Photo of GRAMMY trophy
Photo of GRAMMY trophy

Photo credit: GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images

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The Recording Academy To Implement Inclusion Rider For 2022 GRAMMY Awards Show

Produced in partnership with Color of Change and several other co-authors and key contributors, the GRAMMY Awards are the first major music awards show to publicly commit to using an inclusion rider

Recording Academy/Aug 4, 2021 - 05:59 pm

Today, the Recording Academy announced that the 2022 GRAMMY Awards show, officially known as the 64th GRAMMY Awards, will be produced with an Inclusion Rider, a contract addendum designed to be a powerful tool to ensure equity and inclusion at every level of the production.

Currently in development, the Inclusion Rider is part of the larger #ChangeMusic initiative and is being created in partnership with Color Of Change, as well as co-authors Kalpana Kotagal (partner, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll), Fanshen Cox (head of strategic outreach, Pearl Street Films), and key contributors Valeisha Butterfield Jones (Co-President, Recording Academy) and Ryan Butler (founding director, Warner Music | Blavatnik Center for Music Business at Howard University).

Poised to be the first major music awards show production to publicly commit to using an Inclusion Rider, the Recording Academy's adoption for the GRAMMY Awards illustrates the adaptability and expansion of a tool that was originally developed to address systemic diversity and equity issues in film and television. The full inclusion rider will be released publicly on Sept. 16, 2021.

"We're honored to work alongside Color Of Change and the Inclusion Rider's esteemed co-authors as we take this monumental step to ensure equitable industry standards that support a more diverse and inclusive music community," said Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. "As the Academy continues its transformational journey, diversifying our industry is at the core of every decision we make. We're dedicated to fostering an environment of inclusion industry-wide and hope that our efforts set an example for our peers in the music community."

"There are a lot of unwritten rules in the entertainment industry that create racial exclusion, and at Color Of Change, we know that to change society you have to change the rules," said Rashad Robinson, president of Color Of Change. "This Inclusion Rider is a written rule that will change the culture of hiring at the GRAMMYs, and will make inclusion the norm. We are proud to partner with the Recording Academy and hope that this joint effort inspires other entertainment industry leaders to join us in our fight for equity by adopting the Inclusion Rider."

"Incorporating the Inclusion Rider into the GRAMMY Awards will have an enormous impact on an industry that has a long history of exclusion and underrepresentation," said Kalpana Kotagal, Inclusion Rider co-author, civil rights attorney and partner at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll. "Part of what makes the Inclusion Rider so potent is its adaptability and flexibility. The GRAMMY Awards Inclusion Rider will include the fundamental elements of the tool, including a commitment to deepening and diversifying hiring pools, setting benchmarks and targets for hiring, collecting and thoroughly analyzing applicant and hiring data and implementing accountability measures."

The Recording Academy will add the Inclusion Rider as an addendum to a contract between itself and the production company for the GRAMMY Awards. This addendum is a contractual obligation for the production company to make its best effort to recruit, audition, interview, and hire on-stage and off-stage people who have been historically and systematically excluded from the industry.

Originating in the film and television industries, the Inclusion Rider is a contract provision that sets forth a process for hiring and casting to expand and diversify the candidate pool, encourage hiring qualified cast and crew who have been traditionally underrepresented in productions, track progress, and create accountability. The most recent iteration of the Rider for Hollywood was released this spring through #ChangeHollywood, and expanded upon its original legal framework and advocates for intersectional inclusivity, which includes but is not limited to gender, race and ethnicity, as well as LGBTQIA, age and disability considerations.

A project long in the making, the Recording Academy has been working to bring Inclusion Riders to the music industry since 2019 and enlisted Color Of Change and the IR co-authors to create a Rider for the production of the GRAMMYs. This is one piece of the important work Color Of Change and the Recording Academy have been leading together through the #ChangeMusic initiative. The Recording Academy and Color Of Change are also in the process of developing a public Rider template for video productions that will be released later this year.

