish reviews, lists, and articles regularly.
Till next week,
Mick