Singer Rihanna has tweeted Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop, urging them to pledge $200 million to an education charity chaired by former prime minister Julia Gillard.
The singer was appointed Global Ambassador of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in September 2016, and has tweeted politicians around the world seeking funds for the organisation to be pledged during its financing conference currently being held in Dakar, Senegal. The GPE was established in 2002 to improve access to education in developing countries.
“Hi Julie Bishop & Malcolm Turnbull, will you step up [with] a $200m pledge to #FundEducation at the Global Partnership for Education conference in Senegal tomorrow?” Rihanna tweeted on Friday.
“Kick off your first year on the #HumanRightsCouncil by giving the universal human right to education.”
https://twitter.com/rihanna/status/959129653163081728
The entreaty had been retweeted more than 1500 times by noon on Friday.
Similar tweets were sent to French President Emmanuel Macron, who Rihanna also thanked for co-hosting the GPE conference, and UK Prime Minister Theresa May.
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg responded earlier in the month to a similar tweet from Rihanna, stating Norway’s new Minister of International Development Nikolai Astrup would take good news to Senegal.
https://twitter.com/erna_solberg/status/954026130754846722
Ms Gillard made headlines with Rihanna in 2016 when she announced the singer’s appointment as Global Ambassador.
At the time, Rihanna said, “I feel strongly that all children everywhere should be afforded the opportunity of a quality education.
“Working together, I know we can amplify our efforts and ensure that millions of children gain access to education globally.”
Image: Shutterstock.com
