Saturday April 18, 2020 ~ WORLD
by Mary Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
The “One World: Together At Home” live concert tonight Saturday April 18 will be live-streamed and broadcast in a wide range of ways.
Major TV stations and their livestream platforms will carry the concert tonight starting at 5 pm Pacific Time, including on CBC, CTV, Global, NBC networks, ABC, ViacomCBS Networks, The CW and iHeartMedia channels. In the UK it will run on the BBC. | How to Watch
A digital stream of “One World: Together At Home” will begin at 11 am Pacific Time and can be streamed on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Amazon Prime Video, TIDAL, Yahoo, Apple platforms and Twitch.
Produced by Global Citizen, the event is being held in support of the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and will support frontline healthcare workers and the World Health Organization (WHO).
WHO reports today April 18 (in their Report #89) that globally there have been 2,160,207 confirmed COVID-19 infections, and now 146,088 deaths around the world due to the viral disease.
In BC, as of noon today April 18, there have been 1,647 confirmed cases and 81 deaths due to COVID-19 (most of those have occurred in long-term care homes; 24 of those seniors’ facilities have been involved in outbreaks, with 20 of those outbreaks still current).
The streamed event will reach millions around the world thanks to digital technology and Internet connectivity.
This past week, US President Donald Trump said his country would be cutting back on funding to WHO. The United States is the WHO’s largest single donor, contributing between $400 million and $500 million annually to the Geneva-based agency in recent years.
“During the worst public health crisis in a century, halting funding to the World Health Organization is a dangerous step in the wrong direction that will not make defeating COVID-19 easier,” said American Medical Association president Patrice Harris. Meanwhile, Congress already appropriated funding for WHO and Trump may not have the power to unilaterally suspend it.
The multi-hour concert tonight is a hybrid of public health conference and a festival-style concert. Artists, global health experts, world leaders and health funding philanthropists (including Bill Gates) will be featured, with a blend of performances and talks.
The highest profile performers will include The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga (who coordinated it), and Celine Dion. The full list also includes:
Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, Oprah Winfrey, Alicia Keys. Usher, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Eddie Vedder, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, John Legend, Pharrell Williams, LL Cool J, Amy Poehler, Andrea Bocelli, Kacey Musgraves, Ellen DeGeneres, Awkwafina, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Camila Cabello, Chris Martin, David Beckham and Victoria Beckham, Finneas, Idris Elba and Sabrina Elba, J Balvin, Keith Urban, Kerry Washington, Maluma, Lupita Nyong’o, Lang Lang, Sam Smith, Matthew McConaughey, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan, Shawn Mendes, Burna Boy.
Hosted by Comedians:
The concert be hosted by Jimmy Fallon of “The Tonight Show,” Jimmy Kimmel of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and Stephen Colbert of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Some “Sesame Street” characters will also be on hand to inspire people around the world to take meaningful actions that increase support for the global COVID-19 response.
Leading up to the global broadcast special, there will be a six-hour streamed event beginning at 11 am Pacific, curated from around the world, to support healthcare workers doing life-saving work on the front lines.
Taking the Pledge:
You can pledge online about staying home and doing physical distancing, and provide your email address to become a Global Citizen:
“In the face of a global pandemic we need to act as Global Citizens — with humanity and kindness towards our neighbours, our friends, our communities and those across the world battling this virus. That is why I am following the guidelines of the World Health Organization and pledging to stay at home, keep the minimum distance of 1m from others, and wash my hands regularly. In slowing the spread of the virus and staying at home I am making the world safer for those working on the frontline in our hospitals and on our streets to keep us safe. The more people who take this pledge and stay at home, the more lives we will save together.” #TogetherAtHome #StayHome