Project Review “NO POVERTY!“ - Discussing the agenda for global transformation with German students

By Megi Mskhaladze

Peter Drucker, the famous American Author and Economist, once said: “the best way to predict the future is to create it” – and this became my life motto. However, I am not the only one who believes in this phrase – because in 2015, all the countries of the United Nations endorsed the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

So what exactly are the “SDGs”? And why do they matter to me as an individual? And what can we do to contribute? – These are the questions which will be answered in this small blog post. If I have caught your attention thus far: Stay with me!

From my point of view, in order to achieve the SDGs we need to have strong and involved nations. We as a society need to stay aware of the coming challenges. We have to think about the consequences of our actions and we need to feel responsible for making the world a better place – every one of us! Hence, one massive lever is education. Education, if used correctly, is the superlative weapon in the hands of human beings.

For this reason, we included school workshops as a vital component of this year´s project about the UN-SDGs, especially SDG Nr. 1 “No Poverty”. We from VISIONEERS organized a Train-the-Trainer Workshop in July to teach young people how to train peers regarding developmental issues in interactive seminars. Volunteers were then invited to practice their knowledge about the SDGs and new skills as trainers in some of our partner schools in Berlin. I got to be one of these volunteers and over the past months, we went to schools to teach students about the UN-Global Goals and to spark interest in developmental issues.

What are the Sustainable Development Goals?

Countries have committed to prioritize progress for those who are furthest behind. The SDGs are designed to end poverty, hunger, AIDS, and discrimination against women and girls. It sets out 17 Goals, which include 169 sub-targets.

Why they matter to me as an individual? We are all in this together. The agenda with its 17 goals is universal and calls for action by all countries and nations, both developed and developing. This ensures that no one is left behind. Everyone needs to come together—governments, civil society, scientists, academia and the private sector in order to build a better future together.

What can we do to contribute? – Raise awareness in your local community, encourage people/ businesses/ organizations to collaborate with initiatives for the implementation of the SDGs, to align. Everyone can contribute in one way or form. You can find more ideas here: https://17ziele.de/

Within the framework of the project “NoPoverty!” (which is the first Sustainability Goal – “End poverty in all its form everywhere”) – we wanted to create awareness and spark questions in young people – so that together we understand that there is a global framework, a plan for the transformation of our world, in place that we can align with to create the future we want for our and the next generations. We keep on being surprised that not even half of the students, about to graduate from a German High School, knew about the SDGs. Even though, “the Agenda goes beyond rhetoric and lays down a concrete call to action for people, planet, and prosperity. It encourages us to take bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path” (UNSSC).

I am delighted that I had the opportunity of being part of this action and that I got the chance to distribute knowledge about a topics that desperately deserves our attention.

We thank all the schools in Berlin that invited us in 2022. If you would like us to come to your school and speak about the SDGs in 2023, please get in touch: info@visioneers.io