The impossible-possible mission of connecting the youngest continent
The impossible-possible mission of connecting the youngest continent
Africa is the youngest continent with over 200 million people aged between 15-24 in 2015 accounting for 19 percent of the global youth population (UNECA ,2015). By 2030, it is projected that the number of youth in Africa will have increased by 42 per cent. Despite this number, investment in the socio-economic empowerment and participation of young people in decision-making processes on the continent is limited. The majority of African youth continue to face a myriad of challenges not limited to unemployment, lack of skills, quality and relevant education and quality health care. Thus, a greater proportion of youth do not have the opportunity to fully develop their potential and contribute effectively to the development agenda on the continent.
The African Youth SDGs Summit series was started in 2017 in Ghana as an annual Pan-African country rotational initiative to mobilize and activate the power of young people to drive the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa. The maiden event attracted 425 participants from 25 countries tackling topics spanning across SDGs themes such as environment, gender, disabilities, economic and social development.
The African Youth SDGs Summit envisions a continent which is open to continuous dialogue with its vibrant youthful population. The future goal of the initiative is to ensure that this is not a one-time event but the start of larger movement and SDG Youth conversation in Africa.
Who is behind this?
Emmanuel Ametepey
Getting (really!!!) serious on circular economy
Getting (really!!!) serious on circular economy
A network that started with one member (can that be called a “network”?) is now gathering over 2,600 circular economy professionals from over 60 countries spreading knowledge, mentorship, activities and support all over the world. The Circular Economy Club (CEC) is a non-profit international network that was born due to the lack of visibility and connections that often keep circular economy local initiatives from having a higher impact.
Connecting people with the same interests allows individuals to exchange knowledge, create collaborations, and have a stronger impact than they would have separately. CEC is the only organization bringing together all actors in the circular economy space, making them visible and connected, for free.
Within 2 years, CEC has become the fastest-growing international, open, collaborative non-profit network in the circular economy field and has had a tremendous impact in connecting individuals and organizations, including 23 dedicated volunteer team members, 37 CEC Mentors providing free mentorship to start-ups and students to embed sustainability in different sectors, such as fashion, or city development, 45 CEC Organizers from all continents running local workshops and receiving recognition for being the field connector in their regions, 67 CEC Mapping Week Organisers running a workshop to identify circular initiatives in their cities to then upload all the information to a common open-source directory which enables anyone to find those initiatives and contact them, 2,600 CEC Members sharing best practices around sustainability and finding new partners; and 35,000 followers across all channels gaining access to tools on how to implement the circular economy and joining local CEC workshops to connect with other like-minded professionals.
Each of these actions has a vast impact on the individuals taking part. For instance, the Port Harcourt (Nigeria) CEC Organiser said that thanks to CEC, he is now well connected and empowered to bring together the community in Nigeria and help drive his country towards a circular economy.
Decentralizing CEC through the network of volunteer organizers has been key to its worldwide impact. In this light, the key 2018 goals are to get onboard 200 volunteer organizers worldwide who bring together the circular economy community in their cities, and also the launching of the ‘Shaping the Future’ project through which 300 CEC Members transfer their knowledge to 9,000 university students, aiming to nurture sustainability leadership among the younger generations.
Who is behind this?
Anna Tarí Sánchez
Cooking sustainable development from the kitchen and beyond
Cooking sustainable development from the kitchen and beyond
Chefs influence what we grow, what we put on our plates and how we think and talk about food. The changemakers behind this project felt chefs could be powerful advocates for a better food future – motivating people to make changes in their kitchens and communities and empowering them to call on governments and companies to also play their part. Disruptive new voices like chefs could help translate SDGs into a language that resonates with the public and inspires them to take the action that will contribute to delivery of the goals.
Tackling food system challenges – such as undernutrition, food waste and soil degradation – is hugely complex. Success relies on everyone getting involved. By creating an online community and a Chefs’ Manifesto with simple, practical guidance on engaging in the SDGs, this initiative saw an opportunity to amplify existing activity, promote innovation and solutions and empower chefs all over the world to help deliver a more sustainable food system.
The SDG2 Advocacy Hub was uniquely placed to lead the initiative as it could draw on the expertise of Hub members – from NGOs to business and culinary organizations – to create a new movement for food. Over the last six months, the SDG2 Advocacy Hub has established a community of 130+ chefs from 38 countries who worked together to create a Chefs’ Manifesto. This is a document written by chefs, for chefs, synthesizing the SDGs into 8 thematic areas that chefs are most interested in tackling. The Manifesto is underpinned by an Action Plan which provides practical activities across each thematic area that chefs can take to contribute to the SDGs and inspire others to act. The Hub is also collating content and case studies of best practice across the chef network – from innovative ways of tackling food waste in kitchens to examples of chef-led social action in communities.
