Rocky Dawuni named UN Foundation Ambassador

The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves celebrated its two-year anniversary Monday with a host of announcements that combined are instrumental toward accomplishing its mission to create a global market for clean, safe, and efficient cooking technologies.

Ghanaian international music star and creative activist, Rocky Dawuni, was named the newest member of the Alliance’s Ambassadors, which include Academy Award-winning actor Julia Roberts and Chef Jose Andres.

“As a musician, I know how to use my voice and my heart to connect with people, and when I learned that cooking kills two million people worldwide every year, I knew I had to stand up and speak out to help the Alliance raise awareness,” said Dawuni before a room of hundreds of Alliance partners and other guests. “In my native Ghana, throughout Africa, and around the world, it’s clear that the time for Clean Cookstoves and fuels is now, and I’m ready to do my part to assist the Alliance in reaching its goal.”

In introducing Dawuni, Alliance Executive Director Radha Muthiah noted his lifetime pursuits of social justice and gender equality made him a true asset as an Alliance Ambassador. At the event, world leaders from civil society, the private sector, and the philanthropic community as well as research pioneers and government representatives came together during the UN General Assembly to discuss the multiple facets of the household air pollution issue, which impacts three billion people daily, and to make major new announcements on behalf of the Alliance, its partners, and the sector.

The Alliance also released its second year report, which details progress in the areas of market development, research, outreach, standards and testing, and more since its launch by US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton at The Clinton Global Initiative in 2010.

The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is a public-private partnership led by the United Nations Foundation to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and combat climate change by creating a thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking solutions. The Alliance’s 100 by ‘20 goal calls for 100 million households to adopt clean and efficient cookstoves and fuels by 2020.

The Alliance is working with its public, private and non-profit partners to help overcome the market barriers that currently impede the production, deployment, and use of Clean Cookstoves in developing countries. For more information, please visit www.cleancookstoves.org.

Rocky Dawuni’s eloquence as well as his successful melding of musical celebrity and social action has made him a spokesperson for various causes worldwide. Over the last few years, his music and electric live performances have attracted thousands to his concerts.

Rocky’s upcoming new album, “Afro Roots” fully captures his unique fusion of Afro Beat and Reggae while confirming him as an artist in the tradition of both Fela Kuti and Bob Marley in utilizing his music to uplift, unify and inspire.