Five children’s choirs from around the world are to come together in a virtual performance to highlight child victims of conflict, poverty and political volatility and to stress the positive effects small acts of kindness can have on children’s lives.
Collaborating and singing an updated version of the global hit We Are The World by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson, the flashmob will begin in London, June 1st (International Children’s Day). Choirs in Palestine, Ukraine, Senegal, and Myanmar are also set to join in and sing, with a video bringing them together virtually in a performance shared on social media and the organiser’s website thereafter.
The initiative is the brainchild of Circle of Toys – a UK-based social project set up to spread joy and kindness through the gifting of toys and to emphasise that all children are innocent. The platform, which matches toy givers and receivers, currently has 30,000 outstanding requests for toys from around the world, but principally from Ukraine to the UK and from the Middle East to the United States.
With over 6,000 people already registering to help, it is still not enough. The flashmob performance is designed to encourage people to register and send a new or pre-loved toy to a new owner in need. By symbolically bringing all choirs together, Circle of Toys hopes to highlight the message that all children are equals and deserving of love and generosity.
Founder of Circle of Toys, Arthur Corvin Powells, said: “We believe that all children are innocent. We must try to break the cycle of violence, where children without a childhood grow up into resentful adults. The future of our world depends on how the world treats children today. A simple act of giving can make the world a better place. We must believe. We must act.”
The London leg of the flashmob will take place at the following locations on Saturday 1st June:
· 12:30 – Hammersmith, Street Festival, Lyric Square
· 13:15 – Livat Mall, Hammersmith, sitting area
· 14:15 – Chelsea, Duke of York Square
· 16:30 – Spitalfields Market, 250 Bishopsgate E1 6AA
Circle of Toys aims to bring people from all over the world together, encouraging sustainable gift-giving with a personalised approach to charity. It is reported that around 80% of toys eventually end up in landfill – enough to give every child in the world a toy, a dream, a hope.
The Circle of Toys tech platform assists in matching a gift to a person who needs it and moderates each transaction. It requires gift givers to send out a toy and pay for the postage. It is however actively working with mailing services to make such services discounted or free.
Circle of Toys is part of the larger social media of help: www.circle.help, which aims to connect everybody in need with those who can help them.