The 64th GRAMMY Awards: Everything You Need To Know About The 2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show

Inside The Recording Academy's GRAMMY GO

Photo: GRAMMY GO

interview

How The Recording Academy's GRAMMY GO Is Building A Global Online Learning Community & Elevating The Creative Class

Learn more about the vision and future of GRAMMY GO, the Recording Academy's first-ever creator-to-creator platform and online learning experience, in this exclusive interview with the visionaries behind the initiative.

Recording Academy/Apr 17, 2024 - 11:42 pm

Since its inception, the Recording Academy has remained committed to inspiring and supporting the next generation of music creators and professionals via ongoing music education initiatives. Now, we're taking that commitment to the next level. 

Today, the Recording Academy proudly launched GRAMMY GO, a new online initiative offering innovative, industry-focused courses tailored for music creators and industry professionals from all backgrounds and experience levels. Launched in partnership with leading online learning platform Coursera, GRAMMY GO is the Academy's first-ever creator-to-creator platform that offers practical courses focusing on real-time industry developments and taught by leading music professionals and creators. 

Geared toward emerging and established members of the industry alike, GRAMMY GO taps into the Recording Academy's esteemed membership base and distinguished creator network to offer users a singular online learning experience informed by current-day industry dynamics. This unique approach sets GRAMMY GO apart from other online learning platforms.

"As an organization that comprises more than 20,000 of the world's most creative music professionals, we feel there is a massive source of knowledge that we believe is part of our mission, as an Academy, to help disseminate," Recording Academy President Panos A. Panay said in an exclusive interview. "We also view it as part of our purpose to use the Academy to help elevate other creatives and help them develop the skills they need to succeed in an ever-evolving industry. We bring a different orientation and a mission-driven purpose to what we're doing with GRAMMY GO."

"We're responding to what the needs are in the moment and across the industry," Jonathan Mahoney, Vice President of Online Learning for Grammy Global Ventures, adds. "We aim to explore the industry's needs, and then we'll build our offerings to answer those needs in real-time. That's one of the key differentiators fueling GRAMMY GO."

GRAMMY GO also accelerates the Recording Academy's ongoing global mission, while also reinforcing its commitment to music education — two core pillars that define the future of the Academy.

GRAMMY GO launches with "Building Your Audience for Music Professionals," a wide-spanning industry course taught by international music/marketing executive Joey Harris and featuring firsthand knowledge from past GRAMMY winners Jimmy Jam and Victoria Monét and 10-time GRAMMY nominee Janelle Monáe. The second GRAMMY GO course, "Music Production: Crafting An Award-Worthy Song," launching later this summer, will focus on sharpening technological and audio skills for music producers of all levels. Taught by Howard University professor and GRAMMY nominee Carolyn Malachi, the upcoming specialization will include appearances by GRAMMY winner CIRKUT, three-time GRAMMY winner Hit-Boy, artist and celebrity vocal coach Stevie Mackey, five-time GRAMMY nominee and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr., and 15-time GRAMMY winner Judith Sherman. Enrollment and pre-enrollment for both courses are now open.

In an exclusive interview below, Panay and Mahoney discuss the benefits and vision behind GRAMMY GO and the Recording Academy's year-round mission to bring music education and industry knowledge to creators and professionals around the world.

Learn more about GRAMMY GO and enroll now to the "Building Your Audience for Music Professionals" and "Music Production: Crafting An Award-Worthy Song" courses.

Music education is at the core of the Recording Academy's year-round mission. How does GRAMMY GO expand on this core mission?

Panos A. Panay: Learning and community are key components of the Academy. The organization has been dedicated to learning and building communities around learning and creating since its inception. GRAMMY GO is a piece in a puzzle that helps complete the picture. It creates a seamless arc between the offerings and initiatives across the Academy as a whole: from the GRAMMY Museum at the K-12 audiences through GRAMMY U's efforts with emerging professionals and creatives and all the way through the work we do with Advocacy, MusiCares, DEI, the Latin Recording Academy, Membership, and the annual GRAMMY Awards.

