One small flap of your wings can make a huge difference for a better world! #SpreadYourGoals2030
The UN SDG Action Campaign and media company Weischer Media have launched today the Spread Your Goals campaign, combining Augmented Reality, outdoors, cinema, mobile, and social media. By using the mobile app Shazam’s new AR feature, everybody can learn about the SDGs and spread their wings to advocate for sustainable development.
It’s simple to participate:
1) Download the app Shazam
2) Click on the camera icon
3) Scan the orange code in the image below
4) Take your photo and start sharing with the hashtag #SpreadYourGoals2030!
The wings are shown in the app as moving stickers and the photos can be shared directly from the app to social media. For a special WOW effect, you can also make the wings flap!
Curious about what each wing portraits? Click on each of the goals and read more about the SDGs, and tell the world which SDGs you are most passionate about via MY World 2030 . MY World is a global citizen survey to bring people’s voices into official debates about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Almost 10 million people from 194 countries have shared their views on MY World.
Nigeria is set once again to take the MY World survey to the next level
Abuja, Nigeria February 5-7, 2018
Between 2013-15 Nigerians collected 2.7 million votes in the MY World 2015 Survey setting a global standard for public engagement. The collected responses allowed the Government of Nigeria hear the concerns of citizens and place them at the heart of decision-making process about the 2030 Agenda. This March MY World 2030 is set to launch once again across the country aiming to mobilize millions of citizens to have their say on the country’s development priorities.
In a previous survey conducted, millions of paper ballots were shipped across Nigeria and hundreds of people then helped transcribe responses to the database. Despite the tremendous results achieved, the process required money, time and human resources which could be better spent. To do things better this time, we challenged Nigerian talents and developers to harness technology to build a next generation MY World 2030 global solution.
On February 5-7 2018, the SDG Action Campaign and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs partnered with Civic Innovation Lab to host a hackathon. Our challenge for the participants was to have developed a prototype to support response collection and data management of the MY World 2030 survey. Developers came from across Nigeria to the 3-day event in Abuja, where participants learned about the SDGs and 10 teams pitched their solutions to judges.
“I am really passionate about the UN from a very young age and I have always wanted to work with them. Being here in this social space which creates such a collaborative environment is such a blessing. I can’t wait to see what we come up with and to work hard for solutions that can be used around the world to be inclusive. For women, for children, for disabled. Even across language barriers” Ikuromor Ogiriki, Hackathon participant
Three winning solutions were selected for a second round. The teams were given the task to continue to build and develop their prototypes to compete for a final prize of N100,000,000 (one million naira). After, the winning solution will be deployed in the national roll out across Nigeria and thereafter globally.
Congratulations to the three teams who were the selected winners of the first round!
Get to know our winning teams and their solutions below.
Team A
Perewari Pere – Team Leader and Lead Prototyper
Richard Igbiriki – Lead Developer
Ikuromor Ogiriki – Lead Designer
Adaka Iguniwei – Software Developer
Team A developed a prototype of an app that would enable the direct upload of survey responses into the app allowing the surveyor to work both online and offline. When online, responses are immediately sent to the database after a session is completed. When offline, responses are automatically saved in the device and can easily be uploaded to the online database with one click once connected to internet.
For paper ballots the team developed a prototype of a tool for scanning and a text recognition using Google CloudVision. The tool would enable that texts are automatically extracted and categorized under each survey question and then uploaded to the online database.
Team B
Chidi Stephen, Lead Developer
Vivian Egeruo, Developer
Daniel Nduka, Designer
Team B developed a prototype of an application which would collect user response from questionnaires using USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data). The application works by collecting user response from questionnaires using USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data). USSD is a Global System for Mobile(GSM) communication technology that is used to send text between a mobile phone and an application program in the network. Example *556# to check balance on a service provider Network. When the USSD is created on a service provider platform, users will be able to interact with contents (questionnaires) uploaded by the admin on such platforms by entering the specified USSD and interacting with the response. The responses collated is then sent to a central storage area
TEAM C
Olabosinde Oladipo (Software Engineer)
Akinniranye James (Software Engineer)
Team C created three separate solutions to address issues identified in the current process. The suggested solutions were: 1. Scanning backlog of paper surveys with an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) System to eliminate the manual data entry. 2. Use online means like a progressive web app and Twitter Polls to reach out to more demographics. 3. Develop a mobile app that could be used by surveyor and the public to both collect responses and send results to the central database. The app would work offline while leveraging the coverage and reliability of SMS to push time-critical data to the central database from remote places.
