17 IN 17: PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

17 in 17: Partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals

“Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.”

-Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda is a visionary mission for global development—one that requires the immediate efforts of governments, NGOs, and businesses to bridge the capacity gap and achieve scale.

But how does one even begin to plan for 2030? Especially at a time when it seems impossible to anticipate what lies ahead in upcoming days and weeks, let alone years.

Recognizing the need to both “dream big” and act with urgency, the Global Partnerships Week on SDG Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals will examine what leaders across the public-private spectrum can do now to promote the spirit of innovation and technical ability needed to fulfill the mission outlined by the United Nations.

The week kicks off for the second year in a row at the U.S. Institute of Peace, where a day-long Practitioner’s Forum will feature highly interactive panels, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities focused on the practical resources, metrics, designs, and strategies that can profit both communities and companies in 2017 and beyond.

So what can you expect from Global Partnerships Week 2017?

Expect Real

If trust is the foundation of good partnerships, then data is the mortar which holds everything together. From Planet Labs’ use of satellite imagery to track evidence of human rights violations, to Drexel University engineering students’ development of hyperlocal solutions to community waste and conflict, the Forum highlights some of the most cutting edge technologies and techniques for building partnerships based on shared learnings.

Expect Passion

Seventeen SDGs equal seventeen opportunities to find the issue, challenge, or area that ignites your creative energy, excites stakeholders, improves your brand, and grows your organizational footprint. According to a recent Unilever survey, 33% of consumers are now choosing to buy from brands they believe benefit society and the environment. That’s a $1 trillion opportunity for business, government, and nonprofits to supercharge their impact.

Expect…

The kind of magic that only happens when you reach out to those with different views, different competitive advantages, different bottom lines, but the same recognition that “doing good” leads to doing well. After all, in the words of that great philosopher of the Wizarding World, Albus Dumbledore:

“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

Twila N. Tschan is the Communications Coordinator at PeaceTech Lab, which works for individuals and communities affected by conflict while utilizing the best in technology, media, and data to accelerate peacebuilding efforts. An Oregon native, Twila spent two years working in the PDX tech scene before moving to Washington, D.C. to pursue her M.A. in Global Communication at George Washington University. Keep up the with the latest from the peacetech industry by following @PeaceTechLab or emailing info@peacetechlab.org for more information.

This article was originally featured on P3.co