GRAMMY GO is now the connective tissue that can create a bridge between all these initiatives across our wider organization. We aim to use it as a platform to both complete the loop and help close any gaps that may have existed. GRAMMY GO is meant to work harmoniously with everything across the Academy so that it collectively makes the organization even more impactful. 

Music creators and professionals already have several online education options available to them. What will set GRAMMY GO apart from these other platforms?

Panay: As an organization that comprises more than 20,000 of the world's most creative music professionals, we feel there is a massive source of knowledge that we believe is part of our mission, as an Academy, to help disseminate. We also view it as part of our purpose to use the Academy to help elevate other creatives and help them develop the skills they need to succeed in an ever-evolving industry.

We are entering the online music education space because we believe that there is often a gap between the more academic-oriented educational platforms that exist and the more practical-oriented knowledge for professionals to develop their careers or, even more importantly, to expand their careers in the industry. Our offerings, as a part of our partnership with Coursera, are geared toward both aspirants as well as professionals who are looking to take the next step in their careers.

The specializations are designed as learning platforms, to be taught by practitioners who are thriving in the music industry on a daily level today. What we're doing is driven by our purpose and the role that we want to be playing in both the industry and society at large as the Recording Academy.

GRAMMY GO on Coursera includes courses taught by Recording Academy members and featuring past GRAMMY winners and nominees. What does this access to the Recording Academy membership and network add to the GRAMMY GO experience?

Jonathan Mahoney: This is the Recording Academy's first creator-to-creator platform. The instructors are people who are thriving in their careers; they're doing it every day. We've got Carolyn Malachi, who's a Howard tenure track professor, but she's also an active producer who's constantly in the studio working. Joey Harris knows intimately how to succeed in the industry. He's taking his real-time knowledge and applying it to the lessons he's passing along. I see GRAMMY GO as a mentorship for and by the music community.

Panay: The Recording Academy is an organization developed by, ran by, and dedicated to the well-being of creatives. Beyond our celebration, advocacy, support, and inspiration for creatives, it's also our job to help give them the toolkits that they need to continue to succeed today. So we're taking that peer-to-peer model and applying it to the creator-to-creator model. 

Tell me more about the GRAMMY GO partnership with Coursera

Panay: Coursera is a leader in the online education space. By joining forces, we're bringing what the Academy does to a broader, global audience. Of all the partners out there, we felt Coursera best reflected our values and our approach and was the best partner for us to activate the mission of the Academy on a global level.

Imagine I'm an emerging artist or industry professional; let's say I'm a GRAMMY U member in college. Now imagine I'm an established member of the industry who's entering the 10th year of my professional career. Is GRAMMY GO for me?

Panay: Yes. I've been in the music business for 30-plus years, and I can tell you: The learning does not stop. When I completed the first GRAMMY GO specialization, there's impactful stuff that I learned. It's easy to put your head down as a professional, and you're working all day, every day. But lift your head up periodically, take stock and ask yourself, "How do I sharpen my skills? How do I invest in my skills so that I can continue to evolve at the highest possible level?" In that sense, we feel absolutely sure what we're developing is applicable to everyone.

Mahoney: We built this content with everyone in mind, including our Recording Academy membership, when we decided to make this our launch offering. We thought deeply about what would be appealing to our members. These initial offerings may work for our members, but at the same time, anyone can benefit from them.

Panay: If you've been a practitioner or a professional in some field, there is always a benefit to having somebody help you think about what you're doing instinctively in a very different way. Especially for creatives, things are so natural to them that they don't always stop to think about their own process. And sometimes you need somebody to help you unlock those different or unexplored perspectives. That's what GRAMMY GO offers.

Everybody can gain from more improvement; nobody is immune to growth. You could be Michael Jordan, but you still have a coach Phil Jackson on the sidelines to help you improve. If you're competitive, then every 1% improvement matters because that's your edge.

GRAMMY GO is like your coach in your pocket.

Panay: I like that.

Talk to us about some of the GRAMMY GO specializations being offered through Coursera. What are some of the future specializations going to focus on? And how are you selecting these forthcoming courses?