About
Hack4Good is a civic and youth participation program of the Civic Innovation lab that encourages the youth to develop innovative solutions to pressing problems in our society.
The Judges
Mr Muyiwa Ibrahim – Data Scientist. • Mr Adepegba Oduntan – Oracle Strategic Initiative Specialist • Mr Bolaji – Technology Advisor, Civic Innovation Lab • Laura Hildebrandt – UN SDG Action Campaign • Gayan Peiris – UN SDG Action Campaign
Hackathon to be held from 5-7 February 2018 will award 1 million naira to winner team
BONN, Germany, January 31st, 2018 – The United Nations SDG Action Campaign, in collaboration with Civic Innovation Lab, is calling on Nigeria’s best software skills to contribute to citizens’ engagement with the SDGs and bring the voices of Nigerians to the Government and the United Nations.
“The SDGs are a new way of thinking and doing. They provide guidelines for how we can, and need, to do things more creatively, more effectively, and more inclusively. Nigerian developers and the innovation community have invested in helping their communities thrive and we want to provide the opportunity to transfer this innovative thinking into action for good, to solve the most important problems that we are facing right now. It is very exciting to bring this program to Nigeria for the first time, and we are convinced the results will have a tremendous impact locally and globally,” said Mitchell Toomey, Director of the UN SDG Action Campaign.
A hackathon to be held from 5-7 February 2018 in Abuja will bring together top innovative minds to design a tool, app or system to enable a more efficient roll out of the MY World survey across the country.
MY World is the UN survey that educates and mobilizes citizens on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and allows them to share their perception of progress made in their countries and regions on those goals of most immediate concern to them in the past 12 months. Through this data collection, the UN aims to create space for every citizen in the world to participate in the discussions and send strong messages to world leaders on what needs to be done to solve today’s most pressing challenges.
“Nigeria is fully committed to faithfully implementing the SDGs and ensuring that no Nigerian is left behind. In spite of the current economic realities, Nigeria has continued to commit funds to the SDGs to devise effective means of ensuring the SDGs are promoted and owned by peoples of the world”, affirmed Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Presidential Adviser on the SDGs, Government of Nigeria.
The winner of the hackathon will receive One Million Naira and a 3 months’ Community membership at the Civic Innovation Lab to develop the tool that will be used in the roll out of the survey across Nigeria and around the world. Participants can apply through the online application, open until February 1st, 2018.
“Engaging social innovators in tech to take action for the SDGs is key to achieving these Goals. Our collaboration with the UN SDG Action Campaign will enable the Nigerian community of designers, social innovators and entrepreneurs to collaborate effectively in addressing the country’s needs and join the global community of change-makers who are tackling the world’s biggest challenges”, said Adaeze Sokan, Director, Civic Innovation Lab.
ABOUT THE UN SDG ACTION CAMPAIGN
The UN SDG Action Campaign is a special initiative of the UN-Secretary General, administered by the UNDP to create awareness about the 2030 Agenda, empower and inspire people across the world to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while generating political will, and help make the Goals attainable by 2030.
MY World is the UN survey that asks citizens if they are aware of the Sustainable Development Goals, which six of the 17 Global Goals are of immediate concern to them and if the situation of these has got better, stayed the same or got worse over the past 12 months.
The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on the SDGs (OSSAP-SDGs) was established by the President of Nigeria with a mandate to coordinate national mobilisation, integration, implementation and reporting of the SDGs across levels of government. It also has the mandate to promote partnership and mobilise resources for the SDGs, working with multi-stakeholders including the private sector, civil society and international development partners. In 2017, the OSSAP-SDGs entered into a multi-year partnership agreement with the United Nations SDG Action Campaign.
Civic Innovation Lab is a social innovation hub focused on harnessing Creativity, Innovation, and Technology to solve our most pressing civic and government issues. We support technology solutions that enhance efficiency and effectiveness in public sector institutions as well as quality of life.
From May 30 to June 6, Singapore will be the host for UNLEASH 2018 and the second cohort of 1,000 young talents from all over the world, who will work on new, innovative and disruptive solutions to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Applications are open from January 15 – February 15, 2018.
The first UNLEASH took place in Denmark in August 2017. In November 2017, the Danish Prime Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, handed over UNLEASH to the Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during an official visit.
“Denmark kick-started this great initiative, and there is no better partner than Singapore to take over. The global SDGs carry the ambition to bring the world we live in closer to the world in which we wish to live. Singapore is known for its foresight, drive, and ability to take action. By passing on the host country torch to Singapore, I am sure that UNLEASH will take yet another important step forward,” said Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
The talents will learn from Singaporean private and public sector, who will inspire the talents for their process through the four-day innovation challenge. The talents are put in teams and will work on solutions within their field of expertise.
