Building Momentum: How We Can Move Forward with the SDGs
This month, the United Nations held its High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) to discuss the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their progress across the world. Delegates from different countries, UN organizations, businesses, and civil society all came together to share ideas, discuss implementations, review progress, and promote international cooperation. Besides viewing the main presentations and side events, participants additionally had the option to engage in labs such as VNR Town Halls, promoting community engagement and feedback. One session in particular, VNR Lab 6 Town Hall: Building Momentum for the VNRs by Engaging All, allowed participants to discuss the progress of the SDGs across the world and listen to presentations from various individuals highly engaged in their own communities.
From this conversation stemmed several key points and ideas about how to move forward during this particular time in order to further promote and effectively work towards achieving the SDGs.
As community members and advocates, it is important to:
- engage youth in the process of generating ideas and decision making
- review the needs of all children in each particular community and nation
- spread awareness of the SDGs in both national and local governments
- focus on civic engagement
- break ideas of prejudice in order to help all areas of communities in working towards stronger societies
- make specific goals with specific purposes in mind
The session made it clear that the implementation of the SDGs, especially during this time, will not and cannot look the same for every organization, country, and community. Each area has its own unique circumstances, and implementation strategies that might work for one community may not be efficient in another. It is important that we work together in sharing ideas and global goals, but we must also tailor our methods of progress, involvement, and advocacy to the needs of our communities and with consideration to all circumstances involved. Only then can we continue to successfully move forward in truly advancing the SDGs across the globe.