Mahoney: We're building content in an agile way so that we're responding to what the needs are in the moment and across the industry. We're taking a hard look at what we're going to build, but also how we're going to build it. We really want to be agile and quick and create valuable content that is also timely. We aim to explore the industry's needs, and then we'll build our offerings to answer those needs in real-time. That's one of the key differentiators fueling GRAMMY GO.

Panay: What distinguishes GRAMMY GO from a traditional academic institution is that we're nimble and we're able to adjust and adapt based on the various market dynamics that we, as the Recording Academy, have a front-row seat at witnessing. That's our approach: How do we use our immersion into the industry as a great gauge for the skill gaps that may exist? And how do we quickly move to fill that gap by tapping into our Academy membership?

Right now, there is complete equality around talent distribution yet complete asymmetry around the skills that are needed to help that talent reach its highest possible level. Our mission as an organization focuses on embracing and elevating all creators, irrespective of who they are, what language they speak, what passport they carry, or what music they perform.

What are some of the most valuable lessons or takeaways that users will learn from GRAMMY GO?

Mahoney: The "Building Your Audience" course is about finding your authentic self, building your brand identity around that authentic self, and figuring out who are your comparable inspirations and taking their lessons and teachings to use in your practice. 

With the "Music Production" offering, the lessons will vary for each user. If you're a beginner or completely new to music production, you're going to come away with the knowledge to be able to cut your first track. The whole goal of the "Music Production" offering is that you start out with nothing and you end up with a demo track that you can release or socialize. Now, if you are coming in as an intermediate and you've done something in the past, you'll focus on refining your craft, making it better, and enhancing it to the next level.

Panay: No matter who you are, no matter where you are — both in your journey or even your geographic location — you will get access to practical skills and impactful knowledge; there is something there that's worth investing your time and energy on. Learn as much as you want, learn on your own time, learn for however long you have, whether it's five minutes or five hours or five days. These offerings will take you from wherever you are in your journey to the next level.

Stay Connected To The Recording Academy With The My Academy Hub App: Access Key Deadlines, View Membership Information, Browse Official Academy Events & More

Adam Roth, Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships & Business Development for the Recording Academy, attending the GRAMMY Awards
Adam Roth, Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships & Business Development for the Recording Academy, attending the GRAMMY Awards

Photo: Courtesy of Adam Roth

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Recording Academy Appoints Adam Roth As Executive Vice President Of Global Partnerships & Business Development

Roth will focus on expanding the Recording Academy's global presence through integrated partnerships, new IP development, and strategic business development, using his expertise in driving growth and innovation.

Recording Academy/Apr 9, 2024 - 01:00 pm

The Recording Academy has appointed Adam Roth as Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships & Business Development, effective immediately. In this role, Roth will be responsible for growing the Recording Academy's global footprint internationally through the development and negotiation of high-impact integrated partnership programs with both globally recognized brands and local, on-the-ground sponsors. Additionally, Roth will create new IP and build business around existing IP as a method for creating new global revenue opportunities for the Academy. Roth will also develop results-driven programs for the Recording Academy's GRAMMY Awards season sponsors and create the strategic planning and sales strategy for developing new business and revenue opportunities.

"We are thrilled to have Adam as our EVP of Global Partnerships & Business Development," said Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. "Throughout his tenure, Adam's unwavering dedication and foresight have consistently delivered remarkable results for our organization. As the Academy continues its work serving music and its creators around the world, I am confident that Adam's new roles will continue to steer our business development to allow our work to expand in exciting, new ways."

Roth previously served as Senior Vice President of Partnerships & Business Development for the Recording Academy, using his deep network of industry relationships across the arts, fashion, music, entertainment, and technology industries to create 360 deals to drive new business across all entities of the Recording Academy, including MusiCares, GRAMMY Museum, and The Latin Recording Academy.