Notably, the initiative has helped give voice to chefs from all over the world and helped champion their vital role in engaging people in SDG 2 action. For instance, a group of chefs from India, UK, Venezuela and Cameroon presented the Manifesto at the Global Nutrition Summit in Milan in November 2017- providing an opportunity for the individual chefs to both profile their own work but also the power of collective action. The initiative will aim to change lives by equipping chefs all over the world with a simple set of actions to contribute to the SDGs and a ‘one-stop shop’ where they can access and share information that will help them drive change through their kitchens and in their communities.
The project´s aim is to continue to grow the chef network and engagement from all over the world – ensuring that the community is as inclusive and representative of the diverse role of chefs as possible. The Action Plan will be turned into a practical toolkit (translated into French, Spanish and English, in the first instance) which will serve as clear guidance for chefs as how they can – through areas such as purchasing power, kitchen practices and consumer education – contribute to the SDGs.
Who is behind this?
SDG2 Advocacy Hub
Each year until 2030 the team at Unreasonable Group will bring together highly scalable solutions armed with leading edge technologies and match them, during a two week gathering, with world-class mentors, select foundations, sovereign wealth funds, policy makers, multinational executives, and private equity firms to help scale-up their efforts to meet the SDGs.
Each year until 2030 the team at Unreasonable Group will bring together highly scalable solutions armed with leading edge technologies and match them, during a two week gathering, with world-class mentors, select foundations, sovereign wealth funds, policy makers, multinational executives, and private equity firms to help scale-up their efforts to meet the SDGs.
Unreasonable Goals is a first of its kind initiative with the singular focus of accelerating our ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by operating at the nexus of policy governments, finance, multinationals, and the world’s most promising impact entrepreneurs. This matters because every year, more than $120B is spent in international development assistance, yet this system has yet to produce the game-changing results we all know are needed.
Unreasonable Goals is designed to bring new problem solvers to the table: profitable entrepreneurs with cutting edge technologies that can, in partnership with governments and select multinationals worldwide, measurably, and with financially sustainable models, solve the SDGs. During its first year, this initiative cohort of 16 world-changing ventures hailed from all over the globe with operations spanning a variety of sectors, disciplines, and markets – from managing direct trade cacao sourcing and distribution in Guatemala, to producing off-grid wave powered clean energy in Australia, to operating the first Fair Trade Apparel company on the continent of Africa. Collectively the cohort positively impacts the lives of over 8.1 million individuals directly and in a measurably way and has operations and sales reaching 68 countries.
Furthermore, the 16 ventures represent the job-creators of tomorrow around sustainable industries and are already actively supporting more than 2,000 jobs. To-date the cohort has raised $170.9 million in collective funding since the program’s launch in July 2017. These 16 entrepreneurs were uniquely positioned to each solve one of the first 16 SDG’s and the 17th “entrepreneur” representing the 17th goals was the US government itself via the State Department.
This initiative will be running annually through 2030 and each year will host the program in partnership with a new international government. The ultimate aim is to create a program where innovative entrepreneurs, governments, and values aligned multinational corporations can all collaborate towards the goal of ending poverty, globally, in all its forms. The project’s vision is that each SDG is intertwined in such a way that none can be solved individually or in silos.
Who is behind this?
Daniel Epstein
Global agreements are okay but… let´s bring some action!
Major global agreements, overlapping agendas – Finding synergies to take action!
In an ever increasingly complex world we are observing a multitude of documents that contain concrete national commitments to the global common good of sustainable development. The two guiding global agreements -the Paris Climate Agreement and the 2030 Agenda- seek to halt climate change and foster sustainable development within planetary boundaries. To keep a systematic overview on these multiple commitments, to identify gaps where action is needed and to foster learning across countries and regions, NDC-SDG Connections visualises how concrete climate action commitments in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of countries can support the achievement of a multitude of SDGs and their targets at global, regional and national level.
NDC-SDG Connections provides a knowledge hub for thematic connectivity of the two global agendas that are kept separate in implementation but benefit heavily from thematic complementarity in implementation. This knowledge hub has been taken up very positively by nation states, asking for support to deepen their national dialogue of stakeholders to achieve the two agendas as one, as well as at UN level to foster synergies between the two agendas and achieve the global common good of sustainable development.
In a next step, this knowledge hub aims at integrating the actions and commitments countries have given in their sustainable development processes to implement the 2030 Agenda in order to truly carve out at global, regional and national level the thematic overlaps and gaps between the two agendas. Knowing about overlaps allows reducing redundancies in activities, identifying the gaps is of utmost importance to strengthen action to leave no one behind.
This initiative aims at stimulating the thematic dialogue across policy sectors to implement both agendas consistently and to provide a platform for learning from each other and jointly contributing to sustainable development for all and within our planetary boundaries.
Who is behind this?
Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) / Stockholm Environment Institute
“Let´s be together, let´s be inclusive, let´s be united and leave no one behind / Hold hands in hands and move forward / Leave no one behind, say this together”. This is how the song of this campaign begins!
Advocacy in Pakistan sets the beat and everyone should be dancing
“Let´s be together, let´s be inclusive, let´s be united and leave no one behind / Hold hands in hands and move forward / Leave no one behind, say this together”.
This is how the song of the “Leave no one behind” campaign begins. Its original language is in Urdu, the official language of Pakistan and it was broadcasted through radio and social media across the country. Policies- to-action forums were also organized across the country, as a campaign during the last 500 days of the Millenium Development Goals (MDG) and to help kick off the post-2015 consultations with different stakeholders including governments, academia, companies, media, students and the most marginalized and socially excluded groups like religious and sexual minorities. Almost all of them were unaware of the MDGs and wanted to be part of such transformative agenda.
Based upon the “Leave no one behind” campaign and findings of the consultations, the team developed a documentary and a song in Urdu to popularize the MDG/SDGs agenda to the masses. AwazCDS/PDA is now the only leading platform in the country that has mobilized the people from all walks of life for better understanding and implementing the SDGs through better governance and greater accountability. This initiative has also sensitized the parliamentarians in Pakistan who have been engaged in SDG taskforces at national and provincial levels to oversee the implementation of the goals.
The national government has institutionalized the creation of SDG Units at planning and development levels in order to introduce the 2030 Agenda in annual and multiyear developmental and financial plans. AwazCDS/Pakistan Development Alliance is now in the process of carrying out a mapping / gap analysis of the CSOs/ private sector engagement in the implementation of SDGs by the national and provincial governments. The mapping will help the team develop a robust advocacy plan for pushing both governments and private sector/ CSOs to join hands together for achieving the commitments made under the 2030 agenda.
Moreover, the project has also conducted a national survey in Pakistan to prioritize the SDGs and interestingly Goal 16 was recommended as the top priority of various stakeholders and governments too. The campaign has also pushed the national Government to join the Voluntary National Review (VNR) process and there is a commitment from the Pakistani leaders to conduct a VNR in 2019.
Who is behind this?
AwazCDS / Pakistan Development Alliance
We all need love in (climate) action, even if it is through virtual reality
We all need love in (climate) action, even if it is through virtual reality
The Fijian value of vei lomani (“love in action”) is at the heart of this initiative that seeks to raise awareness of the impacts of climate change through immersive virtual reality storytelling. The project, which also uses a host of online and offline content, transports viewers to rural Fiji to meet Catalina, Asmita, Rai and Rupeni; to experience the impact that climate change is already having on Fiji and the wider Pacific, and to understand that while Pacific Islanders have done nothing to cause climate change, they are standing tall and adjusting to its impacts with strength, resilience and a deep sense of community.
This film was produced with the aim of bringing the climate change experience of Fiji – one of the world’s most climate vulnerable countries – to the city of Bonn in Germany, where COP23 brought together representatives from all around the globe in November 2017. More than 3500 delegates at COP23 experienced the film in headset format across three spaces, including global climate change influencers Michael Bloomberg and President of COP, Fijian Prime Minster, Frank Bainimarama. The film has now been watched online by more than 600,000 viewers since November.
This project was truly a collaborative project between a team of storytellers from across the Pacific, together with the Fijian Government, the World Bank and COP23 Secretariat. And the spirit of Fijians and “vei lomani” was at the heart of all aspects of the work: from filming in the hills and coastlines of rural Fiji, to pre- and post-production in Suva, Sydney and Washington. The team involved all deeply believe that in today’s world, we all need more vei lomani: it can not only underpin the world’s approach to climate change – making choices to help one another (whether now or for generations to come) – but also how we can all live a more fulfilling, happier life. The project is a vehicle for sharing this uniquely Fijian value with the world.
Looking ahead, the project will be exhibited at a number of museums and events throughout Asia-Pacific in the coming months, including a comprehensive tour across its ‘home’ in Fiji.
Who is behind this?
LEAD PRODUCER – Tom Perry, The World Bank
ASSISTANT PRODUCER – Kara Mouyis, The World Bank
DIRECTOR, EDITOR – Tash Tan, S1T2
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY – Joshua Flavell
STORYTELLING LEAD, PHOTOGRAPHER, 1ST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR – Alana Holmberg
SOUND, CAMERA & POST-PRODUCTION TECHNICIAN -Tunpitcha Ladapornvitaya, S1T2
CULTURAL ADVISORS – Ken Cokanasiga & George Nacewa
FIELD PRODUCER – Eka Yabaki
WRITER – Arieta Tora Rika, Talanoa
BRANDING & DESIGN – Heidi Romano & Lainee Fagafa
The new word you need to know is “mapicles” (maps+articles)
The new word you need to know is “mapicles” (maps+articles)
The main objective of this initiative is to represent technical data, resources and statistics using maps which can be more visually understood by the general public. This makes for a better interpretation of any contentious social issues using factual, colorful and simplified maps. According to a 2016 Microsoft survey, humans have an average attention span of just eight seconds. Based on this finding, it is safe to conclude that public representation of data on topical issues including those related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) must be catchy and thought-provoking.
