AUDACIOUS AMBITION

Perhaps no organization better illustrates the power of community than the UNITED NATIONS. In September 2015, nearly 200 member countries adopted a set of 17 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequalities, and tackle climate change – all by the year 2030. The new sustainable development agenda builds on the momentum of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that were enacted by world leaders at a 2000 UN summit. Together, these two initiatives have created a blueprint that is advancing people, organizations, and governments to meet the challenges of the world’s poorest populations.

Both MDGs and SDGs comprise three core elements: economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection. They recognize that ending poverty must include strategies to build economic growth and address a variety of social needs, while addressing climate change and environmental protection.

Although these goals may seem audacious, they become possible when individuals join forces. By becoming part of something bigger, each one of us is capable of changing the world.