We Support Vision 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Have you heard of the Vision 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development? How about Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
In case you haven’t, these are 17 goals and 169 targets adopted by 193 heads of state to wipe out poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change between 2016 and 2030.
Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Organisation (UN), refers to the SDGs that came into force on January 1, 2016 as a “social contract between the world’s leaders and the people” and also as a “to-do list for people and planet, and a blueprint for success.”
We as IPO-Eastern Africa support the 17 SDGs because they address social, economic and environmental dimensions of development.We have since our inception in 2009 focused on these same areas as the key to development.
The 17 SDGs build on the previous eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that sought to end extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership for development by the end of 2015. That is 11 days ago today.
The SDGs, on their part, stress everything from zero poverty, zero hunger, good health, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, and affordable clean energy, to decent work and economic growth, innovation, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities, responsible consumption, climate action, unpolluted oceans and land, and partnerships to achieve the goals.
We at IPO-Eastern Africa, a specialised platform for independent media operators in 13 Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region that focuses on the vulnerable segments of society—children, youth and women—take the SDGs as falling within our mandate: using multi-media, especially movies, as a tool for cultural expression, inter-cultural dialogue and socio-economic development in highlighting issues such as gender, gender-mainstreaming, agriculture, conservation and climate change and their role in development.
We shall over the next couple of weeks, months and years keep a tab on the progress being made in our region as we train our eyes on 2030.
We are a product of the 1st Eastern African Independent Producers Summit held in Nairobi August 13-15, 2009 to discuss and draft an action plan for independent movie producers in eastern Africa. Supported by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the three-day meeting took place during the 4th annual Lola Kenya Screen movie festival, skills-development programme and marketing platform for children and youth in eastern Africa. Participants from across the region prepared and adopted a report titled the Audiovisual Media Producers Plan of Action (The Nairobi Declaration) to guide practitioners, broadcasters and policymakers in the region.
Though a non-governmental organisation, we believe the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are part of what we do. We therefore embrace them.
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