Global Issues and Sustainable Development Goals

• The world now functions as a global village.
• Events in one area affect people everywhere.
• The chapter discusses global issues and ways to solve them.

Global Issues and Sustainable Development Goals

• The text presents and compares the top 10 world issues from two sources.
• The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for 2015-2030 are provided.
• Comparing top issues and SDGs can determine correlations between them for the period of 2015-2030

Top 10 World Issues (World Economic Forum's Global Shapers Survey, 2017)

• Climate change / destruction of nature (48.8%)
• Large scale conflict / wars (38.9%)
• Inequality (income, discrimination) (30.8%)
• Poverty (29.2%)
• Religious conflicts (23.9%)
• Government accountability and transparency/corruption (22.7%)
• Food and water security (18.2%)
• Lack of education (15.9%)
• Safety/security/well being (14.1%)
• Lack of economic opportunity and employment (12.1%)

Top 10 Current Global Issues (China Tumer)

• Climate change
• Pollution
• Violence
• Security and Well Being
• Lack of Education
• Unemployment
• Government Corruption
• Malnourishment & Hunger
• Substance Abuse
• Terrorism

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030)

• End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
• End hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
• Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
• Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all.
• Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
• Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
• Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
• Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
• Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.
• Reduce inequality within and among countries.
• Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
• Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
• Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (in line with the United Nations Frameworks Convention on Climate Change).
• Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.
• Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and half biodiversity loss.
• Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.
• Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

Addressing Climate Change

• Global temperatures are predicted to rise by 2.6 to 4.8 degrees Celsius by 2100, leading to severe weather.
• Reduction of greenhouse emissions and education on going green are important.
• Policies, lobbying, and reforestation are effective steps.

Pollution

• Pollution includes ocean litter, pesticides, fertilizers, and air, light, and noise pollution.
• Over one billion people lack clean water due to pollution.

Violence

• Violence exists in social, cultural, and economic forms.

Forms of Violence:

• Physical violence: Using body or object for control.
• Sexual violence: Forced participation in sexual activity.
• Emotional violence: Words causing feelings of stupidity/worthlessness.
• Psychological violence: Threats causing fear.
• Spiritual violence: Using spiritual beliefs to manipulate others.
• Cultural violence: Harm from cultural/religious practices.

Security and Well-Being

• The U.N. works to prevent security and well-being issues globally through collaboration with regional organizations.

Lack of Education

• Over 72 million school-aged children are not enrolled in school because of inequality, marginalization, and poverty.
• Organizations provide tools and resources to schools.
• The Philippines had a 90.3% functional literacy rate in 2013.

Unemployment

• Lack of skills hinders job opportunities, which leads to lack of resources.
• The unemployment rate in the Philippines was 5.2% in March 2019.

Government Corruption

• Corruption involves graft, bribery, embezzlement, nepotism, and patronage.
• It erodes political and economic development and can increase violence and physical threats.
• The Philippines ranked 94th out of 177 countries in Transparency International's 2013 corruption index.

Malnourishment and Hunger

• 795 million people are without enough food.
• Ending poverty through training, education, and cooking/gardening skills can help end hunger.
• Malnutrition includes undernutrition, vitamin deficiencies, obesity, and diet-related diseases.

Substance Abuse

• Substance abuse is "the harmful use of psychoactive substances" .
• An estimated 185 million people over 15 consume drugs globally, with marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, and stimulants being common.

Terrorism

• Terrorism causes fear, insecurity, violence, and death globally.
• Combating terrorism requires national security prioritization and promoting justice.

The 17 SDGs

• United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon describes them as a shared vision and blueprint for success.
• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with SDGs was adopted in September 2015.
• It emphasizes a holistic approach, and realizing the 17 SDGs means addressing the top global issues.

Global Issues, SDGs 2015-2030 and Education

• These global issues and SDGs 2015-2030 should be intentionally taught in schools, as they are often included in the curriculum.
• The 17 Sustainable Development Goals address global challenges and aim for a better future for all.
• The goals address global challenges related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice.