Students Worldwide Support CNN's #MyFreedomDay Initiative to Champion the "Freedom to Learn"

HONG KONG, March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrating its laudable ninth year, #MyFreedomDay, CNN's one-day, student-driven social media event to raise awareness of modern-day slavery, returns on March 11.

The launch of this year's #MyFreedomDay campaign focuses on the theme of "Freedom to Learn," which aims to raise awareness about the pressing issue of education access for children worldwide. As thousands of students prepare to participate in this year's initiative, #MyFreedomDay seeks to create empathy and understanding about the harsh realities facing over 12 million children globally trapped in modern slavery.

Recognizing that education is a fundamental right, students involved in #MyFreedomDay will engage in activities designed to connect with the struggles of their peers who are confined in situations where learning is impossible. This year's theme hopes to reinforce that through education, both the free and the oppressed can visualize a future where every child can learn, evolve, and break the cycle of exploitation.

This initiative empowers students across schools and communities to be advocates for education. With these series of events, conversations, and social media campaigns, the message of empathy and education equity will resonate and encourage participants to speak out for those unable to voice their aspirations for learning.

Students from more than 100 countries around the world have undertaken this year's challenge, through presentations, panel discussions, video messages, art exhibitions, public events, and so many other meaningful activities.

#MyFreedomDay coverage will commence at 6 am HKT on March 11^th in Hong Kong on CNN International, with correspondents contributing throughout the day from Hong Kong, Atlanta, London, and Sao Paulo among others.

CNN's #MyFreedomDay microsite CNN.com/MyFreedom will offer interactive content to bolster "Freedom to Learn" and serve as educational devices for students and larger audiences worldwide.

Leif Coorlim, executive editor of the CNN Freedom Project, shared "#MyFreedomDay's focus on the 'Freedom to Learn' theme reminds us that millions of children trapped in modern slavery are denied the basic right of an education. By engaging young people, we aim to foster empathy and an understanding that education is the most powerful tool we must use to break the cycles of vulnerability that lead to human trafficking. Join us in standing up for every child's hope to learn and live in freedom."

About The CNN Freedom Project
The CNN Freedom Project produces original reports, articles, and documentaries on human trafficking in all of its forms – from debt bondage in India to sex trafficking rings in Southern California and African slaves in the Sinai desert. Since its launch in 2011, the multi-award-winning CNN Freedom Project is among the most successful and highly visible programming initiatives on CNN International. It has generated more than 1,000 investigative stories of modern-day slavery from across six continents. Various NGOs report that these CNN Freedom Project stories have contributed to changing laws and corporate policies, led to more than 1,000 survivors receiving assistance and sparked more than $24 million in donations to anti-trafficking organizations. www.cnn.com/freedom

About CNN Worldwide
CNN Worldwide is the most honored brand in cable news, reaching more individuals on television and online than any other cable news organization in the United States. Globally, CNN International is the most widely distributed news channel. CNN Digital is the #1 online news destination, with more unique visitors and video viewers than any other news source. The award-winning portfolio of CNN includes non-scripted programming from CNN Original Series and documentary feature and short films for broadcast, streaming and distribution by CNN Films across multiple platforms. CNN programming can be found on CNN, CNN International, HLN and CNN en Español channels, on the CNN Originals hub on discovery+ on HBO Max and for pay TV subscription via CNN.com, CNN apps and cable operator platforms. Additionally, CNN Newsource is the world's most extensively utilized news service partnering with over 1,000 local and international news organizations around the world. CNN is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery.

HONG KONG, March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrating its laudable ninth year, #MyFreedomDay, CNN's one-day, student-driven social media event to raise awareness of modern-day slavery, returns on March 11.

The launch of this year's #MyFreedomDay campaign focuses on the theme of "Freedom to Learn," which aims to raise awareness about the pressing issue of education access for children worldwide. As thousands of students prepare to participate in this year's initiative, #MyFreedomDay seeks to create empathy and understanding about the harsh realities facing over 12 million children globally trapped in modern slavery.

