Bold individuals are taking on the world’s most pressing challenges and changing the world, and their stories deserve to be told. That’s why we’re excited to join forces with the Global GoalsCast, a new podcast to inspire listeners to roll up their sleeves and make the world a better place!
As individuals, organizations and companies are contributing to end extreme poverty, tackle climate change and produce a more equitable world by 2030, we at the UN SDG Action Campaign are proud to be supporting a podcast that puts change-makers under the spotlight. By means of powerful storytelling supported by high-quality data, and offering different ways in which everyone can take action and personally contribute to progressive global efforts, we will assure that everyone can understand and engage with the SDGs.
Each of the 24 episodes of the first season, hosted by special advisor for Unicef Claudia González Romo and journalist Edie Lush, help make the SDGs more approachable.
In the first episode, titled “The World is on the Move”, listeners meet Brenda, a migrant from Mexico who as a fourth grader crossed the U.S. border at night with little but her parent’s dreams for her. Now, she works as a software engineer for Google. Her story shows that migration can be an economic powerhouse for the world and help drive global development.
“Episode Zero” and a new episode on “Girls and Education” have just come out. The episode on education introduces Jeanette Monosoff-Haley, a Mumbai-based organizer working to support the education of some of the poorest children in India. Her efforts focus on small steps, like finding textbooks, uniforms and even a girls toilet. Development experts have identified keeping girls in school as a top priority.
On the 24th of January, an episode on climate change will be live casted directly from the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos featuring Robert and Barney Swan, a father-and-son duo who trekked 600-miles across Antarctica using only renewable energy sources.
Two new episodes will be released every month until the end of the year.
Additional episodes include audio from Will.i.am, Malala, William Lacy, Louise Arbor, and President Obama. The podcast will also introduce listeners to new, authentic voices such as Dali (16) and Fin (14), from the clothing company Nalu, who are creating alternative ways to provide education access to all.
We’re delighted to help sharing such incredible efforts in achieving a more sustainable world as a partner!
The UN SDG Action Campaign is excited to participate in the Media for Social Impact Summit, 14 September 2017 at the UNHQ in NY. Our Global Director, Mitchell Toomey will give a keynote address regarding Action for the SDGs, and Kristin Gutekunst, Executive Producer of the UNVR project, will moderate an exciting panel: Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Virtually Reporting the Realities of the SDGs.
The Media For Social Impact Summit is an annual event that unites representatives of leading media companies, advertising firms and creative agencies with high-level United Nations representatives and communication experts to highlight the power of media to drive social change and strategize campaigns around pressing global issues. Organized by the United Nations Office for Partnerships & PVBLIC Foundation, the summit showcases innovative social campaigns and movements through keynotes, interviews, case studies and roundtables and provides a unique opportunity for delegates to network and learn from the brightest minds in media and build lasting partnerships that further social progress.
We’ll be presenting with the following:
(3:30-3:40) How can the media support action on SDGs?
Mitchell Toomey, Global Director of UN SDG Action Campaign (Keynote Address)
(5.40-6.10) Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Virtually Reporting the Realities of the SDGs
VR, AR & MR are set to be mediums that effectively transform our world in the coming years. This panel will introduce VR as an impactful new tool for media. It will deep dive into the results of a successful UN integrative VR campaign and discuss how VR can democratize citizen journalism and access to training to spur activism for the SDGs through advocacy, education and training programs.
Kristin Gutekunst, Executive Producer, UN VR, New Media & Immersive Content, UN SDG Action Campaign (Moderator)
Frank Smyth, Executive Director, Global Journalist Security
Dimitri Moore, Video Producer & Digital Storytelling Coach, Digital Promise Global
Rachel Henderson, Communications Manager, Under the Net, UN Foundation
Jessica Lauretti, Head of RYOT Studio
Phoenix Eyre, Chief Executive Officer The Genesis Development Collaborative, Inc.
Decades of negative communication about hunger and hopelessness in developing countries has resulted in a general public attitude that the fight against poverty does not work. We need a new narrative about global development: Nuanced and current knowledge creates hope – and hope creates motivation for action.
World’s Best News is an example of a unique partnership that brings together the UN and more than 100 NGOs and 100 private companies. Since 2010, the independent media platform World’s Best News has published news about progress and solutions to the world’s challenges to the Danish population. All uniting to spread news about progress on a variety of different platforms using the Sustainable Development Goals as the frame and constructive journalism as method. The aim is to connect civil society, business, and the citizens in the pursuit of a more informed and sustainable world.
A collaboration with DSB, the Danish Railways, made it possible to decorate and InterCity train with World’s Best News messages.
