Rocky Dawuni at United Nations General Assembly

Rocky Dawuni brings music activism to the United Nations General Assembly in NYC!

GRAMMY Nominated Reggae musician and humanitarian activist Rocky Dawuni is set to rock the UN General Assembly Weekin New York City with his blend of music and activism. The Ghanaian born musician who is also a UN Goodwill Ambassador for the Environment for Africa is scheduled to participate in various high level events alongside world leaders and activists during the UN Climate Week. Dawuni will be highlighting the urgency for global action on climate and environment. He will be participating in a multitude of events including the UN Climate Summit, the Global Compact Forumand the UNEP Champions Gala. He will also be participating in the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) on September 28. His performance will wrap up a week of activities at the United Nations highlighting the urgent need to act on climate change.

GLF New York will be attended by 700 climate, Indigenous and youth leaders, environmental activists and musicians who will demarcate vital restoration strategies in preparation for the launch of the U.N. Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030).

At GLF, Dawuni will perform songs from his critically acclaimed new album “Beats of Zion,“ which was released earlier in March 2019 through Six Degrees Distribution. In 2018, Dawuni, based in Los Angeles and Ghana, performed an outdoor concert at GLF Nairobi. He was nominated for a 2015 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album for his album “Branches of the Same Tree.”

Rocky will announce two new humanitarian initiatives that he is spearheading. The first is a landscape restoration project to plant 100,000 trees in Accra, Ghana in collaboration with the city’s mayor Mohammed Adjei Sowah. “It’s vital that we restore this urban landscape,” said Dawuni, who uses music to highlight crucial issues facing humanity. “Mass tree planting in cities can help shore up global efforts by mayors to offset the impact of climate change.” Like many urban centers around the world, Accra, with a population of approximately 2.3 million people, faces environmental and economic challenges related to an increasing influx of people from rural areas seeking opportunities. 

Rocky will also announce a new cultural project initiated through the Rocky Dawuni Foundation.  Dawuni is overseeing the development of a series of “cultural incubators” for youth to develop their musical and artistic talents. The incubators will also allow for community outreach and educational opportunities. 

The first center will be housed in the rambling studio complex formerly created by Rita Marley in honor of her husband, the legendary Reggae musician Bob Marley (1945-1981) near the city of Aburi, about 35 kilometers north of Accra. It is currently under architectural restoration.

“Many West African youth, despite their great potential, lack opportunities,” Dawuni said. “our vision is to develop a new generation of leaders who are committed to improving their own communities through skills-based training, personal initiative and collective action.”