“We each have a valuable contribution to make to sustainable development. This gathering of young, creative and innovative minds will harness the power of human ingenuity, to create imaginative solutions that achieve the SDGs,” said Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
At the end of the innovation challenge, the solutions will be perfected and pitched in front of a panel of experts before UNLEASH culminates on June 6, when the final awards show takes place and thought leaders from all over the world will give keynotes to inspire the talents’ way forward. Here the best ideas are also awarded and given prizes to further support the implementation of their solutions.
Applications will be open from January 15 – February 15, 2018. For more information, please visit www.unleash.org.
From 28 September – 8 October, an abandoned ware house was transformed into a space for 35,000 visitors to learn about the latest the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the world-changing ideas that contribute to their achievement at the Expo for Design, Innovation & Technology in Toronto.
The conference included 75 design projects, 125 speakers, 530 volunteers, 5500 student visitors, and 4 United Nations VR films produced by the UN SDG Action Campaign with a variety of partners. These films – Clouds Over Sidra, Waves of Grace, My Mother’s Wing, Nepal Earthquake Recovery — were integrated into Bruce Mau’s exhibition, Prosperity for All.
Governments, businesses and civil society together with the United Nations have started to mobilize efforts and develop break-through solutions to achieve a zero emissions world and make the SDGs a reality. And yet scaling up and speeding up of such action is needed to make sure we deliver on the 2030 Agenda.
On 15 November 2017, in the margins of the UN Climate Change Conference we invite will government, private sector & civil society to showcase innovative and transformative solutions to the worlds biggest challenges, and explore ways to replicate and scale them.
This event will be a forum for interdisciplinary knowledge transfer and showcase cutting-edge ideas from different stakeholders, world regions and sectors. To participate as a speaker and present one of the transformative solutions showcased please fill out this form.
When: Wednesday 15 November. 1.30 – 2.30pm
Where: Climate Planet, between the Bonn and Bula Zones of COP
Who: High-level UN and government representatives, private sector leaders, innovators, pioneers and civil society.
*Accreditation is not required. During this interactive event, High-level speakers representing the UN and government will open the event. Subsequently about five to ten selected representatives of government, business and civil society will each speak for 1-2 minutes in a dynamic pitch session on the SDG and climate action innovation they are presenting.
The speakers then go to different, visibly marked areas of the Planet, where they will present and showcase their innovative program or solutions for Climate Change and the SDGs. Participants can wander freely to explore the solutions being presented, thereby enabling the speakers and participants to share insights, ideas and lessons learnt. During this informal, guided networking drinks will be served.
The Venue The Climate Planet is a 20m globe. Inside the large globe is a 4m globe, onto which a specifically produced movie about climate change will be projected – including live views of the earth taken by NASA. The Climate Planet is brought to Bonn by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is open to the public.
For further information please contact: support@sdgactioncampaign.org
The UN Climate Change Conference (COP23) will be a busy and exciting two weeks in the efforts to support UNFCCC and member states to raise public awareness about the interconnectedness of the SDGs and Climate Action, and to bring in citizen voices to deliver the message of the importance of multiple stakeholders working together to achieve change. Take a look at the lineup of all the immersive experiences, events, exhibitions, and conversations ready for COP23.
Every step taken for Climate Action is a step further in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement provide a clear framework for action towards a better world for every person and for the planet.
The UN Climate Change Conference (COP23) will be a busy and exciting two weeks in the efforts to support UNFCCC and member states to raise public awareness about the interconnectedness of the SDGs and Climate Action and to bring in citizen voices to deliver the message of the importance of multiple stakeholders working together to achieve change.
Here’s the lineup of all the immersive experiences, events, exhibitions, and conversations ready for COP23. Interesting in attending any of these sessions? Register here
Friday 17th November Change-making through New media and Virtual Reality where: Bonn Zone, at the Talanoa Space when: 1.00 – 2.00pm
NOTE: This event is ONLY open to COP23-accredited participants. If you don’t have COP23 accreditation already, you cannot get accredited at the entrance and you will be turned away. For those who are not eligible to attend, we invite you to watch the livestream of the event on our Twitter account via Periscope at http://twitter.com/sdgaction
Join the UN SDG Action Campaign and Scenic VR for an interactive panel on the virtual reality film “Guardians of the Forest”, as well as the role of virtual reality in supporting indigeneous priorities in crafting a new climate reality.