Recognizing that education is a fundamental right, students involved in #MyFreedomDay will engage in activities designed to connect with the struggles of their peers who are confined in situations where learning is impossible. This year's theme hopes to reinforce that through education, both the free and the oppressed can visualize a future where every child can learn, evolve, and break the cycle of exploitation.

This initiative empowers students across schools and communities to be advocates for education. With these series of events, conversations, and social media campaigns, the message of empathy and education equity will resonate and encourage participants to speak out for those unable to voice their aspirations for learning.

Students from more than 100 countries around the world have undertaken this year's challenge, through presentations, panel discussions, video messages, art exhibitions, public events, and so many other meaningful activities.

#MyFreedomDay coverage will commence at 6 am HKT on March 11^th in Hong Kong on CNN International, with correspondents contributing throughout the day from Hong Kong, Atlanta, London, and Sao Paulo among others.

CNN's #MyFreedomDay microsite CNN.com/MyFreedom will offer interactive content to bolster "Freedom to Learn" and serve as educational devices for students and larger audiences worldwide.

Leif Coorlim, executive editor of the CNN Freedom Project, shared "#MyFreedomDay's focus on the 'Freedom to Learn' theme reminds us that millions of children trapped in modern slavery are denied the basic right of an education. By engaging young people, we aim to foster empathy and an understanding that education is the most powerful tool we must use to break the cycles of vulnerability that lead to human trafficking. Join us in standing up for every child's hope to learn and live in freedom."

About The CNN Freedom Project
The CNN Freedom Project produces original reports, articles, and documentaries on human trafficking in all of its forms – from debt bondage in India to sex trafficking rings in Southern California and African slaves in the Sinai desert. Since its launch in 2011, the multi-award-winning CNN Freedom Project is among the most successful and highly visible programming initiatives on CNN International. It has generated more than 1,000 investigative stories of modern-day slavery from across six continents. Various NGOs report that these CNN Freedom Project stories have contributed to changing laws and corporate policies, led to more than 1,000 survivors receiving assistance and sparked more than $24 million in donations to anti-trafficking organizations. www.cnn.com/freedom

About CNN Worldwide
CNN Worldwide is the most honored brand in cable news, reaching more individuals on television and online than any other cable news organization in the United States. Globally, CNN International is the most widely distributed news channel. CNN Digital is the #1 online news destination, with more unique visitors and video viewers than any other news source. The award-winning portfolio of CNN includes non-scripted programming from CNN Original Series and documentary feature and short films for broadcast, streaming and distribution by CNN Films across multiple platforms. CNN programming can be found on CNN, CNN International, HLN and CNN en Español channels, on the CNN Originals hub on discovery+ on HBO Max and for pay TV subscription via CNN.com, CNN apps and cable operator platforms. Additionally, CNN Newsource is the world's most extensively utilized news service partnering with over 1,000 local and international news organizations around the world. CNN is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Students Worldwide Support CNN's #MyFreedomDay Initiative to Champion the "Freedom to Learn"

• New framework brings together Aon's Risk Capital and Human Capital data with public sentiment analysis from Gallup to create a portfolio view of risk
• Creates further clarity into how risks compound across four megatrends, how resilience is built and activated and where targeted actions can most effectively influence performance

DUBLIN, Jan. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, announced today that it is releasing insights from a new, data-driven tool to help organizations build sustainable resilience and unlock growth: Aon's Resilience Quotient.

Developed in collaboration with Gallup, Aon's Resilience Quotient responds to a critical insight: in a time of increasing populism and fragmented sources of information, quantitative data alone is not enough to make long-term decisions. Combining public sentiment on global issues with risk and people data and analytics enables greater clarity and confidence to invest and grow amidst uncertainty and volatility.

By integrating Aon's proprietary Risk Capital and Human Capital analytics with the results of Gallup's World Poll covering 140 countries for more than 20 years, the firm's Resilience Quotient captures both objective conditions and subjective sentiment, revealing where sentiment signals hidden risks and potential opportunities to achieve greater resilience. This system-level view enables leaders to spot emerging risks sooner, prioritize resilience investments and move from reactive risk management to proactive decision-making.

