Why the Global Goals are more relevant than ever

SDG's

At Lyfta, we have been working closely with the British Council, Department for International Development (DFID) and UK aid to deliver our course, 'Teach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), skills and values with Lyfta' as part of the Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning programme.

One of the first questions we ask teachers who participate in our CPD courses, is to what extent they are aware of the SDGs - or Global Goals as they are also known. In our experience, it is normal for a vast majority of teachers to start their initial webinar with us unaware of the SDGs beyond a vague understanding that they exist. By the end of the course, they can see what a powerful framework they can provide for guiding tomorrow's global citizens in today's classroom. As the world experiences a shift in circumstances with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, now more than ever, we can feel the powerful relevance of global connectedness and an international commitment to solidarity around tangible goals to support a healthy, equitable and responsible future.

What are the SDGs?

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015 and "provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future". The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are central to this, and although we might perceive them as intended for our fellow citizens 'over there', they form an urgent call for action by all countries - so-called developed and developing - in a global partnership. These global goals make clear that urgent action must be taken to eliminate poverty and inequality, address climate change, and act for peace and social justice for all people, everywhere. The SDGs build on decades of work by countries and the UN, including the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and can be found here https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org.

Shared responsibility and global solidarity

SDG's

The latest United Nations report, which came out in March 2020, 'Shared responsibility, global solidarity: responding to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19', looks at how the global pandemic affects all SDGs.

A number of elements of this report stand out for us at Lyfta, when looking at the work we are doing with schools, teachers and students to explore the power of human stories from around the world. We often find ourselves helping teachers and students alike to realise that the global aims outlined in the SDGs are not 'over there' but very much here and now in our own society and the communities we serve. The socio-economic impacts of lockdown in the UK have acted as a magnifying lens for many of these aims and the lockdown in the UK has made the SDGs feel more relevant to us than ever before.

For example, SDGs 1, 3, 4 & 8: no poverty; good health and well-being; quality education; decent work and economic growth are highly relevant to the UK at the moment. Individuals who know the impact of poverty, and those that haven't previously experienced it, have seen their jobs and incomes impacted by the lockdown. Many may experience a taste of immediate financial insecurity for the first time. With restrictions on all of our mobility, everyone is feeling the impact on their physical and mental health. As learning has been moved to the home for most institutions, introducing some form of remote online learning has been the response of many schools across the country. This has highlighted educational inequalities around digital access at home for students, and schools are having to manage a response to this as best they can. And so we see how these SDGs play out in our current reality under the global pandemic, and how quickly this has shifted for so many of us.

We believe strongly that now is the time to engage with the SDGs. Doing so can help students make sense of the crisis, and will support them to understand their importance as global citizens of the future. If you would like to take advantage of Lyfta's free online CPD courses and access to stunning immersive human stories, email info@lyfta.com to secure your place now.

by Penny Rabiger, director of engagement at Lyfta

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