The Sustainable Development Goals are also known as the World’s Largest Lesson. Help your kids develop the skills, knowledge on a global perspective, and allow them to become global citizens in a truly interconnected world.
Although words like climate change, global warming and sustainable development have become part of our day-to-day vocabulary the reality is, few of us even consider what they really mean and how they may affect us during our lifetime. Here’s a framework on how the Sustainable Development Goals teaching resources can be a way to teach yourself, as a parent, and your children, that taking responsibility is everyone’s responsibility.
The problem is, that we have for too long been living our lives without considering the long-term effects of our actions, and now the man-made issues and inequalities that exist throughout the world have reached what experts call the ‘tipping point’, or point of no return. We are, in effect, passengers in a car traveling at the speed of light without anyone checking to see if we have any brakes…
Harsh words indeed, yet all is not lost for we are living in a time when we have the opportunity to do something, going beyond what is fashionable and on-trend to bring a joined-up approach to problem-solving.
The Global Goals – an opportunity!
And the great news is, three years ago the 193 countries that make up the United Nations agreed to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs (a series of 17 goals and 169 targets). These sustainable development goals are a global commitment to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that everyone, no matter where they live can prosper, free from inequality and injustice. These goals are, in effect, a blueprint designed to transform our world and they are not just for some of us, they are for all of us, and like us, they are all interconnected.
The global goals are a ‘call to action’ that presents each and every one of us, no matter who we are, what we believe in, or where we live with an opportunity to get involved and make a positive impact on the world.
So, although we may feel disengaged, and as though our thoughts and feelings about critical global issues and our future don’t count, the truth is they do, and the great news is we can make a difference.
In fact, all over the world people of every age, religion, shape, and size are all looking to get involved to do something to make a positive impact on the world so we can secure a brighter, kinder, more sustainable future where all life has equal value, and where no man, woman or child is left behind
The SDGs are not about pointing fingers or apportioning blame, and they are certainly not about self or ego nor are they about banning the supermarket, making us live in the dark or knitting our own pasta… for these goals, are ‘enablers’, and they bring a shared vision for humanity to the table. And as we begin to recognise the opportunity that the global goals represent, we will begin to see a direct correlation between what we do and what we become, transforming the way we think and how we act on a local level will have a huge impact globally.
As we look to embrace these goals, we need to ensure that we help our children develop a greater sense of the world, so that we can transform the way they think and act to bring shared values to life.
Why we need to change
As a parent, I had become increasingly dismayed by the way that global issues were portrayed in the media, and on the news, finding that it had a lasting, negative impact on my kids. I was astounded by the distinct lack of quality information that was available, and that coupled with the onslaught of fake news, extremism and unrest I decided, that I would use my knowledge of sustainability and the world to develop a series of well researched, content-rich and thought-provoking global resources to empower children.
Three years later and I have created a wide range of resources to help kids develop the skills, knowledge and understanding they need, on a global perspective, so that they recognise we are bound together, and that everything we do matters, for we are all global citizens in a truly interconnected world.
Other articles you’ll love:
