Asian Pop Weekly x #TogetherBand

Hey guys, it’s Jocelle the founder of Asian Pop Weekly here. I hate to be the one who’s always going on about things that people don’t want to hear, but if you haven’t noticed, the Earth is in a bit of a crisis situation right now. While in our relatively more privileged corners of the world, all we might have noticed are hotter summers or colder winters, but the chain reaction that these minuscule changes in temperature create on our ecosystem are astounding.

According to David Attenborough’s documentary “Life On Our Planet”, we have halved animal populations since the 1950s and are well on our way to over-consuming the earth’s resources. To the point that our rainforests may soon cease to produce moisture, ice caps melt from existence, and accelerate the speed at which temperatures rise and threaten our existence and that of future generations.

After hearing recently that countries’ climate efforts need to be upped by over 80% in order to meet aims of the 2015 Paris Agreement, I was disheartened at how much more there was to do. And perhaps a little ashamed we hadn’t done more. So this year, we are making it our mission is to make a more direct contribution to environmental efforts through our #APWEARTHEMERGENCY campaign.

This year, the campaign will incorporate a series of articles exploring the intersection between Asian music and environmental sustainability, as well as a giveaway contest over on our Patreon page. Teaming up with nonprofit global movement #TOGETHERBAND, they’ll be sponsoring our giveaway of their friendship bands for our Patreon subscribers. The months’ earnings will then be doubled by us and donated to #TOGETHERFUND which directs aid towards the UN sustainability goals and COVID-19 efforts. I resonate deeply with what #TOGETHERBAND does, and it is an absolute dream come true to be able to work with them on this campaign.

What does any of this have to do with Asian music you may ask? Well, to us, everything. At our core, we love music because we believe it has the potential to spark social change. And be it conversations around race and identity, or conversations about ourselves as inhabitants of this planet, we believe that there is always the possibility of personal growth through a change of perspectives and a new mindset.

I hope you’ll join me as we try something different this month, and find new ways to unite and bridge gaps through our work. Learn more about our campaign below, and reach out to us if you have any questions.

Happy Earth Day in advance!
Jocelle

How it works

1. Article Series

Across the month of April we’ll be releasing articles featuring stories of Asian artists who inspire us with their commitment to environmentalism and sustainability through their music and their efforts. We want to create a space where their stories can be explored and told from an environmentalism perspective to ignite new conversations and actions surrounding the movement.

2. #TOGETHERBANDS Giveaway Contest

We will be running a giveaway of four #TOGETHERBANDS over on our Patreon page for subscribers in the month of April. These #TOGETHERBANDS have been supported by the likes of Jameela Jamil, David Beckham, Bill and Melinda Gates as well as more global powerhouses who support the United Nation’s Sustainable Development goals.

Each band is made from reclaimed ocean plastic and decommissioned illegal firearm metal. The bands that will be made available in the giveaway support the following sustainability goals:

  • Goal 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities
  • Goal 12: Responsible Consumption & Production
  • Goal 13: Climate Action
  • Goal 14: Life Below Water
bands

3. Donations

All earnings from Asian Pop Weekly’s Patreon page in April will be doubled and donated to #TOGETHERBAND affiliated fund TOGETHER FUND, which assists in raising vital funds for fighting against COVID-19, and advancing life-changing innovations and programs which contribute to the UN Sustainable Development goals.

How to get involved

1. Subscribe To Our Patreon*

Subscribe to any tier on Asian Pop Weekly’s Patreon in April to be automatically registered in the #TOGETHERBANDS contest and to amplify your impact

2. Send us a message with your Earth Day Goals*

Message us via our Patreon, Instagram or Facebook sharing your pledge for making a difference this Earth Day. Our four favourite answers will win TOGETHERBANDS via the giveaway.

*Make sure you’ve done both step 1 and 2 in order to be part of the giveaway!

Additional links and resources