Michael Sheldrick

Last updated

Michael Sheldrick
Michael Sheldrick 2022 in Zambia.jpg
Born1988 (age 3536)
NationalityAustralian
Education University of Western Australia
Occupations
  • Author
  • policy entrepreneur
Known forAdvocacy for polio eradication, economic development in Africa and climate action

Michael Sheldrick (born 1988) [1] is an Australian author and policy entrepreneur who seeks to address global challenges such as extreme poverty, global health and climate change. He is the co-founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Affairs Officer at Global Citizen. [1] [2] [3] Sheldrick is on the board of the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon's Centre for Global Citizens. [4]

Contents

Life and career

Education

Sheldrick was born in Perth, Australia and is said to have struggled academically growing up. [5] He was once enrolled in special education classes and was told by a teacher that he probably wouldn't make it to university. [6] In 2012, he was named "human tornado" by PerthNow due to his dedication to turn ideas into action. [7] Sheldrick graduated from The University of Western Australia in 2013, [8] with a combined degree in law and arts, majoring in political science and international relations. [9] He became the young Western Australian of the Year in 2013 for his work as a community activist and social justice campaigner. [10]

Polio eradication

Sheldrick's role in the efforts of polio eradication advocacy in Australia was recognized by Melissa Parke in the Australian Parliament in 2012. [11] While still a student at the University of Western Australia, Sheldrick co-founded Global Poverty Project, now known as Global Citizen, in 2008 along with Hugh Evans and Simon Moss. In 2011, he had written a letter to then-Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, [12] which prompted her to meet him and then agree to put The End of Polio campaign on the agenda of the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. [13] He had been informed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that it was unlikely that aid would be available from the Australian government; however, he managed to secure a $50 million contribution towards the campaign from the Australian government and nearly $70 million from other world leaders. [1] [12]

In 2015, Sheldrick said he contacted the then-Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat which led to Malta's initiative to boost awareness needed for the international community to take further action against Polio. [14]

Work in Africa

Sheldrick's work has garnered international attention and recognition, particularly in the African continent. In 2018, Global Citizen launched “Global Citizen Festival - Mandela 100” to celebrate the centennial birthday of Nelson Mandela, which galvanized 16 governments, eight international organizations, and 12 corporations to make financial and political commitments to work in a collaborative manner to tackle poverty. [15] During the same year, he also traveled to Senegal with Rhianna to petition for US$2.3 billion to support education in developing countries. [16] In 2019, Sheldrick participated in the Global Goal Live: Nigeria Policy Forum in Lagos which focused on working with private sector philanthropy and government to achieve the SDGs and end poverty. [17] In 2022, the Global Citizen Festival in Ghana’s Black Star Square spurred the establishment of an "Africa Prosperity Fund", a $1 billion development funding pledge compiled solely by African governments and launched jointly by the governments of Ghana and South Africa. Sheldrick believes Ghana’s success symbolizes what is achievable, [18] as the country has seen great success in reducing poverty, building institutions, providing healthcare and education. [19] In August 2024, Sheldrick led a delegation of Global Citizen, Bridgewater Associates and Harith General Partners to Côte D'Ivoire ahead of an economic summit scheduled for October 2024. The summit is intended to foster partnerships between governments, private sector and multilateral development banks for the Côte D'Ivoire and the region. [20]

Climate action

Sheldrick believes that addressing climate change and ending extreme poverty are two sides of one coin. [21] He argues that the current hunger crisis is a result of poor governance and decades of poor choices that has left farmers ill-equipped, and that the climate and food crises are intertwined and that global governmental leaders must proactively intervene. [22] In 2021, Sheldrick through Global Citizen partnered with Google, FCB and 360i to create a video of a burning photograph to tap into viewer emotions to protect the planet. [23] In 2023, Global Citizen launched a climate action campaign known as Power Our Planet. [24] Sheldrick has been an advocate in using the power of music to drive social change. For example, in 2024, the Global Citizen Festival intends to become one of the major U.S. festivals to move away from diesel generators and be powered by hybrid energy, using the same SmartGrid battery system used by Coldplay during its Music of the Spheres World Tour. [25]

Collaboration with the WHO

As the Chief Policy, impact and government affairs officer at Global Citizen, Sheldrick leads the policy efforts at the organization including its partnership with the World Health Organization. In June 2013, the two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the main objectives to support global efforts to overcome inequities in public health. [26] This follows WHO’s collaboration with Global Citizen on multiple campaigns including One World: Together At Home, which raised almost US$128 million. [27]

Writing

From Ideas to Impact

Sheldrick is the author of From Ideas to Impact: A Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World (2024), which features a foreword by United Nations Goodwill Ambassadors Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre Elba. [28] The book offers an eight-step guide to policy entrepreneurship, using real life examples to illustrate the visionary, diplomatic, and implementation approaches in problem solving. [29] Sheldrick draws on his own experiences and those he encountered globally from activists, small business owners to everyday citizens. [30] Examples in the book include Collie, Western Australia, which is in the process of energy transition away from fossil fuels. [31] The book has also received other endorsements including from British rock band and philanthropists Coldplay. [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agricultural policy</span> Laws relating to domestic agriculture and foreign-imported agricultural products

Agricultural policy describes a set of laws relating to domestic agriculture and imports of foreign agricultural products. Governments usually implement agricultural policies with the goal of achieving a specific outcome in the domestic agricultural product markets. Well designed agricultural policies use predetermined goals, objectives and pathways set by an individual or government for the purpose of achieving a specified outcome, for the benefit of the individual(s), society and the nations' economy at large. The goals could include issues such as biosecurity, food security, rural poverty reduction or increasing economic value through cash crop or improved food distribution or food processing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public health</span> Promoting health through informed choices

Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the determinants of health of a population and the threats it faces is the basis for public health. The public can be as small as a handful of people or as large as a village or an entire city; in the case of a pandemic it may encompass several continents. The concept of health takes into account physical, psychological, and social well-being, among other factors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Campaign</span> Non-profit organisation fighting extreme poverty and preventable disease

ONE Campaign is an international, non-partisan, non-profit organization advocating for the investments needed to create economic opportunities and healthier lives in Africa. The campaigning organization uses data, grassroots activism, political engagement, and strategic partnerships to get political leaders to support policies and programs that save lives and improve futures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poverty reduction</span> Measures to reduce poverty permanently

Poverty reduction, poverty relief, or poverty alleviation is a set of measures, both economic and humanitarian, that are intended to permanently lift people out of poverty. Measures, like those promoted by Henry George in his economics classic Progress and Poverty, are those that raise, or are intended to raise, ways of enabling the poor to create wealth for themselves as a conduit of ending poverty forever. In modern times, various economists within the Georgism movement propose measures like the land value tax to enhance access to the natural world for all. Poverty occurs in both developing countries and developed countries. While poverty is much more widespread in developing countries, both types of countries undertake poverty reduction measures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change in Australia</span> Impacts of climate change on Australia and responses

Climate change has been a critical issue in Australia since the beginning of the 21st century. Australia is becoming hotter and more prone to extreme heat, bushfires, droughts, floods, and longer fire seasons because of climate change. Climate issues include wildfires, heatwaves, cyclones, rising sea levels, and erosion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rural poverty</span> Poverty in rural areas, which are often less developed than urban areas worldwide

Rural poverty refers to situations where people living in non-urban regions are in a state or condition of lacking the financial resources and essentials for living. It takes account of factors of rural society, rural economy, and political systems that give rise to the marginalization and economic disadvantage found there. Rural areas, because of their small, spread-out populations, typically have less well maintained infrastructure and a harder time accessing markets, which tend to be concentrated in population centers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change and poverty</span> Correlation of disproportionate impacts of climate on impoverished people

Climate change and poverty are deeply intertwined because climate change disproportionally affects poor people in low-income communities and developing countries around the world. The impoverished have a higher chance of experiencing the ill-effects of climate change due to the increased exposure and vulnerability. Vulnerability represents the degree to which a system is susceptible to, or unable to cope with, adverse effects of climate change including climate variability and extremes.

