NEW YORK (AP) — This week’s Global Citizen NOW conference featured appeals for long-term investments in the African continent’s fast-growing youth population and increased outreach to young changemakers worldwide, as the international advocacy organization seeks to drive resources toward antipoverty causes.

The conflict-riddled international scene has made it even more vital that political, business and philanthropic leaders support education and health care in the least-developed nations, Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans said. Some of the week’s biggest asks included up to $6 billion for economic development in Africa and $600 million for a United Nations-administered fund supporting education during emergencies.

“I don’t need to lecture anyone about polarization,” Evans told The Associated Press. “But I do think that the corollary of that is that sometimes people can feel completely hopeless and disempowered. My one hope is that our platform continues to stand for clear, decisive, practical actions that citizens can take to change the world for good.”