Speakers:
Kristin Gutekunst – Executive Producer, UN Virtual Reality and New Media, UN SDG Action Campaign
Brittany Neff & Benjamin Ross – Co-directors, Guardians of the Forest – CoReality
Carol Gonzalez Aguilar – Coordinator of Women and Family – Organización de los Pueblos Indígenas de la Amazonía Colombiana (OPAIC)
Wednesday 8th November: Innovative leadership: Engaging everyone in driving local action for SDGs & Climate Change where: Talanoa Space at the Bonn Zone
time: 11.30am to 12.30pm
How can local and sub-national efforts to adapt and build resilience to climate change thrive? What examples can we see of new leaders taking innovative actions to engage everyone: governments, citizens, innovators, businesses, and organisations, in setting priorities and developing solutions to the SDGs & climate change? How can these local solutions be scaled to make more tangible change?
The purpose of this session is to share inspiring examples and insights of how multiple stakeholders across subnational governments, private sector, and civil society organisations are taking innovative approaches, exploring collaboration and engaging millions of people to make tangible change at the local and global level.
@SDGAction #ACT4SDGs
Wednesday 15 November: High-Level Event “Innovation for SDGs and Climate Action” where: Climate Planet, between the Bonn and Bula Zones. Find it here time: 1.30 to 2.30pm
Through an innovative and interactive format, this event will showcase selected transformative solutions tackling the biggest challenges for humanity and the planet. These innovative solutions will be presented by governments, private sector and civil society in a dynamic pitch session followed by targeted networking, Participants will wander freely to explore the solutions being presented, thereby enabling the speakers and participants to share insights, ideas and lessons learnt.
Moderator: Laura Hildebrandt, Policy Specialist, UN SDG Action Campaign
Welcome Remarks
Mr. Magdy Martínez-Solimán, Assistant Secretary General and Director Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UN Development Programme
Opening Remarks
Dr. Ingolf Dietrich, Commissioner for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Dr. Ifeolu Falegan, Senior Advisor, Office of the Senior Special Assistant on SDGs to the President of Nigeria
Screening of innovation video, UN SDG Action Campaign
Multistakeholder pitch session
Luca Bucken, Liter of Light
Isabel Naguib, Foodsharing Bonn
David Katz, The Plastic Bank
Carlos Eduardo Sturm, Brazilian Forest Service plus various other speakers
Sarah Teeter, TerraCycle
Nick Davis, GridMarket
Jane Madgwick, Wetlands International
Valeria Valotto, Progetto Quid
*No accreditation needed
EXHIBITIONS
6 – 17 November
SDG Virtual Reality Space
where: Bonn Zone, at UNFCCC/Momentum for Change stand
Curated by the UN SDG Action Campaign, this exhibition includes a multitude of immersive experiences and a participatory activation through the MY World 2030 survey. The United Nations VR series supports the UN system in communicating and advocating for the advancement of the SDGs and Climate Action. Bringing people’s voices to COP23, participants can have a peek into how the SDGs and Climate Change manifest in peoples daily lives and across the globe and discover and share citizen perceptions on progress through MY World 2030.
SDG Interactive Space at the Climate Planet where: Climate Planet between the Bonn and Bula Zones
The Climate Planet is a 20m globe, brought to Bonn by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Inside the large globe is a 4m globe, onto which a specifically produced movie about climate change will be projected – including live views of the earth taken by NASA. Around the Planet, we will showcase the SDGs in innovative and interactive ways, human stories behind the SDGs, citizen perception data and the MyWorld 2030 survey. See teaser and more information
*No accreditation needed
Humans of MY World Exhibition where: Bonn Zone, in the hallway on the way to meeting rooms 1-4
Millions of individuals have raised their voices on what matter most to them and how we are making progress on the SDGs through MY World, the United Nations survey for a better world. Each of them has a story to tell. This exhibition features content from the photo-narrative series Humans of MY World, shedding light on the human stories behind the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through this exhibition, you will have the chance to “meet” 17 individuals from around the world and learn why the SDGs are important to them. Take a look at the photo series
Sharing People’s commitment to SDGs and Climate Action at the #SDGStudio
The #SDGStudio is a mobile interactive space open to innovators, influencers, governments, businesses, activists and organisations to generate dialogue and share change-making actions and commitments from across the world to serve as an inspiration for everyone to engage in taking action for the Sustainable Development Goals.
During COP23 we will be at the Bonn Zone and the Bula Zone, asking leaders to share their commitments and efforts for Climate Action and the Sustainable Development Goals with the world. Come and speak up!
Will you not be there? You can be part of the #SDGStudio from wherever you are. Speak up, tag @SDGAction and #SDGStudio and be part of the conversation.
