Yahoo – AFP,
March 20, 2015
Musician
Pharrell Williams (L) is mobbed by fans at the International Day of
Happiness
at the United Nations in New York March 20, 2015 (AFP Photo/
Timothy A. Clary)
|
United
Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN podium has been the scene of countless
speeches both passionate and dull, but the audience was not world leaders but
children, and they mobbed the speaker.
Pop star
Pharrell Williams -- best known for his viral hit "Happy" --
addressed the UN General Assembly on the "International Day of
Happiness" as he raised his voice on the dangers of climate change.
After he
spoke, "Happy" came on the speakers of the normally solemn hall as
dozens of teenagers and younger children raced toward him with their camera
phones in hopes he would dance.
UN security
guards rushed into the crowd in fear of a stampede as an official took the
microphone to urge everyone to step back.
Williams
has been working with former US vice president Al Gore to organize global
concerts in June to build public pressure for a UN-backed agreement on climate
change at a conference late this year in Paris.
"You
should know that happiness is your birthright," Williams told the hundreds
of assembled children, whose placards all read "#happyplanet" instead
of the usual names of UN member states.
"If you don't take care of your home, you don't have a life, so we have to now transition from climate change to climate action," he said.
Musician
Pharrell Williams (R) and Philippe Cousteau Jr. gesture during the
International Day of Happiness at the UN in New York on March 20, 2015
(AFP
Photo/Timothy A. Clary)
|
"If you don't take care of your home, you don't have a life, so we have to now transition from climate change to climate action," he said.
Environmentalist
Philippe Cousteau Jr joined Williams to warn that climate change's effects were
looking even worse than initially feared, pointing to Cyclone Pam, which
recently ravaged the Pacific island of Vanuatu, as well as the rapidly melting
Arctic ice.
"One
of the scary things about climate change is that all of our predictions have
been too conservative," said Cousteau, the grandson of legendary French
ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau.
'Happy'
playlist
As part of
the International Day of Happiness, the United Nations worked with streaming
service MixRadio to create a playlist.
Numerous
musicians and actors offered selections when asked to name songs that made them
happy.
Pop diva
Britney Spears picked Prince's infectious hit "Kiss," British DJ
Fatboy Slim chose the 1976 R&B peace anthem "Harvest of the
World" by The Isley Brothers and cello great Yo Yo Ma offered a Bach work
recorded by the late Pablo Casals, often considered the greatest master of the
instrument.
Musician
Pharrell Williams(2R) speaks at the United Nations (UN) during the
International Day of Happiness in New York on March 20, 2015 (AFP
Photo/Timothy
A. Clary)
|
Two artists
chose works by themselves -- Portuguese singer David Fonseca and Indian film
composer A.R. Rahman.
And in a
selection that was especially intriguing, singer-songwriter John Legend chose
late Motown great Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up."
Williams
earlier this month lost a $7 million lawsuit from Gaye's family, which accused
him and Robin Thicke of stealing "Got to Give It Up" for their 2013
hit "Blurred Lines."
Williams
denies the charge and has called the verdict an affront to artists.
The United
Nations declared an International Day of Happiness –- which coincides with the
first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere –- in 2012 after an initiative
by Bhutan, the Himalayan land that measures "Gross National
Happiness" instead of a standard economic indicator.
Related Articles:
Thousands of people are already dancing for a #HappyPlanet! Join in at http://t.co/OfXTxf1A8q #happyday pic.twitter.com/XF02VkW2B7
— Google (@google) 19 maart 2015
"#Happiness is our people's right. We shouldn't be too hard on behaviors caused by joy." 29/6/2013
— Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) May 21, 2014
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