Nigeria In Maps is an online catalog of maps about Nigeria on current national issues. The articles that go with each map have been coined as “Mapicles”. Data gathering from developing countries can be quite challenging, including data currency, accuracy, availability and accessibility. Anyone with the experience of working with data can relate to these challenges but this initiative is for the benefit of the general public and humanity.
After several months of searching for publicly available Nigerian data, the changemaker behind the project was able to produce thematic maps on health, gender equality, security, population, finance, politics and general knowledge. Shortly after the launch of Nigeria In Maps, Anadolu – the largest news agency in the Middle East published an article on Boko Haram based on a map-video from the website. These maps show that available data can become valuable if properly communicated. More “thought-provoking” maps will be produced and hopefully this idea will be replicated in other developing countries.
Who is behind this?
Olusegun Osifuye
Parents think you are receiving lessons, you think you are beatboxing (and everyone is right)
Parents think you are in therapy, you think you are beatboxing (and everyone is right)
Take, for example, this problem: Young people in need of speech therapy know that speech therapy is hard. It is a frustrating and difficult process especially when trying to carry over lessons into real speech improvement and eventual independence. Many of the existing teaching methods themselves are in fact, effective, however they are also uninspiring, often failing to intrinsically motivate the student to want to improve him/herself. The students are bored to tears during their speech therapy sessions, but they do it because ultimately it is necessary and it does work.
However, this initiative has a transformative magic program improving this therapy through beatboxing. The changemakers behind the project imagined a tool, a technology, to make speech therapy fun, interactive, and creatively empowering. The impact of this curriculum may disrupt the entire field and positively affect the lives of tens of millions of young people. One student in particular, Diego (7 years old), joined the sessions with several articulation issues, but left with those issues markedly improved. To him, he was just beatboxing. But to his parents and doctors, he had adopted a set of practices that improved his speech. This is a vibrant arts education nonprofit organization that empowers youth and artists by creating solutions to real-world issues through creative self-expression rooted in Hip Hop culture.
The problem that this initiative is solving is a problem of accessibility. In this day and age, there are no boundaries to information. However, making information appealing and engaging is another struggle entirely. Our organization focuses on activities and art forms that youth find inherently fun to solve real world problems. Now, the next challenges of the project are growth, scalability, and sustainability. Specifically, the entrepreneurs are designing a set of online lesson plans and games that use beatboxing, verbal expression, and music as tools for speech therapy. But they are also growing programming that teach nutrition and healthy living through bboying/bgirling. This programming can actually be used to get youth engaged with any of the SDGs. While making art is the core of all of our curricula, the goal can be changed for any program’s specific needs.
Who is behind this?
James Kim
This initiative gave tools to five daughters of garment workers aged between 7 and 15 to explain their daily lives in a short-film documentary. Over 4 days in March 2017 they compiled enough material to raise awareness on crucial issues like the supply chain transparency and the need for empowerment of women and girls.
This initiative gave tools to five daughters of garment workers aged between 7 and 15 to explain their daily lives in a short-film documentary. Over 4 days in March 2017 they compiled enough material to raise awareness on crucial issues like the supply chain transparency and the need for empowerment of women and girls.
Remember the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Dhaka? When this tragedy occurred, many media published stories condemning the subhuman conditions of the garment workers, until then overlooked. Now it’s been almost 5 years and we see that little has been done in spite of all the rhetoric by businesses and governments. The stories told by journalists have not had the expected impact BUT… what is the result when the power of storytelling is in the hands of the people in the field?
Having the girls as the directors and protagonists of the film allows viewers to understand the challenges in their lives. It shows how the seemingly harmless appearance of 5 girls can be transformed into an advocacy weapon, as the documentary is being screened in many cities around the globe.
Today, there are people that know the story of Hafiza, whose mother works in a garment factory but fell ill. This unfortunate situation has left all care responsibilities for the family to the young girl, who also takes care of her younger brother. They can’t watch TV at home as her mother suffers from a hearing problem caused by noise pollution in the factory. Through this video journalism project, not only she is able to gain confidence to speak publicly for the first time during the documentary screening in Dhaka, but she has also been able to develop a close friendship with other girls in the programme, and to acquire digital and filmmaking skills which can help her in her future career. Unfortunately, Bangladesh is only one of the many countries impacted by unfair garment production so this project could be replicated in other countries such as India, Indonesia and Cambodia to scale up its impact.
Who is behind this?
Bonnie Chiu