All stories are shared on the SDG Studio Youtube Channel and distributed through the SDG Action platforms – website and social media channels – as well as through our media partners and UN communications channels.
We will share live all sessions and behind the scenes unique content through our social media platforms. Follow @SDGAction in Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to make sure you don’t miss anything.
The UN SDG Action Campaign, UN Global Pulse, and Microsoft organised the fourth annual Data Playground, an interactive event showcasing data and technological innovations for the SDGs.
Data Playground and Breakout sessions
120+ innovators from both the public and private sector gathered at the event. After a word of welcome by Robert Kirkpatrick, Director of Global Pulse, and Mitchell Toomey, Director of the UN SDG Action Campaign, the attendees participated in a total of six breakout sessions, including “AI for Earth” – by Microsoft and “MY World 2030”.
Moreover, throughout the reception visitors could try out the latest and greatest in immersive storytelling with the UNVR 360 exhibition, and the Institute for the Future special demo Simtainer. They also had the opportunity to explore and share citizen perceptions on the SDGs with real time SDG data visualisations, and the MY World 2030 survey.
We would like to thank everyone, especially our inspiring speakers and colleagues for a vibrant DATA PLAYGROUND 2017 and are looking forward to welcoming you next year!
Young people are the core power to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore it is essential to introduce them to the concept of sustainable social businesses and the role of innovation so that they can better lead the innovation in industry and infrastructure and solve social problems through unique innovative ways.
“Youths show a great sense of social responsibility. They understand the concept of social business and they have their own innovative ideas. I hope that they can put their plan into practice and more exchange opportunities between China and Bangladesh can be organized.”
Lamiya Moshed, Executive director of Yunus Center
China-Bangladesh Social Business Young Leaders Program is organized by Youthink Center and gets support from Yunus Centre, Social Business Youth Alliance, Grameen, Intel and other social businesses in Bangladesh. It is a one-week program where the participants will engage in dialogue with Nobel Laureate and SDGs advocate Professor Muhammed Yunus, visit Grameen Bank, lead a social business in Dhaka and then design their own social business idea.
Students talking with Nobel Prize Laureate and SDGs Advocate Prof. Muhammad Yunus
The student teams undergo three main phases:
Learning: Students learn about social business and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Field Visiting: Students go to different social businesses to learn about their models and practices.
Designing and competition: Students design their own social business and present it to partners and stakeholders.
Bangladesh entrepreneurs presented lectures on project promotion, investor’s attraction, branding construction etc. and provide one-to- one training to help participants design their business plan.
On 25th September 2017, 2nd anniversary of the SDGs we are calling for actions across the world to tell people about the global goals and tell our leaders how we are performing. We the People #Act4SDGs.
Read more stories of Action for SDGs from all over the world and be inspired …
UN High-Level Event on Innovation and Technology, convened by the Executive Office of the Secretary-General’s Global Pulse and the SDG Action Campaign
Monday, 18 September 2017
10:30 – 13:00
UN Headquarters, Conference Room 2
Event registration is closed, but a livestream will be available at: http://webtv.un.org/ and social media coverage with hashtag: #SDGInnovation
SDG Innovation is convened by the Executive Office of the Secretary-General and the UN SDG Action Campaign, and supported by leaders in the technology sector. It will bring together Heads of State and Governments, CEOs of major technology companies, and innovation and thought leaders to strengthen cooperation and solve major challenges for the people and the planet. Participants will share cutting-edge ideas on frontier issues and new technologies, and explore concrete ways to replicate and scale innovations for SDG implementation.
Opening remarks by H.E. Miroslav Lajčák President of the United Nations General Assembly
Keynote Address by Reid Hoffman, Founder and Chair of LinkedIn
Marc Benioff, CEO and Founder of Salesforce in conversation with Ashish Thakkar, Founder of Mara Group and Chair of the UN Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council
11:00 – 11:30 PANEL DISCUSSION
How can governments and innovators effectively partner in solving pressing global challenges?
H.E. Kersti Kaljulaid, President of Estonia
H.E. Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark
Mitchell Baker, Executive Chairwoman Mozilla (Firefox)
Aliko Dangote, Founder and Chair of Dangote Group
Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chair of Bharti Enterprises
Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia and WikiTribune
Moderator: James Manyika, Chairman, McKinsey Global Institute
11.30 – 12.50 INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE
What needs to be done to co-create innovation hubs in diverse countries and transfer skills from current epicentres, such as Silicon Valley, to the rest of the world and vice versa?
Moderator: David Wallerstein, Chief Exploration Officer, Tencent
