mPowering Action to Debut Flagship Program, Power Your Voice, at the UNDP's 11th Annual Match Against Poverty

-- Platform Partners Reveal a Global Relay to Inspire Feet-on-the-Ground Impact in the Philippines and Other Developing Countries Around the World

BERN, Switzerland, March 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- mPowering Action, a first-of-its-kind worldwide movement and mobile platform designed to inspire, empower, and motivate a generation of global citizens to take positive action in the world, will unveil its flagship program, Power Your Voice, at the 11th Match Against Poverty on March 4, 2014. 

Proceeds raised at the 11th Match Against Poverty will support recovery efforts in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and mPowering Action Champion, Apl.de.Ap of The Black Eyed Peas, will attend the event to support his home country, the Philippines, and highlight the needs of other developing nations throughout the world.

Today, 1.3 billion people worldwide lack access to electricity - impeding healthcare and education in communities that need it most.  Nearly 40% of the world's population rely on wood, coal, charcoal, or animal waste to cook their food, breathing in toxic smoke that causes lung disease and kills nearly four million people a year, most of them women and children.  While there is some awareness of this challenge, there is still a need to further educate and energize the global populace in the urgency and importance of achieving universal energy access.

To address this need in 2014, mPowering Action and its global partners, UNDP, the United Nations Foundation, Royal Dutch Shell plc, Tribal Brands, Inc., and Tribal Technologies, Inc. have developed Power Your Voice. Initially focusing on the Philippines at the Match Against Poverty, Power Your Voice will highlight the complex issue of access to energy and its inextricable link to education, healthcare, and poverty in developing nations and nations recovering from natural disasters like Typhoon Haiyan.

The physical component of Power Your Voice will feature a "Global Relay" consisting of 30+ in-country, UNDP-led events to demonstrate how access to energy is necessary for effective education and healthcare practices in a global effort to eradicate poverty.

"3 billion people still do not have access to modern energy around the world," said Boaz Paldi, Senior Communications Officer, Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy at UNDP New York.  "Energy poverty translates to children not going to school because they have to fetch water for six hours per day, to women not receiving the healthcare they need during pregnancy because of lack of power in clinics, and to nearly 4 million people dying per year from respiratory diseases because of the use of traditional fuels for cooking and heating their homes.  This is just not acceptable in 2014."

With support from mPowering Action's founding corporate partner, Shell, the Power Your Voice "Global Relay" events will host various participants including heads-of-state, officials from UN agencies, corporations, students, and local celebrities.  To enable relevant conversations around access to energy, these events will use the "power of play" to engage young people with innovative technology such as an energy-harnessing football that generates light after 30 minutes of play.

The digital component of Power Your Voice, through the mPowering Action mobile application, will follow the progress of the "Global Relay" and serve as a lens into the complex issues facing developing nations.  The application will also deliver updates about the work that the UNDP, Shell, and other platform partners are doing to provide access to energy throughout the world.

Millennials from all over the globe will be incentivized through the mobile application and Power Your Voice "Global Relay" to identify, learn about, and join organizations that are working to provide access to energy, healthcare, and education in the developing world.  In exchange for their time, attention, and action, users will unlock mobile content from celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and international leaders.  In a year where global focus will be on the World Cup, Power Your Voice will initially reward engaged users with exclusive content and highlights from the 11th Match Against Poverty featuring a variety of football stars.

"Mobile phones travel with us everywhere and are the best means to authentically reach and 'power the voice' of young people," said Jeff Martin, Founder and CEO of Tribal Brands, Inc. and Tribal Technologies, Inc.  "Today, we are tying entertainment content consumption to real-world action.  With mobile phones being rooted in location, we can not only motivate, listen to, and inspire a generation of individuals, but also provide a means to measure the positive impact of their time and efforts."

Launched in 2013 with Royal Dutch Shell, the mPowering Action platform provides an ongoing and engaging mechanism for the global nonprofit, entertainment, and corporate communities to join efforts with the United Nations community to help reach young people around the world, encouraging them to take part in creating a better future.

The mPowering Action mobile application was developed by Tribal Brands and is supported by back-end mobile analytics provided by Tribal Technologies.  March 2014 mobile application updates include: a complete user interface overhaul and a new action system with more depth and complexity.

The mPowering Action mobile application is currently available on the App Store and Google Play.

More information on mPowering Action and the Power Your Voice program can be found at: www.mPoweringAction.com.

About the United Nations Development Programme – UNDP

Since 1966, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been partnering with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone.  UNDP works in four main areas: poverty reduction and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); democratic governance; crisis prevention and recovery; environment and sustainable development: www.undp.org.

About the United Nations Foundation

The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the world's most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by global corporations, foundations, governments, and individuals.  For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.

About Royal Dutch Shell plc

Royal Dutch Shell plc is incorporated in England and Wales, has its headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London, Amsterdam, and New York stock exchanges.  Shell companies have operations in more than 70 countries and territories with businesses including oil and gas exploration and production; production and marketing of liquefied natural gas and gas to liquids; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals and renewable energy projects. For further information, visit www.shell.com.

About Tribal Brands, Inc. & Tribal Technologies, Inc.

Tribal Brands, Inc. is the vanguard of mobile entertainment and marketing – the very definition of a change agent.  As the first company to drive over $1 Billion of sales on mobile platforms through carrier partners worldwide, Tribal Brands today is defining mobile innovation in entertainment, sports, and brand cause marketing.  From day one, Tribal Brands has differentiated itself from other entertainment and digital-marketing firms by understanding that consumers, when empowered and engaged, can become influential, viral brand advocates and an effective extension of a brand's sales team.  With more than a decade of experience in cross-promoting some of the most influential creative talent and top-tier brands globally, Tribal Brands builds innovative campaigns leveraging interactive consumer engagements while delivering key mobile analytics insights from Tribal Technologies, Inc. around customer loyalty and marketing effectiveness.  More on Tribal Brands: www.tribalbrands.com.   More on Tribal Technologies: www.tribaltech.com.

UNDP
Boaz Paldi
+1 (212) 991-8910
boaz.paldi@undp.org

United Nations Foundation
Darley Tom
+1 (202) 496-6384
dtom@unfoundation.org

Shell
Ross Whittam
+44 (0) 207 934 2085
ross.whittam@shell.com

Tribal Brands / Tribal Technologies
Jette Speights
+1 (415) 385-8829
Jette@tribalbrands.com