Hours before she took the stage at the United Nations General Assembly Hall to shoot the video for “I Was Here,” Beyoncé sat down with Anderson Cooper for CNN’s “AC360.” The 30-year-old singer spoke about dedicating the empowering song and video to World Humanitarian Day and making an impact in others’ lives.

“It says, ‘I want to leave my footprints in the sands of time’ and it basically is all of our dreams,” said B of the Diane Warren-penned ballad. “And that’s leaving our mark on the world. I feel like we all want to know that our life meant something.”

Beyoncé encourages others to do their part and make their mark. “We all have our purpose, and we all have our strengths…it feels so wonderful to do something for someone else. And I think for the U.N. to want to include the whole world was something important, and I feel like that’s what I represent.”

The video for “I Was Here” will premiere worldwide on August 19.

[MWP]