Together we are stronger. 

The TOGETHER. STRONGER. initiative, empowered by the Caterpillar Foundation, promotes the value of community action. Of citizen action. Of action by global citizens.  #TogetherStronger

The idea has never been more powerful, nor more necessary. The world’s nations have united around the UN’s Global Goals that will guide international development for the next 15 years, and now it’s time for citizens in all communities to unite as well.

In their own words, the Caterpillar Foundation believes the way to achieve truly sustainable progress is to get global citizens, businesses, non-profits and governments to all work together to alleviate poverty and place people on a path to prosperity.  TOGETHER. STRONGER. is a model for a collaborative, non-competitive approach to bring clean water, sanitation, healthy food, gender equality, education, energy access and opportunity to those without, creating enduring environments where opportunity and possibility can bloom.

While large foundations, businesses and organizations can be powerful forces for good, citizens and small groups of individuals are still the essential catalyst to truly change the world.  As Michele Sullivan, President of Caterpillar Foundation says, "No one individual, no one corporation, no one organization can do it themselves.  But together, we are stronger."

The Foundation says its approach to investment is “corporate social innovation” or “catalytic philanthropy.” According to Caterpillar Foundation’s introductory documents, the foundation has three major concepts that lead it:

• ●  The foundation believes that considering the human implications of their business is at the front end of the value creation.
• ●  The foundation is focused on moving from competition to collaboration.
• ●  And finally, conquering global issues requires further integration of philanthropy and business.

These statements are right in line with the Global Goals.  Goal 17 is all about partnerships that must be built to support international development.

The director of the video, Michael James Johnson sums up the power of the video. "I was excited about exploring the notion of that exact moment when a movement begins.  We wanted to tell a simple visual story about people who are compelled to follow something that is right and true."

The video has all of that. Featuring a resonant poem by narrator Aja Monet, it’s a dramatic and visual take on what global citizens from New York to Delhi to Johannesburg are doing online every day. Coming together, bringing their collective voices into one collective shout for prosperity for all, justice for all and an end to extreme poverty.

The main actress in the video, Maggie Grace, said she "was stoked to participate; I thought this was such a beautiful metaphor for what's possible now! I love what Global Citizen is doing. I truly believe if we all work together - citizens, governments, businesses, and charities - we can make a world where every child can thrive."

The Global Goals give us the chance to unite to solve the largest problems facing humanity: improving the lives of children, healing the planet and ending extreme poverty by 2030. Now it’s time to unite behind these Goals.

The world is better when everyone stands together. Because together, we truly are stronger.