​One day we’ll all be flying electric cars and living in solar-powered homes, but we’re not quite there yet. In fact, only half of the world’s urban population even has convenient access to public transit, much less a flying or self-driving car. And in recent years, air pollution causes at least 4.2 million premature deaths. So what’s the deal? We’re in 2021--where’s the solar power? The wind turbines? SDG 11 asks this question and many more, striving to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
        
         As the world becomes increasingly urbanized, according to the UN there is a “growing number of slum dwellers, inadequate and overburdened infrastructure and services (such as waste collection and water and sanitation systems, roads and transport).” Although cities only occupy 3 percent of the Earth’s land, they account for most of the world’s energy consumption and carbon emissions! Sustainable and thoughtful urban planning is crucial for a better tomorrow. As we move forward, we must press for functional public transport networks, increased recreational spaces that improve overall health and wellbeing, and inclusive, sustainable housing.
        
         Throughout COVID-19, faulty urban planning was readily apparent. With many people often confined to very small spaces, transmission of the disease was rampant. Proper urban planning is a large driver of pandemic prevention and resilient communities. With access to clear water, improved sanitation, durable housing and sufficient living space, all people would have improved health and wellbeing. Again, we see that SDG 11, like all other SDGs, is interconnected with so many other issues. With better cities, we have cleaner water, better health, greater inclusivity and equality, transportation to employment opportunities, the list goes on and on…
 
         As we rebuild our cities, let us focus on “proven holistic and people-centered approaches to slum upgrading and community empowerment”, “training program[s] for local, regional and nation government officials” of disaster preparation and resilience, “inclusive and gender-responsive governance”, and increased “urban-level data collection” as instructed by the United Nations and various sustainable organizations from around the world. We might not be flying our solar powered cars any time soon, but taking the initiative to improve our urban planning is a good place to start.

​“I need this,” an often-heard phrase in the United States by those passing storefront windows discussing items one most likely does not ‘need’ at all. SDG 12 seeks to address this statement by asking us ‘what do we really “need.’” The real answer is not much, despite what our consumerist culture often dictates.  
 
Let’s take a look at the example of food and food waste:

1. let’s go to the grocery store.
2. Now, let’s buy all the food that we need using the money we’ve worked hard to earn.
3. Now, let’s throw 40% of the food away.

 
This is the unfortunate pattern in the United States.  Other developed nations have a similar problem although not at the level of the US figure of 40% food waste.  And it occurs while an estimated 800 million people live in chronic hunger around the world. Consumerism is the culprit, and it must be addressed.  It is often accompanied by other wasteful behaviors causing significant negative environmental and social effects in different areas.  According to the UN, electronic waste has grown from 2010 to 2019 by 38% with less than 20% of materials recycled. The textile industry is the second largest polluter of clean water and often exploitative to textile workers.
        
SDG 12 asks us to focus on responsible consumption. Our demand directs the supplier. With proper research to change our habits, we can create a sustainable tomorrow. It is also important to be innovative and focus on feasible solutions.
 
Although the United States wastes 40% of their food, the French, for example, waste 1.8% of their food. After a study on Parisian and New York college students’ attitudes towards food and waste, St. John’s student researcher Chloé Bergeron—currently the Congregation of the Mission’s UN intern-- created a comprehensive Instagram food waste reduction campaign and yearly pledge entitled @foodjusticeSJU using links, graphics and challenges that highlighted food waste research and student survey responses. Emphasizing portion planning, redistribution potential, individual waste reduction opportunities, French cultural education, ways to get involved institutionally, and how to advocate for the issue on the governmental level, the campaign garnered extremely positive feedback.
 
Nearly 100% of post-campaign survey respondents committed to be more involved in eliminating food waste either personally, in their school/work communities and/or on a governmental level. The results of the campaign proved that increased awareness of wasteful behaviors and waste reduction tactics increases solution-based activism and decreases waste.
 
As consumers, we must make changes. As we become more aware of our wasteful behaviors, potential solutions, and ethical responsibilities, we can begin to make a positive difference on our global communities and pressure businesses to adopt sustainable practices. Let’s go to the grocery story. Let’s buy all the food we need, but with awareness of portion control, redistribution opportunities, cultural waste reduction practices, and a genuine understanding of the value of our food. Now, let’s eat all of it. This is the world we can create. Easier said than done, of course, so let’s get to work.
 
Jim Claffey, UN representative of the CM, with Chloé Bergeron
congregationofthemissionUN@gmail.com
www.congregationofthemission-un-ngo

​Our national infrastructure holds us together. It’s not something we think about very often but it is essential.
 
Transportation is a good example.  In St. Vincent’s time most people lived and died within only five miles or so of their birthplace.  Hard to imagine!  Humankind is on the move, life means mobility, and development around the world demands systems that provide not just for personal travel but the movement of goods and resources.  In fact, decent infrastructure separates the developed and developing worlds.
 
The same can be said for our buildings, bridges, vehicles and all related items.  But did you know that manufacturing growth, in general and not just e.g. in the USA, has been on a steady decline even before COVID?  Resources and supply chains are too often disrupted by new obstacles. Our growing global interconnectedness means that if one country slows down, so do others.  Inter-connected means inter-dependent.  No country today can consider itself fully independent.
 
As Systemic Change thinking reminds us: everything is connected, nothing happens in isolation.
 
So we depend on healthy systems and creative minds to resolve issues and foster development.   Throughout COVID, we’ve used technology as our lifeline, and we soon learned that our communication infrastructure is essential. Whether we were facetiming with our families in Rome or reading news about China, many of us were connected online, maintaining relationships at least virtually, and working effectively in a new way.  Although much of the world is covered by at least a 2G network, far too many around the world do not enjoy the instruments nor the technical literacy to benefit from modern communication infrastructure.
           
Some industries were not as resilient. Specifically, many small-scale industries were hit hard by the pandemic. We probably all know at least one or two independent shops that had to shut down due to the pandemic. These independent shops are important to our global societies. As the war against monopolistic corporations continues throughout the US and other parts of the world, small businesses are vital in helping to promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
 
As the UN reminds us, “Economic growth, social development and climate action are heavily dependent on investments in infrastructure, sustainable industrial development and technological global manufacturing” which in turn create new employment and income alternatives.  
 
So SDG #9 asks nations to improve access to reliable and affordable broadband/high-speed internet, and accelerate widespread and equitable adoption of electric vehicles.  To invest in infrastructure, research and development, to promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
 
As consumers, we have a role to play.  We can use our own purchasing power as ‘dollar votes’ for a world we want to live in. If we show businesses that we want sustainability, we can research first in order to give our money to truly sustainable companies, and to support industries whose goals align with our own. We have the power. We should use it wisely.
 
One small but indicative example: a website particularly helpful in buying clothes sustainably by rating brands in several categories: https://directory.goodonyou.eco/?_ga=2.263115849.417480627.1619734137-191032380.1619734137. And modest research we can easily do on our own will put us in touch with other ways to find resources and companies worth supporting.
 

​SDG #9 above is quite technical and not an area we usually focus on, but this # 10 speaks directly to our Vincentian hearts!  Our charism to share the Gospel with, and serve, especially people living in poverty, inspires us to work to reduce unjust inequalities.
 
We are all very different, with different needs and wants, but one thing we can agree on is that no one wants to be left behind. The truth is, however, many people around the world are left behind each day in different ways. Many are silenced, exploited, and left out of important global decisions.  The powers that be, the decision-makers, do not ask those living in devastating poverty and constant vulnerability what they need and want, or how to supply it.  Increasingly at the UN, the mantra has become “do not talk about us (poor people) without us.”
 
Exploitation and suffering thrive in situations of inequality.  And now we see the need to reduce inequalities loud and clear through the vaccine crisis. Many countries, typically the poorest and most vulnerable, have been unable to secure vaccines, while others mismanage some supplies and will not share the patent necessary for their production.
 