The East Asia Climate Partnership (EACP) is Korea's international initiative for global cooperative development. Led by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), a Korean government agency responsible for providing overseas grant aid, the EACP helps tackle climate change in developing countries and promotes green growth in Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rotary Foundation</span> International nonprofit organization

The Rotary Foundation is a non-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions.

Global Citizen, also known as Global Poverty Project, is an international education and advocacy organization that seeks to catalyze the movement to end extreme poverty and promote social justice and equity through the lens of intersectionality. The organization was founded by Hugh Evans, Michael Sheldrick, Simon Moss and Wei Soo, and aims to increase the number and effectiveness of people taking action to support the cause.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change in Africa</span> Emissions, impacts and responses of the African continent related to climate change

Climate change in Africa is an increasingly serious threat as Africa is among the most vulnerable continents to the effects of climate change. Some sources even classify Africa as "the most vulnerable continent on Earth". Climate change and climate variability will likely reduce agricultural production, food security and water security. As a result, there will be negative consequences on people's lives and sustainable development in Africa.

Pakistan is one of the two remaining countries in the world where poliomyelitis (polio) is still categorized as an endemic viral infection, the other one being Afghanistan. While it has yet to fully eradicate Polio, there has been a major downwards trend in the number of reported cases per year; the total count of wild poliovirus cases in Pakistan in 2019 was down to 147, compared to 84 in 2020, 1 in 2021, 20 in 2022, 6 in 2023 and 8 as of June 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustainable Development Goals</span> United Nations goals for people for 2030

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of these global goals is "peace and prosperity for people and the planet" – while tackling climate change and working to preserve oceans and forests. The SDGs highlight the connections between the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable development. Sustainability is at the center of the SDGs, as the term sustainable development implies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting</span>

The 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, also known as CHOGM 2015 was the 24th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Malta from 27 to 29 November. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena handed the position of Commonwealth Chair-in-Office to Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat at the meeting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change in Pakistan</span> Emissions, impacts and responses of Pakistan related to climate change

Climate change in Pakistan is a major issue for the country. Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate change. As with the changing climate in South Asia as a whole, the climate of Pakistan has changed over the past several decades, with significant impacts on the environment and people. In addition to increased heat, drought and extreme weather in parts of the country, the melting of glaciers in the Himalayas has impacted some of the important rivers of Pakistan. Between 1999 and 2018, Pakistan ranked 5th in the countries affected by extreme weather caused by climate change.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change in Ghana</span>

Climate change in Ghana is impacting the people in Ghana in several ways as the country sits at the intersection of three hydro-climatic zones. Changes in rainfall, weather conditions and sea-level rise will affect the salinity of coastal waters. This is expected to negatively affect both farming and fisheries. Low precipitation, drought and wild fires are also some major effects associated with climate change in Ghana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustainable Development Goal 1</span> First of 17 Sustainable Development Goals to end global poverty

Sustainable Development Goal 1, one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015, calls for the end of poverty in all forms. The official wording is: "No Poverty". Member countries have pledged to "Leave No One Behind": underlying the goal is a "powerful commitment to leave no one behind and to reach those farthest behind first".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Global Goals Week</span> Event for awareness for Sustainable Development Goals

Global Goals Week is a shared commitment between a coalition of over 160 partners across all industries, which mobilizes annually in September to bring together communities, demand urgency, and supercharge solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It was founded in 2016 by the United Nations Foundation, Project Everyone, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It is timed to coincide with the UN General Assembly "High-Level Week" in New York. The week includes events, summits, conferences, forums, workshops, pledges, and other activations in New York, around the world, and online. It usually runs alongside Climate Week NYC, the annual conference of Goalkeepers, Bloomberg Global Business Forum and many other high-level events.

