At the midpoint of UN Week, the exhortations to individuals to step up to make change in the world grew. The first day of the SDG Action Zone was ostensibly about health but included a broader message about the need for every person to act to make change. We were particularly inspired by Valentina Muñoz Rabanal, the Chilean teen who is advocating for digital equality.
Other side events, including Climate Week and the Concordia Summit, gave voice to those who have been innovating to address key global challenges.
From wave power to ensuring renewable energy is available to the poorest communities, Carolyn Whelan talks about the young entrepreneurs making real change. While also reporting on some warnings about our food systems’ impact on the environment.
In Kat Friedrich’s reporting, the emerging trends in technology and fashion take center stage. Joe Lonsdale, managing partner at 8VC, offers the best advice for new entrepreneurs when he says, “Great entrepreneurs look for conceptual gaps in the world.” Friedrich’s article then talks about some impressive entrepreneurs transforming their industries.
For individuals to make transformative change, they often need tools to know where to focus. Souwie Buis reports on two new tools that are helping policy makers throughout the world understand the growing gaps in women’s health with an eye to creating programs and policies to help. COVID-19 has significantly impacted women’s health, making the need for this focus even more important.
One of the more important events of the day was the session to make the 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration. As the UN marked this landmark document on combating racism, it pointed to how far we still need to go as a global community and expressed concern over rising movements that threaten to turn back the clock on those gains we have achieved.