Aside from inequalities that exist between countries before and during COVID, when it comes to health, security, social protection, and the economy, women of all nationalities have been most impacted by COVID due to their sex. Unemployment puts at risk the progress made towards gender equality and women’s rights.  When schools open one or two days a week, this week but not next, in haphazard fashion, mothers, typically the family care-givers, cannot be expected to keep steady employment.  
 
Likewise, the special needs of older persons, persons with disabilities, children, migrants and refugees, and indigenous peoples must be considered as we rebuild our global communities. It is important that we center the voices of those who are most affected by systemic faults. It is important that we vote for legislators who consider the special needs of disenfranchised groups. It is important that we listen to those suffering, and do our best to understand the needs of those who surround us. It is important that all of us speak out against hate speech, which has risen sharply during the pandemic, and create inclusive and safe spaces for all people. 
 
Inequalities based on income, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, class, ethnicity, religion and opportunity must be considered in every decision that we make. It is our responsibility to use our growing global connections for transformative change. We must invest in health, education, social protection and decent jobs. We must eliminate discriminatory laws. If we want to move forward, to “build forward together,” we need to focus on not leaving anyone behind.  
 
SDG #10 asks nations to adopt fiscal and social policies that promote equality, and improved regulation of global financial markets and institutions.  To make decisions based on solidarity and the common good.  “Leave no one behind” has become a moral imperative and a critical measure of successful development.

 
Jim Claffey
NGO Representative of the CM at the UN
Congregationofthemissionun@gmail.com
Congregationofthemission-un-ngo.com
T: cmunnyc
FB: congregation of the Mission UN

 
I think it is safe to say that this past year we depended on technology more than ever before. Between connecting with family and friends or working from home by Zoom and using web “apps” like never before for health or shopping issues, COVID-19 made us all a bit more technology dependent. In fact, some argue convincingly that technology has become so central to life today that it should be considered a human right. Especially during Covid, technology has become the gateway to education, to services, and to a form of much-needed human connection. Now, having considered all of this, can you believe that 789 million people around the world lack electricity?
 
As efforts are made to provide the world with electricity and the technologies that drive advancement, SDG 7 challenges us to ensure that this energy is not only available, but affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern. From eradicating poverty through “advancements in health, education, water supply and industrialization” to “mitigating climate change” (United Nations), access to clean energy is a  powerful tool and an ambitious goal that, if actuated, has great potential to create a more connected and inclusive world.
 
As we modernize our energy and learn about the effects of different energy sources it is important to ensure that our resources are clean and renewable. Many of the energy sources we use today are not clean and are polluting the earth we call home at an alarming speed, propelling the world down a path from which there may soon be no return.  We will reflect more deeply on the issue under SDG 13 “Climate Action.”
 
Closer to home and on a more personal level, we need to think about our everyday tasks and how our actions contribute to a lifestyle that pollutes and simply ignores what we are leaving behind to future generations.    
 
For example, when we leave a room, do we think to turn the light off? Could we walk or bike more often, or occasionally use public transit instead of driving? Do we vote for candidates who support clean energy?  Do we encourage our work place to invest in clean energy?   There are obviously a ton of other suggestions that flow from such a complex issue.
 
Clean energy is not just about or for the future, it must be about the now. We are living in a world that is increasingly aware of energy’s effects on the vitality of the planet. As concerns for climate change rise and technology advances, it is our responsibility to invest in what is best for our world.  It is also critical that we make what is best not only available, but affordable, so that all human beings have equal access to the opportunities clean energy provides, and that our earthly home can begin to heal itself once again in the process.
 
 

​ 
 
 
SDG 8, which calls for the promotion of inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all, has been heavily challenged, like many of the SDGs, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
People want to work.  Work gives people dignity and a sense of purpose.  The value of Work is undeniable: it expresses human creativity and can contribute to everyone’s health and material well-being. 
 
The challenges to decent work and economic growth are many and complex both in the here and now, and in the future because we do not yet have a clear idea of what the future holds for the job market.  As technology and artificial intelligence advance, we simply do not know what jobs will be necessary in the not so distant future and what will become totally superfluous.  So as the unknown future of work unfolds in a rapidly changing environment, we can only address current needs for work and economic growth.
 
As job losses escalate, the International Labor Organization estimates that almost half of the workforce around the world is at risk of losing their livelihoods.  The ILO also states that “the economic and financial shocks associated with the pandemic—such as disruptions to industrial production, financial market volatility, and rising insecurity—are derailing the already tepid economic growth and compounding heightened risks from other factors.”
 
So, how do we come back from this economic derailing? How do we ensure that all people not only have access to work, but to decent work that includes a fair income, security, social protection, personal development and social integration? The United Nations suggests to start by focusing on providing the best quality education and training to give those entering the workforce the desired skills of their trade. When we equip workers with the skills they need to enter the workforce, they will be better positioned to transition into a decent job that brings financial and social satisfaction.  At the same time we must make continue to insist on just wages, decent working conditions, social protections and fair systems of worker-employer labor and contractual relations.  Workplaces must be inclusive and nondiscriminatory. Only then can we move forward to build a workforce centered on growth and development.
 
Once we invest in proper skill-building and implement health/safety measures that build positive work environments, we can begin to build our global economy forward better than before. Covid-19 has highlighted the instability and fragility of our global economies. It has emphasized the flaws in our systems. It has broken many of our networks. Now is the time to fill these gaps, to correct these injustices, and to build sustainable and durable networks of inclusivity, sustainability, and decent working conditions. Together, we can invest in each other’s skills and we can promote work that is mutually beneficial for workers and for the overall economy.
 
Jim Claffey
NGO Representative of the CM at the UN
Congregationofthemissionun@gmail.com
Congregationofthemission-un-ngo.com
T: cmunnyc
FB: congregation of the Mission UN

In one of their songs, the Eagles rock group sings “things in this life change very slowly if they
ever change at all.” The lament of many a social activist!

To be fair, one exception would be gay marriage rights, which seem to have come more quickly
than most struggles for equality. But generally it is true that real change demands significant
patience and insistent efforts over a long period. Think of the long painful struggle in the US for
civil and voting rights, and even these are under attack once again as racism rears its ugly head.
In terms of gender equality, this aspect of justice has been slow in coming. Although we are
definitely at a better place than we were many years ago, we still have a lot of work to do.
Around the world, both laws and cultural norms are holding many back from reaching their
potential simply because of their gender identity. According to the UN, “1 in 5 women and girls
between the ages of 15 and 49 report experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate
partner within a 12-month period” … and that’s not all. Many women around the world are still
being held back from property ownership, from proper education and forced into unsafe work
environments, marriages and female genital mutilation. With all of the resources that we have
today, this is unacceptable. We must raise awareness of these issues and continue the struggle for
change.

From healthcare to personal security to social protection and economic opportunity, fighting for
gender equality means analyzing every societal system from its root and breaking the glass
ceiling that has held back some of the best and brightest from achieving their potential.
Now is the time to recognize the gender inequalities that surround us, especially because during
the pandemic, lockdown measures severely cut access to helpful services for those suffering one
or more of the results of gender inequality. A significant example: COVID has forced many
women to be trapped at home with their abusers and left without a place to feel safe, adding to
the fear and trauma many people already endure in this very different world we now live in. We
must focus on women and girls as we build back stronger from the COVID-19 Pandemic, for as
the UN states, “women are not only the hardest hit by this pandemic, they are also the backbone
of recovery in communities.”

As we work towards equality for all genders, let us not forget the power that lies in local action.
We can make our work environments inclusive and set rules that prohibit gender discrimination.
On the global scare, we can become aware of the targets of this SDG, listed below and explained
on the UN’s website: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/ in summary
form as follows:
●  End all forms of discrimination and all forms of violence against women and girls
everywhere including trafficking and all forms of exploitation;
● Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female
genital mutilation;
● Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, women’s full participation
and equal opportunity for leadership in political, economic and public life while
recognizing the value of (normally unpaid) domestic work and enhancing the rights of
women for ownership and inheritance of property, access to technology and all social
protection policies.
Together, and only together, can we create a world that adopts and strengthens sound policies
and enforceable legislation to promote gender equality on a path to a more inclusive and just
world. Some “things change very slowly” but they can and will change.

