Mumbai:  Over ten thousand free tickets have been distributed to winners of the Global Citizen Festival India’s first Action Journey ticket draw. Actions ranged from learning more about the Sustainable Development Goals to signing petitions for proper sanitary facilities on Indian highways.

The second Action Journey will go live on www.globalcitizen.in on Monday 26 September. The actions will focus on Clean Water and Sanitation issues that are considered turnkey in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals: menstrual hygiene, open defection and fecal sludge management. India has the largest number of people without a toilet at home (770 million) and the highest number of people defecating in the open (569 million), even when there are public facilities available, according to a recent WaterAid report[1].

Aamir Khan, an ambassador for Global Citizen India said: “The actions that Global Citizens take on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene issues will not only help to contribute towards ensuring that India fulfills its promise to be Open Defecation Free (ODF) by 2019, but will also contribute in the global momentum towards ensuring all have access to clean water and sanitation by 2030. We need young ethical leaders to commit to the change they want to see – Shuruaat hoon main.”

Bhavya Bishnoi, spokesperson of Global Citizen India said: “The overwhelming response to the first Action Journey bears testament to the fact that the Indian youth is passionate about leading social change toward the prosperity of our country. We are excited to announce the launch of the second Action Journey that is focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene. In India, open defecation, sanitation, and menstrual hygiene are challenges plaguing a significant portion of the population. We are urging young Indians to take charge and lead the change by participating in this Action Journey. The Global Education and Leadership Foundation (tGELF) that is hosting the first ever Global Citizen Festival in India also believes that meaningful impact on the socio-economic development of a country can be expedited if all relevant stakeholders come together and work in unity. Global Citizen’s platform resonates with tGELF as it is set to achieve our collective goal of eradicating extreme poverty by 2030 by engaging individuals, businesses, governments, and other influencers to join hands and take action.”

The Global Citizen Festival India will leverage the voices of Global Citizens to influence world leaders and decision makers to enact policy changes and commit significant resources to help solve some of the world’s biggest challenges. The inaugural Festival will be held in Mumbai on 19 November 2016, and will be headlined by Coldplay, Jay Z, Aamir Khan, A.R. Rahman, Ranveer Singh, Katrina Kaif, Farhan Akhtar, Shraddha Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Arijit Singh, Dia Mirza, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, and Monali Thakur.

Eighty percent of the tickets to the festival will be given out to Global Citizens who earn them by taking action. For more information about the artists, schedules, and event, please visit www.globalcitizen.in and follow @glblctznIN on Twitter and Facebook, and on Instagram using #GlobalCitizenIndia.