What do Fight Club’s Edward Norton, Game of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Meryl Streep (who have appeared in countless iconic films) have in common? These actors all made time to make an impact at the United Nations General Assembly, which took place in New York City on Monday.
Norton and Coster-Waldau focused on how creative people can use art to drive social change. Norton, a UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity, lamented the “narrative problem” of biodiversity. But artists are uniquely positioned to tell these stories in new and inspiring ways, he said.
Coster-Waldau, a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, warned against focusing on “doomsday” scenarios when it comes to the climate crisis. In an exclusive statement to GZERO Media, Coster-Waldau spoke about the importance of using her platform as an actor to give “hope” to others. “And it’s not just lip service, because I believe — I believe we can find a way.”
Streep also introduced a screening of “The Sharp Edge of Peace,” a documentary that follows the only woman on the Afghan government’s negotiating team during peace talks with the Taliban in 2020. Streep called the continued decline in women’s rights a “lesson for the world.”
A Hollywood red carpet and a meeting of global diplomats may not have much in common, but in an age where everyone is competing for clicks and views to satisfy attention-hungry algorithms, partnering with celebrities is an effective way to lower the barrier of entry for some to learn about world affairs.