Prior to joining the organization in 2019, Roth served as vice president of strategic partnerships for the not-for-profit, membership-based trade organization Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). In this role, he was responsible for bringing the CFDA and the fashion industry at-large into high-profile arenas to promote both the organization and its membership to new audiences. His accomplishments while at CFDA include creating the first-ever MTV-CFDA Fashion Vanguard Award for the MTV VMAs and implementing key marketing initiatives with the NFL for Super Bowl 50 and Google. He also spent seven years at Condé Nast, where he was in charge of developing custom programs for luxury advertising partners across their men's, women's, travel, and home brands.

Roth was named Condé Nast Marketer of the Year in 2008 of the Quarter in 2011. He also spent three years as a founding member of the New York LGBT Center's Business Mentorship program for youth ages 13-22. He holds an associate's degree from Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland.

Inside Green Day's Intimate "Right Here, Right Now" Global Climate Concert In San Francisco

Graphic featuring the Recording Academy's My Academy Hub app next to a GRAMMY Award trophy on top of a blue and turquoise background
Download the My Academy Hub app now

Graphic Courtesy of the Recording Academy

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Stay Connected To The Recording Academy With The My Academy Hub App: Access Key Deadlines, View Membership Information, Browse Official Academy Events & More

My Academy Hub is the official app for members of the Recording Academy and Latin Recording Academy. This app allows you to easily access your membership information, key GRAMMY deadlines, and many other essential resources.

Recording Academy/Apr 5, 2024 - 12:19 am

The Recording Academy is thrilled to announce the launch of the My Academy Hub mobile app, the official app for members of the Recording Academy and the Latin Recording Academy. Enabling easy access to all your membership information and key resources, the My Academy Hub app is the ultimate tool for managing your Academy membership from anywhere, anytime — right at your fingertips. Plus, the app is the best way to stay connected to your Academy community. 

Download the My Academy Hub app in the App Store and Google Play.

Benefits of the My Academy Hub app include:

  • Receive Timely Notices: Stay up-to-date on important alerts and news from the Recording Academy and Latin Recording Academy.

  • Access Key Deadlines: Never miss a deadline for GRAMMYs submissions, GRAMMY voting, or other important events.

  • View Your Membership Details: View your membership status, type, expiration date, and more.

  • Browse Your Benefits: Access exclusive discounts, member perks, and more member benefits right from the app.

  • Events: Browse and register for upcoming Recording Academy and Latin Recording Academy official events.

Your in-app journey will be tailored to reflect your affiliation with either the Recording Academy or the Latin Recording Academy. In the case of dual membership, the default view will be the Recording Academy dashboard, with the flexibility to seamlessly switch to the Latin Recording Academy dashboard as needed. The Latin Recording Academy experience supports English, Spanish and Portuguese.

The My Academy Hub app also brings the Recording Academy dashboard right to your fingertips and triggers push notifications announcing the latest Recording Academy news and updates, including key deadlines and updates to the GRAMMY Awards process. You can also update your Academy member information seamlessly and keep your privacy safe via a biometric login.

Plus, keep an eye out for product function updates. 

Download the My Academy Hub app at the App Store and Google Play today to stay connected to your community at the Recording Academy and Latin Recording Academy.

2024 GRAMMYs: See The Full Winners & Nominees List

Flyer for the Mini Global Climate Concert featuring Green Day, co-hosted by United Nations Human Rights and the Recording Academy
Green Day will headline the Mini Global Climate Concert Tuesday, April 2, at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California, co-hosted by United Nations Human Rights and the Recording Academy

Photo: Alice Baxley

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Green Day To Headline "Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert" In San Francisco On April 2, Presented By United Nations Human Rights & The Recording Academy

Green Day have been selected as the headliner and international honorees of the ecologically driven concert, which aims to combat the human rights crisis resulting from climate change.

Recording Academy/Mar 28, 2024 - 08:59 pm

As four-time GRAMMY winners and 17-time GRAMMY nominees, Green Day have an uncommonly visible platform in the music industry. And we're seeing them use it for critical, world-repairing ends.