Three questions to answer quickly: how long can we live without food? (Typically about three
weeks). And without air? (About three minutes). And without water? You guessed it—three
days. The rule of 3’s.

Water is essential for healthy life, yet according to the UN, 2.2 billion people lack easy access to
safely managed potable water. We cannot even absorb food without water. And what about
basic sanitation? The figure jumps to 4.2 billion lacking decent sanitation. Although a recent
article here talked about the value of cell phones for people living in poverty, it doesn’t help that
today there are more cell phones than toilets around the world! Far too many children, estimates
say 1,000, die every day from totally preventable water and sanitation disease.

Water is key for so many issues throughout the world. How could something that many of us
simply take for granted be so fundamental to an almost endless list of issues? If drinking water is
unavailable and/or not filtered properly, it can become fatal. Health experts would say that most
of us do not drink enough water on a daily basis. By the time we really want to drink water, we
may already be a bit dehydrated. And if children do not drink enough water, they cannot
perform at their best in schools.

If water is not in ample supply in an area, it is not an exaggeration to say that wars will be fought
over water rights. And that’s only considering the impact on human health. Global environments depend on water
to live. Water is the heartbeat of us all. Without water, plants and entire ecosystems will suffer.
Even tourism, in many places around the world a critical component of national income, is
affected by dwindling sources of clean water.

During COVID-19, we are all reminded to wash our hands frequently, but what if there is no
water at hand? In fact, only two out of every five people have basic hand-washing facility with
soap and water (UN). So much for global health and the safety of us all.
​
So at the very least we should not think of water as limitless, but as an extremely valuable and
fragile resource. There are many organizations worth our support working to ensure equal
universal access to clean water through investment in simple, efficient irrigation technology and
the promotion of rainwater harvesting. There are many important actions we can take to ensure
this right for everyone. We can sign petitions to government and international organizations that
every human being has the critical right to water. When we drink water, we can pause to remind
ourselves about the importance of water as a critical resource, and when we use water for other
purposes we can try to limit the usage. This SDG asks us to prioritize the importance of water as
another way of living human solidarity, building sustainable development for the common good,
and caring for creation.

Jim Claffey
Congregation of the Mission UN NGO
congregationofthemissionun@gmail.com
Twitter: @cmunnyc
http://congregationofthemission-un-ngo

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

Has global humanity ever been more focused on health? The pandemic did it. Sooner or later
health and the pandemic find their way into almost every conversation and dominate the news.
While many of us take health somewhat for granted, COVID19 has burst that bubble and shown
us how fragile health can be.

The lack of decent health affects us in so many ways, limiting our human potential, our ability to
learn and accomplish our goals, and to care adequately for ourselves and loved ones. COVID19
has unmercifully unmasked gaps, in some cases craters, in worldwide healthcare systems. Their
inadequacy is there for all to see: accessibility, coverage and cost issues predominantly. The
lack of healthcare, like so many other issues of social justice, is both a product and a producer of
poverty in our world. Financing for the health of all is not the problem; corporate greed and lack
of political will to address healthcare disparities must be addressed.

It is critical to start from the conviction that Healthcare is a Human Right. Not a privilege for
some, but a necessity—a Human Right—that all should enjoy. And with that right comes the
responsibility to do the common sense things that keep ourselves healthy. We wear masks now
to protect ourselves and because we are only as healthy as the least heathy among us in this ever
more interconnected world. Systemic Change thinking: nothing happens in isolation, everything
is connected to everything else.

SDG3 works to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” and calls for
every nation to prioritize our health and the health of our communities. Although less than half
the global population has access to essential health services, the UN believes that prior to the
pandemic, major progress was made in improving the health of millions of people. Significant
strides were made in increasing life expectancy, reducing some of the common killers associated
with child and maternal mortality, greater control of diseases like malaria and tuberculosis, and
widespread health education learning in general.

