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Can global partnerships & entrepreneurship get us closer to achieving the Sustainable Developmen

Here are my takeaways from this past year, 2017:

Sustainable Development Goals

SDGs

The sustainable development goals [SDGs], set by the United Nations, targets a broad range of social issues - poverty, hunger, health, education, climate change, gender equality, water, sanitation, energy, environment, social justice, etc. The goals and target initiatives are found in the 2030 Development Agenda titled “Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. I saw a connection between the goals and my field of work in affordable housing & community development. This led me to write a paper titled, ‘In Pursuit of Sustainability: Community and Development and Building Science’ in April 2017; and welcome over 100+ experts from around the world as the keynote speaker for the ‘World Symposium on Sustainability Science and Research: Implementing the 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development’ conference held in Manchester, England. My opening presentation was followed by case studies (published in the 2017 publication - Handbook of Sustainability Science and Research/Springer) illustrating how sustainability science and research can help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals - contains 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets. I concluded the presentation by highlighting how private, public and nonprofit partnerships are important in realizing this global vision; the 17th goal of the SDGs.

Global Partnerships

Monjia and Lerato Motsamai, Founder and CEO of Petrolink

The U.S. State Department and the Government of India hosted the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Hyderabad, India about a month ago. There were over 1,500 entrepreneurs from 150 countries, showcasing top innovations and solving world challenges through their services. For example, I met Tim, a civil engineer and CEO of Immaculate Construction - a sustainable affordable housing contractor. She shared her passion for developing neighborhoods that will create sustainable future cities in Cameroon, Africa with her prototype home called ‘Butterfly Housing’ - a prefab, temperature regulated home. It was an honor to be among the most innovative business leaders, and to hear their stories of breakthroughs in the field of medicine, technology, infrastructure, etc. The summit ended with closing comments encouraging inclusive environments for women entrepreneurs (the 5th goal of the SDGs) from Lerato Motsamai, Founder and CEO of Petrolink - providing management and engineering services to the oil and gas industry worldwide. The GES was a model for cross-industry and transnational collaboration; and the realization of the positive impacts of a sustainable and interconnected world.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

In July 2017, I traveled to Cap Haitien, Haiti to teach youth and young adults the importance of Environmental Sustainability. They were receptive to the basic sustainability principles - clean air, promotion of biodiversity, protection from natural disasters, natural resources for building construction and materials, renewable sources of energy, food and medicine from plants, etc. During group activities the participants identified a local community project in which they would lead and maintain - trash management and wastewater management.

Trash in the streets of Cap Haitien, Haiti

In Haiti, the majority of people have no adequate means of human waste or wastewater disposal. The underlying conviction behind any entrepreneurial endeavor is identifying a problem and providing a solution. I met Christine Ntim, an award-winning Haitian-American entrepreneur and startup ecosystem expert for emerging markets at the GES. She mentioned that her organization, Global Startup Ecosystems, in partnership with the Minister of Tourism, will host the annual Haiti Tech Summit in Haiti on June 21, 2018. The previous gathering welcomed over 500 entrepreneurs, influencers and speakers; to discuss how technology and innovation could accelerate sectors such as education, government, health, sports, media, culture, agriculture and tourism in Haiti. The community initiated ideas and projects as identified in Cap Haitien (entrepreneurship) coupled with partnerships (committed to providing expertise, knowledge, and resources) such as the connections that will be made at the Haiti Tech Summit to provide a solution, is one example of how we can move towards achieving at least one sustainable goal in Cap Haitien, Haiti.

Achieving the SDGs will require leveraging creative thinking, innovation, and investment; as well as building and nurturing global partnerships, and sharing best practices. The goals serves as a guide for companies and partnerships; and is essential to economic and social opportunities worldwide, and achieving transformational change. Yes, I believe global partnerships and entrepreneurship can get us closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

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