Celebrities use their platforms for good at UN General Assembly

What do “Fight Club”’s Edward Norton, “Game of Thrones”’s Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Meryl Streep (from too manyiconic films to name) have in common? These actors lent their time — and reach — to initiatives at the UN General Assembly in New York City on Monday.

Norton and Coster-Waldau focused on how creatives can use the arts to drive social change. Norton, a UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity, lamented biodiversity’s “narrative problem.” But, he said, artists are in a unique position to tell these stories in new and exciting ways.

Coster-Waldau, a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, warned against focusing on “doomsday” scenarios when relating to the climate crisis. In an exclusive statement to GZERO Media, Coster-Waldau discussed the importance of using his platform as an actor to inspire “hope” in other people. “Because I do believe that, that’s not just something I Just say. I do believe that we can find a way.”

And Streep introduced a film screening of “The Sharp Edge of Peace,” a documentary following the only women in the Afghan government’s negotiating team during peace talks with the Taliban in 2020. She called the persistent degradation of women’s right’s “a cautionary tale for the rest of the world.”

A Hollywood red carpet and a global meeting of diplomats might not have too much in common. But at a time when everyone is vying for clicks and views to feed the attention-hungry algorithm, partnering with celebrities is an effective tool to lower the barrier of entry for some to learn about global issues.