Johannesburg, South Africa, Nov. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On Friday, 7 November 2025, in the run-up to the G20 in South Africa on 22-23 November, the Brave Movement will launch the “3rd Richest Nation” (3RN) campaign, its largest-ever push to tackle violence against children. The global campaign imagines a fictional country whose $7 trillion GDP – making it the third wealthiest nation in the world – matches the economic cost of childhood violence. The nation isn’t real. But its wealth could be.
The 3RN campaign radically reframes the issue of violence against children from a moral imperative to an economic emergency, designed to motivate world leaders into action and bring violence prevention to the forefront of policy agendas.
Globally cited research led by an alliance of child protection agencies found that violence against children costs the world economy $7 trillion annually in expenditure and lost revenue – the result of increased costs to public services (e.g. law enforcement, social services, healthcare), combined with the reality of unearned income for survivors of childhood violence due to poor educational outcomes and lower productivity. Meanwhile, research reveals that prevention programs have delivered a return on investment of up to $21 per $1 spent.
3RN positions ending childhood violence as a powerful economic opportunity, calling on G20 leaders to prioritise prevention in their policy agendas. It spotlights the significant economic gains – from stronger healthcare and education systems to increased GDP and more productive workforces –that come with protecting children from violence.
Innovative and interactive campaign assets mimicking hallmarks familiar to genuine G20 countries bring the “3rd Richest Nation” to life, encouraging meaningful engagement with the issue of violence against children:
Presidential Address – the campaign kicks off with a 60” film, featuring the fictional President, addressing fellow G20 leaders, crediting eradicating childhood violence for making them the world’s third richest nation. Using an innovative blend of live action and VFX, the President is an AI-generated amalgamation of 14 survivors of childhood violence, all of whom agreed to lend their likeness to the project, as well as guiding its message.
The Digital Citizen Hub – every touchpoint across the campaign guides viewers to a dedicated website, 3RN.org, where they can become honorary citizens of the 3rd Richest Nation by pledging actions to end childhood violence.
3RN News – the nation’s dedicated news channel, which delivers daily news stories across social media, reporting ‘live’ from the imaginary country. With a unifying focus on the economic benefit of eradicating childhood violence, each news story dives into a specific shift that led to the 3rd Richest Nation’s financial success, from education policy to legal reform.
Embassy Network – just like any G20 nation, the “3rd Richest Nation” has built a network of ambassadors around the world. Their task is to share the campaign’s message with thought leaders and policymakers both online and in-person. A blend of survivors and advocates, all ambassadors have been equipped with a bespoke embassy kit to help them spread the campaign’s message, complete with the country’s flag, currency (which double as informational flyers), passports (peppered with key facts to support their advocacy), and pins
Tourism Campaign – in the days surrounding the G20, the campaign will drive awareness with a large-scale tourism campaign echoing the style of golden-age travel posters, evoking a utopian destination where children are safe and the economy thrives.
Dr Daniela Ligiero, CEO of Together for Girls, and Brave Movement Founder, says, “As survivors, we know the impact of failing to protect children. Eradicating childhood violence isn’t just a moral imperative; it’s also one of the greatest economic opportunities of our time. Through our innovative 3rd Richest Nation campaign, we are telling world leaders, now is the time to invest in your children. Now is the time to ensure they can fulfil their potential. Now is the time to keep them all safe.”
Deputy Minister of Women, Youth and People with Disabilities in the National Executive, Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, a survivor herself, highlighted the cost of inaction for South Africa, “We’ve calculated the lifelong cost of not doing this work and, in economic terms, it comes to the equivalent of 8.1% of our GDP — approximately US$33 billion,” she said. “For every R100 our country produces, R8 is drained away through the consequences of neglecting health, education and the safety of our youth. We have an urgent duty not only here in South Africa but around the world to protect our children and to ensure that they can have the greatest opportunity to thrive and live free from fear. This campaign is a bold rallying cry, the Third Richest Nation may not be a real country, but its wealth really could be and we are listening.
Investing in child protection could save world economy $7
