Ac·tiv·ist, pronounced /aktivəst/, is a person or group campaigning to bring about political or social change.  

An activist can sprout organically, or in this case, discovered in a competition series that features six inspiring activists who will team up with three high-profile public figures to bring change to one of three world issues: health, education, and environment.  

The competition, “The Activist,” will feature Usher, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Julianne Hough as co-hosts on CBS’s Global Citizen competition series. The five-week reality series premieres at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22 on CBS, and will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.  

Here is how the contestants will be judged: a head-to-head challenge will be used to promote their causes based on online engagement, social metrics, and the hosts’ input.  

The goal of the teams is to illuminate their message to the G20 Summit in Rome, Italy. The team will meet with world leaders hoping to secure funding and bring awareness to their causes. The winner in the competition is the team that receives the largest commitment.  

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They will also be featured in musical performances by some of the world’s most passionate artists.  

“’The Activist’ is a first-of-its-kind competition series that will inspire real change, as the series progresses from the United States to Rome for the Activists’ final challenge at the G20,” said Hugh Evans, CEO and co-founder of Global Citizen. “The audience will see the Activists’ passion and commitment for their causes tested as they petition world leaders to take urgent action to resolve the interconnected crises we face.”  

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