Today, World’s Best News is now an international network with sister organizations in Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Finland.
“World’s Best News has shown that it is possible to change the world. You are creators of hope and perspective.”
Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen, Member of Danish Parliament.
“The collaboration with World’s Best News has made us reconsider our coverage of global issues. When you started with constructive journalism it influenced the rest of the content in our newspaper”
Jonas Ratje, Editor in Chief, Metroxpress.
Meet people with constructive and unexpected development news. That is the core objective of World’s Best News. Credit: Louise Dyring Mbae
How and why this action impacts the people in the community ? When more people know about the solutions to the world’s problems, they are more motivated to ensure these solutions will be implemented and put into action. When World’s Best News launched in 2010, 16% of the Danes believed there was progress in lifting people out of poverty; in 2016 this number increased to 32%.
Media is playing a major role in challenging the narrative about progress in the developing countries and shining the spotlight to the people who are often left out of the conversation. Is the UN is providing the tools, information and resources available to make sure journalists can succeed in their missions? Are media professionals aware that these tools exist?
For the 10th year, around 2,0000 journalists, media professionals, communications experts, politicians and civil society representatives from 130 countries gathered for the Global Media Forum in Bonn. This year the forum, focused on identity and diversity, hosted key international speakers such as the entrepreneur and Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the Secretary-General of Amnesty International, Salil Shetty, to discuss the innovations of the digital world, artificial intelligence and journalism, the threat to values that populism represents, the role of the media, as well as international politics, human rights and innovative journalism concepts.
The UN SDG Action Campaign invited participants to experiment with the existing tools for communicating the SDGs and to participate in the creation of new ones: A hands-on session focused on engaging ways to shift the spotlight to those left further behind and mobilise everyone to take action for the SDGs.
credit: Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum 2017
A hands-on session focused on engaging ways to shift the spotlight to those left further behind and mobilise everyone to take action for the SDGs. The participants discovered the MY World 2030 survey, the stories behind the data, youth-led solutions and the power of a single story from the Building Bridges Foundation. How do we engage those millions left further behind in the conversation? How do we make people shift from observers to doers?
In our interactive SDG Space the participants had the opportunity to fully immerse in refugee realities, the life of an Ebola survivor or the struggle of a mother after losing a son to a bombing in the Gaza strip. The MY World 2030 Survey generated great interest and expectation and a number of representatives participated in the survey.
Congratulations to all participants and organisers for bringing together great ideas, new approaches and generate active discussions around key issues, we are sure will ignite positive actions in the near future.
Professionals developing world class innovation discuss the real potential of virtual reality and new media and the challenges that lay ahead: How do we make sure it brings a positive impact to global issues.? How can we bring it to everyone and really use it to help the people who need it the most?
Friedrich Kurz, General Manager Social Innovation, Deutsche Telekom, Marisol Grandon, CEO of Untold Stories, Kristin Gutekunst, Executive Producer of UNVR, UN SDG Action Campaign, Wilfried Runde, Head of Innovation Projects at Deutsche Welle join the discussion at the SDG Live Stage of the Global Festival of Ideas for Sustainable Development.
To convey the stories of the most vulnerable people in the world and bring them home to the decision makers and global citizens around the world, pushing the bounds of empathy, the UN SDG Action Campaign has coordinated the United Nations Virtual Reality Series since 2015.
This discussion happened during the first Global Festival of Ideas for Sustainable Development. Watch more: http://globalfestivalofideas.org/
In September 2015, 193 countries agreed to work together on a 15-year global plan to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all by 2030. This plan includes 17 Goals that serve as an urgent guiding masterplan to tackle the world’s greatest challenges and ensure that no one is left behind. Innovative individuals are urgently needed to join together with countries and partners to turn the bold and ambitious global plan into action. See the 17 SDGs here.
To rapidly generate an unprecedented level of innovation and collaboration around the SDGs, the 3-day #Connect2effect Global Hackathon will bring together these innovators with different skillsets ranging from marketing to programming to designing.
The event will produce a series of basic workable prototypes that can be further expanded after the event. The best ideas will be developed and supported through local incubation programmes, mentoring on crowdfunding platform. Winners will receive an invitation to pitch their ideas at the UN Headquarters in New York at the Science, Technology & Innovation Forum taking place at the UN Headquarters in NYC 15th – 17th of May.
Mitchell Toomey, Director of the UN SDG Action Campaign stresses the value of #Connect2Effect for the UN: “At the UN SDG Action Campaign, we consistently strive to find ways to reach new audiences to inform and inspire them about the SDGs. We also empower individuals to work together and serve as agents of change, honouring the best solutions in a variety of methods. We are eager to empower the best creative thinkers and problems solvers to help the UN and governments achieve their goals”.
