This blog post was written by our Creative Communications & Events Officer, Megan Henderson, with help from author & former Ambassador to Ethiopia, Myles Wickstead (our SDG expert).
The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are universal - they apply to countries like the UK and France as much as to Kenya and Senegal. The goals are not just about what Governments can or should do, and SDG 17 specifically recognises the key role the private sector and civil society play in ensuring the Goals are delivered. But how do we ensure each country is meeting them? With 17 goals underpinned by 169 Targets (and even more ‘Indicators’, designed to measure progress against those Goals and Targets where possible) - it’s no easy task, even for aficionados. Relying on the Five ‘P’s outlined below gives achieving the Goals a little more perspective.
Prosperity: the need for inclusive economic growth;
People: the importance of equity and fairness, and leaving no-one behind, whatever their ethnicity, sexuality, disability etc.;
Planet: the importance of respecting the environment and dealing with the causes and consequences of climate change;
Peace: progress on any of the above will be difficult or impossible without a reasonable degree of peace, security and good governance;
Partnerships: the three key organisational pillars – Governments, civil society and the private sector – need to work together to make progress.
But how does Five Talents stack up against the Five ‘P’s?
Prosperity: We are helping the most marginalised communities in the world diversify their income and build a sustainable route out of poverty.
People: Our programmes are open to everyone - regardless of faith, gender, ethnicity, sexuality or disability. We encourage all members of the community to join our Savings Groups and learn, earn, save and invest together, and we deliberately seek to work with more marginalised groups (such as women).
Planet: Many of our members are adversely affected by climate change. Our programmes help them build resistance to drought, poor harvest and other environmental factors. Our members are also conscious of their own effect on the planet and are learning about deforestation, soil erosion, rainwater tanks and solar power.
Peace: Our Groups often bring together communities of different religions and ethnicities. Building a safe place where neighbours can learn from one another and establish trust fosters peace. We find people from different backgrounds who save together discover new bonds of trust. One of our members in South Sudan said, “Peace begins with us.”
Partnerships: Local partnerships are at the core of each of our programmes. We work through our Anglican Church network and find programmes established within the Church infrastructure means they are made to last - even after they stop receiving funding from Five Talents.
Supporting Five Talents means supporting an organisation dedicated to lifting communities out of poverty with a hand up, not a handout, while positively supporting the Sustainable Development Goals.