Understanding Sustainability in the Business Context

Sustainability has become a buzzword in today’s socially conscious business world. As our breathing becomes more stifled with the increased toxins in the environment and we learn to come to terms with the detrimental effects of massive industrial growth and mass production; businesses have also had to review their mandates and include ‘sustainability’ ‘environment-friendly’ and ‘socially-responsible’ as key corporate values.

Many argue about the definition of sustainability and sustainable development. It is perhaps best defined by the following definition;

Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

~ Gro Harlem Brundtland, 1987- Prime Minister Norway and Chairman of the World Commission on Environment and Development

The Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030) give a universal framework for organisations to align their work with social goals and create systems and evaluations based on successful outcomes that ensure success is not made at the cost of natural resources or adverse affects to the communities both locally and globally.

According to The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: A Why, When and How Guide for Business (28 pages, PDF), businesses that align their core values with the SDGs are more likely to build trust, retain top talent, adapt successfully to policy changes, strengthen their value chains, and unlock new global markets than companies that do not. Businesses that are early SDG adopters also are more likely to be rewarded with improved reputations, future-proofed supply chains, and more robust growth, the report argues.

The report outlines a number of steps designed to help startups and large businesses craft an SDG approach that aligns with their priorities, engage internal and external stakeholders, set actionable time-bound goals, and incorporate their efforts into non-financial reporting.

“The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are relatively new, and many business leaders are still trying to figure out what the goals mean for their companies,” said Stuart Burden, SVCF’s vice president of corporate responsibility. “In this practical guide, we hope to get business people talking about the SDGs and putting plans in place that catalyze real change. With the right tools, businesses can harness their capacity for innovation, strategic partnerships, and finance to play a key role in making the world a better place by 2030.”

EDUSERVE is a private consultancy service providing support to social enterprises, educational institutions and corporations in integrating the SDGs in their core objectives and development strategy. For details contact shaistakhan@eduservecommunity.org.

References:

“New Report From Silicon Valley Community Foundation Helps Companies Align With the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals.” Silicon Valley Community Foundation Press Release 12/06/2017.

“The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: A Why, When and How Guide for Business.” Silicon Valley Community Foundation Report 12/06/2017.

August 6, 2018 0

UNESCO ASPNET MEMBER SCHOOL, UK PARTICIPATES IN INTERNATIONAL GCED RESEARCH

ASPnet Project Manager Shaista Khan with Ms. Soo Jung Lee & Ms. Meejee Kim from KICE with staff at Hockerill College

We are very excited to share with you the wonderful two days spent at Hockerill College with a team of researchers from the Korean Institute of Curriculum (KICE) and Evaluation. As the National Coordinator for ASPnet in the UK, we were contacted by KICE to help them approach schools in the UK that would be part of their research on Global Citizenship Education (GCED). This research is being conducted in six countries namely Korea, Germany, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom & USA. The final paper will be published by end of this year.

It was a pleasure to facilitate this research in the UK and also accompany the researchers Ms. Soo Jung Lee and Ms. MeeJee Kim to Hockerill College in Bishops Stratford on 5th & 6th June 2017. This gave me an opportunity to interact with one of our more active members. We are very thankful to the college staff who took out time for us in spite of their busy schedule amidst student assessments.

Special thanks to Ms. Shamiela Davids who made our visit a very enjoyable and enriching experience. Hockerill College takes great pride in being a UNESCO ASPnet school and ensures that the universal values and ESD themes are integrated across the college’s academic and co-curricular activities.

The team was able to observe lessons and interact with students. Ms. Soo Jung Lee gave a very informative presentation on the Korean Education system and the GCED research. This was well attended by teachers and a very motivated student body who take a keen interest in international development and education systems. They posed several questions about the educational system particularly how students chose institutions of higher studies and the assessment process.

We were able to meet teachers and department heads in charge of the different subject areas. The college’s extensive Languages department and Social & Cultural Anthropology units were of particular interest. Our discussions covered several dimensions from the importance of global minded teacher attitudes to organizing an Indian Curry event as part of a fundraising project by students and efforts made by eco-captains for preventing waste. Overall it was a great experience.