Some forward steps towards greater global health and well-being have been reversed by the
onslaught of the pandemic. We must get back on track in this regard because the world we want
depends on healthy people and communities. Along with physical health let’s not forget its
partner mental health, another striking victim of COVID, and support movements to destigmatize
and increase access to mental health practices and resources.

Google the “targets” under SDG3 to see concrete goals to make it happen. Let’s remind people
with whom we converse that Health is a Human Right and never more critical that right now.
Let’s strive to protect our own health and that of those around us. “Health Solidarity” we might
call it. Some might even call it a virtue.

SDG1: NO POVERTY
No poverty?  For real?  For everyone?

Then we can stop here.  Why 16 more goals?  If no poverty, what a fantastic world!
But no.  Poverty encompasses so much, its tentacles reach into so many related issues and problems that are not tangents but causes and results of poverty often at the same time.  Just think about poverty and health, housing, clean water, sanitation, jobs, etc.  And what about climate change and Mother Earth?  If SDG13 (Climate Action) is ignored, why worry about people when the earth might become uninhabitable?  No, the SDGs are about People AND the Planet.
Systemic Change thinkers would remind us: everything is connected to everything else, nothing happens in isolation.
SDG1 (No Poverty) posits a broad objective: “Ensuring that the entire population and especially the poorest and most vulnerable have equal rights to economic resources, access to basic services, property and land control, natural resources and new technologies.”
Ensuring these rights for every human being brings us closer to ensuring justice around the world and challenges us to examine how poverty is intricately linked to many social justice issues from gender inequality to poor education systems to environmental degradation.
When 193 countries signed on to this UN 2030 Agenda, they pledged to create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies, with social protection systems and measures, to eradicate poverty.
But still: no poverty.  What an amazing thing to ponder.

In this blog series, let’s explore the meaning of the SDGs, the
Sustainable Development Goals, known as the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for the
People and the Planet. What follows is a brief introduction to the list of 17 goals.
​
In September 2015, 193 countries came together at the United Nations to adopt
and commit to a long-term, comprehensive strategy to tackle the world’s greatest
challenges related to global sustainable development. The result was the SDGs, a
list of 17 goals to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all by 2030.
The United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are ambitious, but
they are far from unachievable. Still, in order to achieve them, much work must be
done. We must work together, leverage partnerships, analyze systemic issues,
address root causes to these issues, and take action!

These goals allow us, as a global community, to visualize where we want to be by
2030 and the world that we want to live in. By creating these comprehensive goals,
writing them out, and sharing them throughout global societies, we are able to
tangibly encourage social mobilization, create peer pressure among political
leaders, spur networks of expertise, knowledge and practice into action, and
mobilize stakeholder networks across countries, sectors and regions, to come
together for a common purpose: global development and sustainable change. 
As explained by the United Nations, we are living in a crucial time, and with only 9
years left to reach our goals, our priorities must shift, with those in the most
vulnerable positions pushed to the forefront of our agendas. 

The UN website states:
 “With just under ten years left to achieve the Sustainable Development
Goals, world leaders at the SDG Summit in September 2019 called for a Decade of
Action and delivery for sustainable development, and pledged to mobilize financing,
enhance national implementation and strengthen institutions to achieve the Goals
by the target date of 2030, leaving no one behind. The UN Secretary-
General called on all sectors of society to mobilize for a decade of action on three
levels: global action to secure greater leadership, more resources and smarter
solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals; local action embedding the
needed transitions in the policies, budgets, institutions and regulatory frameworks of governments, cities and local authorities; and people action, including by youth,
civil society, the media, the private sector, unions, academia and other
stakeholders, to generate an unstoppable movement pushing for the required
transformations.”

Now is the time to get informed about these goals, to spread awareness, and to
take action, especially on the key question: How accelerate their development
during COVID? Your comments and your ideas most welcome as we move
through the 17! Together, we can make great change!
​
Submitted by Jim Claffey
NGO representative of the CM to the UN