H.E. Peter Thomson, President of the United Nations General Assembly, fully supports the #Connect2Effect initiative: “Each and every one of us has a critical role to play – as individuals role-modeling sustainable living, as innovators and creative thinkers conceiving new ideas, and as activists working with others to implement solutions to shape our world towards a sustainable future. I look forward to being inspired by the outcomes of the hackathon and to warmly welcome the winners to the United Nations“
The initiative is the first of an annual series which over time will create a sustained network of individuals who can mentor each other and work together to come up with the best ideas for achieving the SDGs, as Max Kallis, CEO of Influx Trust points out: “We are eager to support the UN by leveraging our network and expertise to come up with solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems.”
This year’s hackathon will bring together people in Manama, Bahrain, Lagos, Nigeria, Chandigargh, India, and Lisbon, Portugal to tackle industry innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), in London, U.K., and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to reduce inequalities (SDG 10) and in Bali, Indonesia, Geneva, Switzerland and New York City, USA to generate a shift towards more responsible consumption and production (SDG 12).
FACTS & FIGURES:
1000 Entrepreneurs, thinkers and creatives working together across 9 global locations (Manama, Bali, Chandigarh, Geneva, Lagos, Lisbon, London, New York and Rio) on 5 continents.
193 United Nation Member States
17 Sustainable Development Goals to solve by 2030
72 hours for teams to collaborate and help hack three of the SDGs.
6 Headline Partners for #Connect2Effect 2017 to help our teams with the resources they need.
3 SDGs to hack during #Connect2Effect
1 Crowdfunding platform that will take an idea and put it in the market in a weekend.
ABOUT THE COLLABORATORS:
The Influx Trust is a UK charity that fosters a community of individuals and businesses eager to share their knowledge and resources to support the UN’s priorities. @InfluxTrust
The UN SDG Action Campaign is a global interagency initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General, with the mission of ensuring that everyone has the support, encouragement and capability to advocate and act to ensure the SDG agenda is brought to life. It recognises and celebrates the innovators, conveners and break-through actors who are transforming lives, tackling trade-offs and generating practical solutions to some of the world’s most intractable development problems. The Campaign is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the German Federal Government. @SDGAction
The President of the General Assembly is an annually geographically rotating position voted for by representatives in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The President of the 71st and current session, H.E. Mr Peter Thomson from Fiji, presides over the General Assembly, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. Made up of all the 193 Member States of the UN, the General Assembly provides a forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the UN Charter. It meets in regular session intensively from September to December each year, and thereafter as required. @UN_PGA
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jayne & Misael | Kitsch.inc on behalf of Influx Trust | kitschinc.digital@gmail.com Kristin Gutekunst | UN SDG Action Campaign | kristin.gutekunst@undp.org Katharina Kandt | Office of the President of the UN General Assembly| kandt@un.org
See the full event here: http://livestream.com/Mashable/events/6346857/videos/136197230
YouTube Change Ambassador, Ingrid Nilsen joined a panel at the 2016 Social Good Summit entitled “LGBTQ in the Media: Shaping the Global Equality Narrative.” The panelists, which also included fellow activists Jazz Jennings, Tiq Millan, Sarah Kate Ellis (President and CEO of GLAAD) , highlighted the importance of having LGBTQIA people and issues represented in the media, discussing what it means to be accepted and to empower people around the world who may not be able to see themselves otherwise represented.
They noted the absence of such representation in media during their own youth, noting that seeing similar representatives helps to reinforce identity, especially for children and young people who feel alone in the world without it.
Ms. Nilsen celebrated the fact that stereotypes are being “obliterated.” She commented how being a public figure and YouTube Creator means her identity is constantly challenged. She recognized her role in empowering others and breaking stereotypes. She thanked those who have laid the “foundation” before her, “planting seeds in a garden we may never see… seeds that were planted a generation before me, and I want to build upon that”.
It is my privilege to share with you the 2014 Ministers Reference Book of Commonwealth which is Designed to help commonwealth member countries work ever-more closely with each other to build a peaceful and prosperous community.
The report features over 40 articles from leading commentators, including H.E.s David Cameron , Goodluck Jonathan, Executive Heads of UNCTAD, ITC, IMF, UNESCO, FAO and others. It also has a feature on Hon. Nelson Mandela’s legacy and his impact on the Commonwealth.
I am very honored to inform that the book features my article on Youth Led Development (Page 152-155) among all these other luminaries.
