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June • 2022
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THE DAWN OF
A NEW ERA FOR
THE WEEKND © BRIAN ZIFF
give back to the community that raised me during the hard Abel Tesfaye, known to his fans times of this pandemic,” in a as The Weeknd, emerged as a statement on his website. mysterious and underground Last September, Tesfaye was R&B sensation back in 2011— presented with the Quincy although now, a decade and Jones Humanitarian Award some later, he would be better at the inaugural Black Music described as one of the most Action Coalition Awards for his prolific pop stars in the world commitment to giving back to and one of the most significant social justice organizations. In artists of the 21st century. his acceptance speech Tesfaye, While the character of The nearly overcome with emotion, shared that Jones once taught Weeknd is known for music him a meaningful lesson—“that that evokes dark themes and giving back is always more feelings of escapism set to a important than receiving.” shape-shifting mix of pop and R&B, the man behind the One needs only to look music is a vessel for lightness, at his partnership with The United Nations World Food known for sharing generously and making significant Programme (WFP) to see that contributions to causes that are Tesfaye has put that lesson into dear to his heart and his history. action time and time again. Music, of course, is one of Last April, the star the artist’s driving causes, and announced a $1 million Tesfaye proves that there is donation for hunger relief in room for both lightness and his parents’ native Ethiopia darkness when it comes to through the World Food art. As he told GQ Magazine Program USA, the U.S. in 2021, “My art is dark, and affiliate of the WFP. His I’ve gone through dark times. parents emigrated from I’ve used those dark times as Ethiopia in the 1980s, when inspiration for my art.” the country was reeling from Darkness, indeed, can inspire civil war, and came to Toronto, lightness, and Tesfaye’s string of settling in Scarborough, where philanthropic donations is proof Tesfaye was born and raised. of that illumination at work. The significant donation, Known for his air of mystery, which equates to two million the 32-year-old superstar seems meals, will provide life-saving food to those affected by to prefer actions over words, supporting important causes conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray Region. through sizable donations. During the COVID-19 “My heart breaks for my pandemic, Tesfaye showed his people of Ethiopia, as innocent support for fellow musicians civilians ranging from small and members of the music children to the elderly are community through a generous being senselessly murdered donation of $500,000 to the and entire villages are being MusiCares COVID-19 Relief displaced out of fear and Fund. His support didn’t stop destruction,” said Tesfaye of his donation. there, either. Among the organizations that Tesfaye’s donation have received his support is the supported the UN World Colin Kaepernick Know Your Food Programme’s efforts Rights Camp Legal Defense to ramp up emergency Initiative, to which he donated food assistance response, in $200,000 in support of those addition to the humanitarian who were arrested or fell prey to agency’s provisions of corn, police brutality while protesting rice, and vegetable oil to the extrajudicial murders of 60,000 people in towns in the Black people. He also donated eastern and southern parts $100,000 to the National of the region. In addition to Bail Out, a collective of Black delivering emergency food assistance in Tigray, WFP also abolitionist organizers working to end mass incarceration. provided nutritional support In addition, the singer made for vulnerable pregnant or a donation that gave back to breastfeeding women as well as his hometown—$500,000 children in the region. to frontline health workers In October of 2021, the within the Scarborough multiplatinum and Diamond Health Network in support certified global superstar of COVID-19 relief efforts was named a WFP Goodwill through sales of his popular line Ambassador, joining an of XO face masks. international roster of The Grammy Award-winning ambassadors who use their Scarborough native shared that voices and platforms to advocate he “felt it was important to for ending global hunger. RAYE MOCIOIU
(L-R) U.N. WFP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DAVID BEASLEY, THE WEEKND, AND WFP USA CEO BARRON SEGAR © PHOTO BY RICH FURY/GETTY IMAGES FOR U.N. WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME
made an initial donation of US$500,000. As well, US$1 from each ticket sold in North America for The Weeknd’s highly anticipated After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour will be contributed to the fund. “The goal with this fund is to provide immediate life-saving support to people who are on the brink of starvation,” the star shared in a statement. “I’m so thankful to have WFP as a His words were echoed partner and to further expand our by WFP Executive Director reach to those who need it most.” David Beasley, who shared: The new fund will direct support to hunger emergencies “We are thrilled to welcome around the world, with a The Weeknd to the WFP family. His compassion and special focus on Ethiopia, commitment to helping the where an estimated 9.4 world’s hungriest people is million people require urgent truly inspirational. Every humanitarian food assistance. night, 811 million people go to With more than 48 million bed hungry, and another 276 people facing famine and million are marching toward climate shocks compounded starvation. This is just not by COVID-19 and rising right and we have got to speak costs driving millions closer to out and act today to save lives. starvation, immediate action We need everyone to come is essential. Recognizing the join our movement to end fund’s life-saving impact, World hunger—it is all hands on deck Food Program USA’s Board of to avoid a global catastrophe.” Directors, together with donors, Earlier this year, Tesfaye will contribute $1 million. The partnered with WFP to funds will assist families and launch the XO Humanitarian communities on the frontlines Fund, Powered by World of hunger in countries like Food Programme. The Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Yemen, new fund will support the and Ukraine. organization’s response to an “As he launches his global unprecedented hunger crisis in tour, The Weeknd is not 2022, threatening to unleash just lighting up the lives of starvation, destabilization, and his millions of fans—he is mass migration worldwide. also shining a spotlight on To launch the fund, the star the suffering of the millions “The U.N. World Food Programme is doing urgent and important work to change and save lives on a daily basis and I feel passionately about addressing world hunger and helping people in need. Our partnership is an authentic extension of all our efforts and intentions to help those in need and bring an end to so much suffering,” said Tesfaye.
threatened by famine,” Beasley shared of Tesfaye’s involvement. “The XO Humanitarian Fund, Powered by World Food Programme is a new dawn in the struggle to end global hunger and WFP is proud to partner with Abel to save lives. He is truly an inspiration to the next generation of humanitarians.” From dark and mysterious music telling sordid tales of reckless nights to headlining the Super Bowl, it’s the dawn of a new era for The Weeknd— and the man behind the music. Tesfaye’s partnership with WFP creates a new kind of legacy, separate from the one shared through his music. To date, the star has contributed over US$1.8 million to WFP’s work. He proudly represents his Ethiopian heritage and the city that raised him, he gives generously, and he makes room to use his voice to speak out about causes that genuinely matter to him. “Whether he is performing or speaking out about global hunger, The Weeknd’s voice is powerful and inspiring, only matched by his dedication to helping people around the globe,” said World Food Program USA President and CEO Barron Segar. “We are honoured that he has joined our mission. He will undoubtedly inspire the next generation of humanitarians in the fight to ensure no man, woman, or child goes to bed hungry.”
Saving Lives. Changing Lives. To learn more or donate, visit WFP.org
