A Practical Guide to Making the World a Better Place Today #SDGSandME

2017 isn’t over, yet we’ve already been struck with record-breaking natural disasters on almost every continent (some witmailh multiple!), and humanitarian crises in just as many. It’s a scary time for billions of people around the world, and if you look at what’s happening in Syria, Sudan, or Myanmar, the word “scary” doesn’t come anywhere close to describing the magnitude of the challenges facing the people living there.

Those of us that are not directly affected by these human- and nature-made events, while lucky, are faced with our own questions:

How can I help?
Where should I give?
What should I do to try and make life better for those not as lucky?
How long until a disaster strikes my home?

As with life, there is no crystal ball that will give you an answer to these questions, but thanks to the unifying work of the United Nations and its Sustainable Development Goals, there is now a framework to point you in the right direction — even if it is a little daunting. Though if you promise to keep reading, we’ll show you how to easily grasp this information.

At MovingWorlds, we’ve been pouring over best practices, articles, scholarly research, and impact reports to try and make this map easier to read, and if you’re interested in being a part of the solution, we hope you’ll join us on this #SDGSandME campaign to better understand the power of one person in helping tackle the herculean challenges facing our planet.

But First, Some Background

On September 25th 2015 the United Nations announced a comprehensive list of goals to create a sustainable planet free from injustices and inequalities by 2030. This proposal is called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There are 17 SDGs ranging from Women’s Empowerment to fixing the Environmental Crisis.

Across the world, dreamers, problem solvers, and changemakers are aligning behind these goals, working quickly and diligently to change the direction of our earth’s future.

“The SDGs are an acknowledgment of what ALL young people already know, which is that the current global economic structure is enormously destructive and unsustainable.” –Corporate Citizenship Initiative

But these goals are bigger than them. It’s bigger than the team here at MovingWorlds, individual governments, and even intergovernmental groups like the United Nations. In order for us to collectively change the narrative of our world, we must all join in this global effort.

The #SDGSandME: A Personal Roadmap Towards Making a Real Impact

While the SDGs seem too daunting for any one person to achieve, the achievement of them is only possible by individuals taking action.

In this #SDGSandME series, we’re going to hone in on what you can do to help reach the SDGs in the 4P’s of your life:

1. Personal
2. Professional
3. Political
4. Philanthropic

Follow our #SDGSandME series on social media, and signup to be notified of new updates. Over the next four weeks, we’ll be publishing four articles packed with inspiration and practical tips that you can use today to start making a real impact. We hope you’ll follow us and join the conversation!.

Change Is Already Happening

From around the world, stories of change are already pouring in. As one touch example,  United National Development blog recently shared the story of Graca who is benefitting from the SDGs.

At the age of 30, Graça became one of the youngest Members of Parliament in her country. She was singled out by UN Women as a ‘Woman of Achievement.’ You can read a full interview with her here.

Goal #5 aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. By 2030, we are going to ensure women’s full and effective participation for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.

Beyond stories, real data is showing we are making progress. A campaign to educate the world, the largest ever, has been launched to connect us humans around the world to make the SDGs a reality. The SDG Knowledge Platform is highlighting global efforts, and Michael Green, in his inspiring TED Talk, shows us that we can make the world a better place by 2030.

Real Change Starts With You (and we need you more than ever)

And while much of the world is excited about the Sustainable Development Goals, unfortunately, progress is slower than we all hoped. Just this month, Bloomberg reported that thousands of companies have failed to live up to their early commitments. Many of the humanitarian crises are actually getting worse. The natural disasters of 2017 have been ravaging.

Now is the time to act so that we can build an equitable, sustainable planet by 2030. We hope you’ll join us in exploring what the SDGs mean, and how you can make small changes in the personal, professional, philanthropic, and political aspects of your life starting today to help us achieve them.