The excitement of the Model United Nations presidents from the student body was heartwarming. They were very excited to meet someone representing UNESCO ASPnet and sought advice on careers in humanitarian and diplomatic fields. The college organizes Model UN days every year and selects presidents who are responsible to carry out certain responsibilities.

As the researchers took notes on GCED practice, I was able to interact with teachers and students and talk to them about the Education 2030 Framework and encouraged them to relate their activities to the Sustainable Development Goals and see how every little action they take has a global impact.

In a lesson with Year 12 students the teacher explored what the students perceived as the main global issues. Responses included environment, artificial intelligence and mental health and wellbeing. One of the students also spoke about the Millenium Development Goals while another questioned why the new framework now has 17 goals as opposed to lesser goals earlier. Sparking this interest and initiating a dialogue will surely result in better student outcomes for the SDGs.

Another literature lesson explored the concept of place and time in poetry and used a piece of poetry to discuss cultural contexts and social inclusion. Students value this approach and one of them commented-

“ Having someone who is global minded makes a difference to me and helps me learn more “ ~ Student Year 11

A personal highlight for me was when I was invited to participate in a lesson that talked about Malala Yousufzai. This was a literature lesson for Year seven and the teacher wanted to give students a broader and positive image of Pakistan and interact with a woman from Pakistani origin who had a different journey than Malala. This also reflected the school’s efforts to provide opportunities for students to look at events and people with an open mind.

It was good to see the motivation of two teachers I met who will soon be leaving for jobs overseas. They were very keen to encourage their new schools in Cairo and Spain to enroll for ASPnet. This is a great testament of how the teachers value this association. One of the teachers who will soon be joining a school in Cairo commented;

“ Being a teacher at a UNESCO ASPnet school gives relevance to what we do inside and outside the classroom on a daily basis, providing links with other schools around the world and promoting the discussion of global issues. The Sustainable Development Goals align closely with our mission to allow students to become enquiring, knowledgeable, responsible global citizens as well as providing added support to the work done in Creativity Action Service as part of the IBDP and MYP and in our outreach programme” ~ Hugh Michell, Head of Italian & Teacher of French Theory of Knowledge, Hockerill College

We left the school after discussing ideas for future collaboration and in particular making the ASPnet community more vibrant and interlinked. As part of our engagement strategy we are visiting member schools, looking at ways to collaborate and also working on expanding the network.

“Shaista, it was lovely to meet you! Your enthusiasm gave us the shot in the arm which we needed.” ~ Shamiela Davis, Director of Innovation Hockerill College

For enquiries please contact: unescoaspnet@stevesinnottfoundation.org.uk

November 14, 2017 0

Why EDUSERVE?

As an educationist and a social activist I have come across several models of development. There is amazing work being done by different agencies on Sustainable development, Social Services, Culture & Diversity Issues and Environment protection. All these great organisations are contributing in their own way to make this world a better place to live in.

The Education 2030 Framework outlines the most important areas for achieving sustainable development.

“The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

These 17 Goals build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals, while including new areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption, peace and justice, among other priorities. The goals are interconnected – often the key to success on one will involve tackling issues more commonly associated with another.

The SDGs work in the spirit of partnership and pragmatism to make the right choices now to improve life, in a sustainable way, for future generations. They provide clear guidelines and targets for all countries to adopt in accordance with their own priorities and the environmental challenges of the world at large. The SDGs are an inclusive agenda. They tackle the root causes of poverty and unite us together to make a positive change for both people and planet.”

~United Nations Development Program

There is a plethora of resources available to work on the goals. However, organisations specially schools sometimes find it difficult to grasp the content. Hence EDUSERVE assists schools to make sense of the Education 2030 Framework and creatively use available resources to become part of a global minded community of educators. Individual consultation is provided to find creative ways to address the SDG Goals, motivating teachers and students to see themselves as the solution to the problem. This is done through:

Consultation with school heads and community groups
Workshops for teachers
Guidance in choosing the resources that work for their community
Engaging in collaborative projects with other SDG advocates locally and internationally
Speaking engagements at events
Support in acquiring membership of UN Flagship schools

Ultimately we would like to use this platform to build a community of SDG advocates from all around the work to share, inspire and learn from each other.

We will be showcasing the successful projects of our partner global minded schools. Any contributions are most welcome.

September 2, 2017 0