Climate change vulnerability is a concept that describes how strongly people or ecosystems are likely to be affected by climate change. Its formal definition is the "propensity or predisposition to be adversely affected" by climate change. It can apply to humans and also to natural systems. Issues around the capacity to cope and adapt are also part of this concept. Vulnerability is a component of climate risk. It differs within communities and also across societies, regions, and countries. It can increase or decrease over time. Vulnerability is generally a bigger problem for people in low-income countries than for those in high-income countries.

References

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  2. "Policy guru to outline roadmap to a more sustainable future". The University of Western Australia. March 18, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  3. "Michael Sheldrick is on a worldwide mission to give others a better shot at life". ABC Perth. August 9, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  4. "Swindon charity boss works with Beyonce and Ed Sheeran". Swindon Advertiser. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
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  6. McHugh, Jillian (December 22, 2013). "The push to eradicate polio in country where it doesn't exist". WAtoday.
  7. "No job too big for 'human tornado' Michael Sheldrick". PerthNow.
  8. "Impact on the global stage". www.uwa.edu.au.
  9. "Policy guru to outline roadmap to a more sustainable future". www.uwa.edu.au.
  10. "Michael Sheldrick - a man on many missions". ABC Perth. August 9, 2017.
  11. "Hansard | Federation Chamber – PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS – Polio Eradication". Parliament of Australia. September 17, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  12. 1 2 "Student friends vie for title". University of Western Australia. November 29, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  13. Olaniyi, Olufemi (September 18, 2021). "COVID-19 could push 160 million people into extreme poverty – Sheldrick". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  14. "Malta recognised for its work to eradicate Polio; PM receives award on country's behalf". The Malta Independent. April 23, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
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  16. "In another part of the world, UWA graduate Michael Sheldrick (CitWA LLB, BA 2013, BA (Hons) 2013) is also midway through a relentless travel agenda" (PDF). breakingthecycle.education.
  17. Arogundade, Funsho (December 9, 2019). "Folawiyo, Aig-Imhoukuede Join Other Global Citizens To End Poverty In Nigeria". P.M.EXPRESS.
  18. "African Global Citizen patrons urge world to consider continent's giving power". reuters.com.
  19. "10th anniversary Global Citizen Festival to be held in New York and Ghana". SowetanLIVE.
  20. Galé, Martial. "Lutte contre la pauvreté : Mambé reçoit une délégation de Global Citizen, Bridgewater Associates et Harith General Partners en vue d'un sommet économique en Côte d'Ivoire". Le Manda Express (in French).
  21. "Our priority remains addressing climate change, extreme poverty – Michael Sheldrick, Global Citizen". vanguardngr.com.
  22. Keleher, Amelia (November 16, 2022). "Food System Reform Requires Dietary Shifts & More Funding". Food Tank.
  23. "Google, Global Citizen and FCB Protect the Planet with Powerful Campaign | LBBOnline". lbbonline.com.
  24. "Our priority remains addressing climate change, extreme poverty – Michael Sheldrick, Global Citizen". vanguardngr.com.
  25. Kaufman, Gil (August 27, 2024). "Benson Boone, RAYE Join Lineup For 2024 Global Citizen Festival". Billboard.
  26. "WHO and Global Citizen sign partnership to promote health, fight inequity and address health-related risks of climate change". www.who.int.
  27. "WHO and Global Citizen sign partnership to promote health, fight inequity and address health-related risks of climate change". www.who.int.
  28. "From Ideas to Impact: A Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World | Wiley". Wiley.com. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  29. Gupta, Reeta Ramamurthy. "Bookstrapping: From Ideas to Impact by Michael Sheldrick". Storyboard 18.
  30. "MICHAEL SHELDRICK ON CHANGING THE WORLD THROUGH MUSIC AND ACTIVISM, THE GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL, AND HIS NEW BOOK 'FROM IDEAS TO IMPACT'". The Untitled Magazine.
  31. Van Der Wielen, Sean. "Global Citizen co-founder Michael Sheldrick describes Collie as "template" for fossil fuels transition". South Western Times.
  32. "This is a brilliant book about the power of good ideas. #GlobalCitizen PH". Twitter.com.