"When making decisions around investment, workforce or managing geopolitical risk, a portfolio view is far superior to a siloed perspective," said Greg Case, president and CEO of Aon. "Understanding sentiment can be an opportunity signal or an early warning. Leaders who are limited to only some of the relevant metrics risk missing the signals that matter most. Aon's Resilience Quotient delivers an integrated view to help organizations act decisively, strengthen resilience and unlock sustainable growth."

Four interconnected megatrends – Trade, Technology, Weather and Workforce – are reshaping the global operating environment in ways that traditional models struggle to anticipate. Aon's Resilience Quotient provides a clearer view of the tradeoffs within these interactions: how trade volatility can amplify technology risk, how climate pressures influence workforce mobility and how sentiment can either reinforce resilience or heighten operational risk, even when the fundamentals appear strong.   

To illustrate the insights from its Resilience Quotient, the firm published three case studies addressing some of the most relevant and urgent issues facing the 2026 global economy:

• Realizing the Opportunity of AI: Securing Data Center Growth
  Data centers are the backbone of the digital economy and with nearly $1.3 trillion projected to be invested globally in data centers by 2030, their rapid expansion brings unprecedented risks. Aon's Resilience Quotient shows that resilience varies sharply at the sub-national level, often more than underlying risk. Within the U.S., Iowa emerges as the most resilient destination for data center development, combining very low overall risk with exceptionally strong trade and weather resilience.

  "Aon's Resilience Quotient shows that Iowa's resilience–risk balance is roughly twice the national median, demonstrating how governance quality, institutional confidence and preparedness materially shape long-term infrastructure outcomes," said Joe Peiser, CEO of Commercial Risk Solutions at Aon. "This underscores the opportunity for leaders who understand the combined effect of low risk, resilient trade and weather systems and a strong foundation of public trust — factors that ultimately determine where AI infrastructure can grow at scale."

DUBLIN, Jan. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, announced today that it is releasing insights from a new, data-driven tool to help organizations build sustainable resilience and unlock growth: Aon's Resilience Quotient.

Developed in collaboration with Gallup, Aon's Resilience Quotient responds to a critical insight: in a time of increasing populism and fragmented sources of information, quantitative data alone is not enough to make long-term decisions. Combining public sentiment on global issues with risk and people data and analytics enables greater clarity and confidence to invest and grow amidst uncertainty and volatility.

By integrating Aon's proprietary Risk Capital and Human Capital analytics with the results of Gallup's World Poll covering 140 countries for more than 20 years, the firm's Resilience Quotient captures both objective conditions and subjective sentiment, revealing where sentiment signals hidden risks and potential opportunities to achieve greater resilience. This system-level view enables leaders to spot emerging risks sooner, prioritize resilience investments and move from reactive risk management to proactive decision-making.

"When making decisions around investment, workforce or managing geopolitical risk, a portfolio view is far superior to a siloed perspective," said Greg Case, president and CEO of Aon. "Understanding sentiment can be an opportunity signal or an early warning. Leaders who are limited to only some of the relevant metrics risk missing the signals that matter most. Aon's Resilience Quotient delivers an integrated view to help organizations act decisively, strengthen resilience and unlock sustainable growth."

Four interconnected megatrends – Trade, Technology, Weather and Workforce – are reshaping the global operating environment in ways that traditional models struggle to anticipate. Aon's Resilience Quotient provides a clearer view of the tradeoffs within these interactions: how trade volatility can amplify technology risk, how climate pressures influence workforce mobility and how sentiment can either reinforce resilience or heighten operational risk, even when the fundamentals appear strong.   

To illustrate the insights from its Resilience Quotient, the firm published three case studies addressing some of the most relevant and urgent issues facing the 2026 global economy:

"Aon's Resilience Quotient shows that Iowa's resilience–risk balance is roughly twice the national median, demonstrating how governance quality, institutional confidence and preparedness materially shape long-term infrastructure outcomes," said Joe Peiser, CEO of Commercial Risk Solutions at Aon. "This underscores the opportunity for leaders who understand the combined effect of low risk, resilient trade and weather systems and a strong foundation of public trust — factors that ultimately determine where AI infrastructure can grow at scale."

