He didn’t take to sales but found a passion for advertising. Thomas redirected his career towards using creativity and storytelling to help brands achieve their business goals and connect with consumers more intimately.
He has since, attained a BA degree in Creative Brand Communications from Vega School.
This Lesotho-bred freelance communications consultant, has worked with brands and start-ups such as American sustainable fashion company, Ministry of Tomorrow, providing digital marketing support. In these roles, Thomas has mainly focused on content development, social media management, SEO, PPC, and public relations communications.
Thomas is on board at Global Citizen as the digital officer for the festival. He works closely with Global Citizen's Digital Manager of Partnerships and alongside the marketing team to assist in executing social media strategy specifically for corporate partners in support of Global Citizen events.
Questions:
1. As a digital officer working with Global Citizen. Explain what's the digital aspects are for the organisation.
One of the main reasons for Global Citizen's success over the years has been due to its ability to empower users and the public at large to engage with various social issues through their digital platforms. Social media and content marketing play a huge role in how Global Citizen advocates for different sustainable goals and enables anyone to take action for them and become an activist. They have done an amazing job at leveraging the digital revolution to further their mission.
2. How has the internet changed philanthropy and social activism?
Thanks to the internet it's so much easier for anyone with access to it to raise funds and awareness for important social issues. Another great benefit to the web has been its ability to galvanize users and bring many people together for a shared cause that makes their voices louder together.
People usually find it difficult to take practical steps in engaging with an issue but the internet has made it so much easier for people to do so remotely. Online actions have become as equally impactful as offline ones.
3. How does the Global Citizen digital strategy differ from other non-profit organisations?
Global Citizen's approach is unique in that it uses a mixture of pop culture and policy-driven agenda to advocate for change. Everyone enjoys good music and entertainment but not everyone is as equally enthused about socio-economic and political agenda that affects development. Global Citizen strategy is truly novel in that it brings the biggest names in entertainment under one roof with some of the most influential world leaders for the common good of achieving the goal of ending poverty by 2030.
Most importantly - Global Citizen is not about charity it’s about taking action.
4. How is Global Citizen using the digital medium as a tool to create awareness around their goal of eradicating poverty by 2030?
By creating a rich editorial and interactive experience that documents important issues and actions being taken to address those issues.
5. What does it mean to be a global citizen and what drives the need to adopt this perspective?
To be a Global Citizen means being an activist against any unjust issue affecting the development of another human being!! Altruism is the most important driver to adopt this worldview - treating others the way you would like to be treated regardless of race, gender, age, privilege, and economic background!
About Global Citizen
Since the first Global Citizen Festival in New York in 2012, Global Citizen has grown into one of the largest, most visible platforms for young people around the world calling on world leaders to honour their responsibilities in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and ending extreme poverty by 2030. Global Citizens have generated commitments and policy announcements from leaders valued at over $37.9 billion that are set to affect the lives of more than 2.25 billion people. The organization has taken its action-based model to Australia, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, and Canada, and created a platform for activists to learn about the issues they care most about, take action, and earn rewards for doing so.
High-level figures of direct actions:
- 901 HIV tests completed through our direct actions.
- 31% increase in new blood donations with a 20.53% increase in non-white donors.
- 8,627 bags of trash collected and one dumping site has now been turned into a park.
- 192 cleanups across eight countries.
- 2,050 students have taken part in education programmes focused on girls'/women's health.
- Over 5,000 volunteers/Global Citizens have participated in these offline actions.
- 75 people have received practical experience volunteering at Global Citizens and partner activations as part of a skills sharing programme.
Since the festival launch, close to a quarter million fans and activists in South Africa and southern Africa have signed up to become Global Citizens.
