Beyoncé has released a video for her song “I Was Here” as a part of her collaboration with the United Nations for World Humanitarian Day. The songstress, clad in a flowing white gown and chic ponytail, belted out the ballad in front of the United Nations and a crowd of screaming fans. As Beyoncé sang, images of people doing good deeds like giving someone a jacket and helping clean up after a disaster were projected behind her.
In addition to the performance, Beyoncé urged people to do a good deed, big or small, on August 19 as a part of World Humanitarian and to commemorate a terrorist attack in Iran that killed 22 people and wounded 100 in 2003. “I’d like to ask everyone to make sure they’re a part of August 19,” she told the audience at the filming of the performance. “It’s such a beautiful, beautiful day, and I’d like to honor the 22 people who lost their lives. God bless you all, thank you so much for having me.”
Beyoncé also released a statement explaining her involvement in the campaign. “We all see the headlines, and we think, ‘What can I really do to help?’” Beyoncé wrote. “World Humanitarian Day is an opportunity for all of us to work together to make a difference. This is our time to leave our mark on the world and show that we were here and we care.”
After doing the deeds, people were to share what they had done on the World Humanitarian Day website. According to the United Nations, Beyoncé’s efforts helped set a social media record. “The World Humanitarian Day 2012 campaign has made social media history by sharing more than one billion messages of hope,” said the U.N. in a statement. According to Bloomberg, a representative for Beyoncé shared that prominent people like Lady Gaga, Gwyneth Paltrow and Michelle Obama are participating in the campaign.