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (Right Here, Right Now) is proud to announce Green Day as the headliners and international honorees of the United Nations Human Rights-supported Mini Global Climate Concert. Taking place Tuesday, April 2, at the Fillmore in San Francisco, California, the event aims to combat the human rights crisis resulting from climate change. Co-hosted by United Nations Human Rights and the Recording Academy, the event will also recognize Green Day for their longstanding commitment to social justice and environmental causes.

Tickets for the intimate benefit concert will go on sale Friday, March 29, at noon PT/3 p.m. ET through Ticketmaster. Proceeds from Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concerts will go to United Nations Human Rights climate justice initiatives and a dedicated Right Here, Right Now climate fund at MusiCares to help musicians affected by climate change. MusiCares is the leading music charity providing music professionals health and human services across a spectrum of needs.

The Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series is bringing together some of the most popular stadium acts to perform at intimate concert venues around the globe, while shining a light on the human rights-based approaches and solutions to climate change and the suffering it causes. The Green Day concert is the second installment of the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series, which kicked off last April with an intimate concert headlined by Wesley Schultz, lead singer and co-founder of the two-time GRAMMY-nominated band the Lumineers, and six-time GRAMMY-nominated artist Yola as a special guest. The Mini Global Climate Concert Series is part of the Right Here, Right Now Music initiative, a collaboration between the Recording Academy and the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (Right Here, Right Now), which launched last April and aims to combat the human rights crisis resulting from climate change.

Read More: How The Recording Academy And United Nations Human Rights Are Tackling Climate Change: 5 Takeaways From The Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series

"We are pleased to recognize Green Day and excited for the incredible band to help us launch the international Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series," states Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. "As world-renowned artists and activists, Green Day continues to leverage its major influence and platform to bring awareness to the impact of climate change on the people and the environment. The United Nations was founded in San Francisco almost 80 years ago to safeguard human rights and dignity from crisis and tragedy. It is only fitting that we are back in San Francisco promoting human rights-based approaches and solutions to the climate crisis as co-hosts along with the Recording Academy."

David Clark, founder and CEO of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, said, "It's a privilege and honor to have Green Day headline the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert in San Francisco. We selected the band, as Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool have been at the forefront promoting social justice initiatives for decades. When iconic artists like Green Day leverage their global platform to promote climate justice, the world takes notice. In their new song ‘Saviors,’ they mention they're 'the last of the rockers making a commotion,' which we're all grateful for. I believe when you stand for something – you stand out, and they certainly do!"

"Music is one of humanity's greatest resources. It moves the world," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said. "Our organization exists to harness music's power to make a better world. We are proud to be co-hosting the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert with the United Nations Human Rights team and we are grateful for Green Day's longstanding dedication to promoting social justice."

Formed in 1986 in Berkeley, California, Green Day is one of the most popular and best-selling bands of all time with more than 75 million records sold worldwide and 10 billion cumulative audio/visual streams.

On January 19, 2024, Green Day released their highly anticipated 14th studio album, Saviors, which debuted at No.1 on seven different Billboard charts and marked their fifth No.1 in the UK. On May 30, Green Day will kick off their massive global stadium tour – The Saviors Tour — where they'll play Dookie and American Idiot in their entirety, along with other Saviors cuts and fan favorites. The tour will conclude on September 28 at Petco Park in San Diego. 

Read More: Green Day's Saviors: How Their New Album Links Dookie & American Idiot Decades Later

Since launching in 2021 at the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26), the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance has emerged as a leading multi-stakeholder partnership for climate justice, bringing together human rights experts, scientists, corporate leaders, NGOs, academics, advocates, and people around the globe in the fight for rights-based climate action.

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance driven by universities and youth has also garnered support from celebrities that include Leonardo DiCaprio, Quincy Jones, Celine Dion, Cher, Jeff Bridges, Camila Cabello, Ellen DeGeneres, Edward Norton, Annie Lennox, Cyndi Lauper, Pitbull, LL Cool J, Joss Stone, Kesha, and Jack Black, to name just a few. In 2025, Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit will be hosted by the University of Oxford, the Global Academic Partner of Right Here, Right Now.

Learn more about Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance.

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