• Workforce Transformation: AI Adoption and the Next Generation Workforce 
  The acceleration of AI adoption is transforming the workforce, but most organizations face a critical gap between the demand for AI skills and their readiness to adapt. The Resilience Quotient highlights how workforce engagement, trust and institutional preparedness are essential to harnessing AI's potential, making resilience the key differentiator between organizations that thrive through change and those that risk falling behind.

  "Aon's Resilience Quotient equips leaders to navigate rapid AI change with confidence," said Lisa Stevens, chief administrative officer at Aon. "These insights help create the conditions for early‑career employees to build the skills and confidence they need — so instead of losing a generation of talent, we cultivate one that is more capable and resilient than ever."

"Aon's Resilience Quotient equips leaders to navigate rapid AI change with confidence," said Lisa Stevens, chief administrative officer at Aon. "These insights help create the conditions for early‑career employees to build the skills and confidence they need — so instead of losing a generation of talent, we cultivate one that is more capable and resilient than ever."

• Rethinking Humanitarian Finance: A New Approach to Forced Migration
  Over 120 million people are currently displaced by conflict, climate and systemic crises, reshaping societies and economies worldwide. Aon's Resilience Quotient highlights Venezuela and Colombia to illustrate the tradeoffs between investing resources at the source of migration — supporting those facing institutional erosion, food insecurity and economic collapse — or directing investment to more stable countries like Colombia that are absorbing people fleeing unlivable conditions.

  "Forced displacement results from extreme weather and man-made disasters like conflict and economic failure," said Bridget Gainer, chief public affairs officer at Aon. "If we could leverage the forecasting and financial capability of insurance to better predict and more quickly mitigate the impact of this volatility, we could help create conditions that allow populations to remain and rebuild in their home countries."

"Forced displacement results from extreme weather and man-made disasters like conflict and economic failure," said Bridget Gainer, chief public affairs officer at Aon. "If we could leverage the forecasting and financial capability of insurance to better predict and more quickly mitigate the impact of this volatility, we could help create conditions that allow populations to remain and rebuild in their home countries."

"Resilience is not a single blueprint, it's the way systems mitigate, adapt and transform under pressure. Aon's Resilience Quotient functions as a pressure gauge, surfacing the trade‑offs and early signals that help leaders strengthen resilience where it matters most," said Joe Daly, managing partner at Gallup. "We're proud to collaborate with Aon to combine Gallup's global sentiment analytics with Aon's Risk Capital and Human Capital data, turning confidence into actionable insight."

New insights from Aon's Resilience Quotient suggest that going forward, resilience priorities will shift from static risk management to dynamic, localized strategies. As disruptions become more complex and frequent, organizations will need to tailor resilience investments to specific geographies, sectors and even sub-regional contexts. Aon's Resilience Quotient is supported with a real-time analytics and AI-enabled insights platform, built by Quantum Rise, providing deeper visibility into evolving risk and resilience signals as conditions change.

Aon and Gallup will join global decision-makers at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting to advance these critical discussions on restoring confidence and unlocking sustainable growth.

Learn more about Aon's Resilience Quotient and explore the case studies here.

About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Through actionable analytic insight, globally integrated Risk Capital and Human Capital expertise, and locally relevant solutions, our colleagues provide clients in over 120 countries with the clarity and confidence to make better risk and people decisions that help protect and grow their businesses.

Follow Aon on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram. Stay up-to-date by visiting Aon's newsroom and sign up for news alerts here.

Media Contact
mediainquiries@aon.com
Toll-free (U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico): +1 833 751 8114
International: +1 312 381 3024

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **



Aon's Resilience Quotient Cuts Through Uncertainty and Volatility to Help Businesses Move from Risk to Resilience and Growth