TTT #24: "The Global Conversation"
On the commemoration of its 75th anniversary, the United Nations brings about global leaders together, formulating its vision for the next twenty-five years. This, however, is not just an ordinary meeting. It involves utilizing the aspirations of people all around the world, through the UN 75 Survey.
The Survey, accessible in fifty languages, can be taken by absolutely anyone having access to the Internet. It takes into account citizens’ priorities during this unprecedented health crisis and their long term visions. It also asks for suggestions that the Secretary-General can consider to address the menacing issues of today. Thereby, it enables each one of us to directly deliver our thoughts to the United Nations and ignites global conversations regarding the future.
Edward Syed, Media & Strategy Adviser for #UN75, discusses this and explains what the United Nations wants to achieve through this.
He says,
What we want this anniversary to be is a turning point in bringing people closer together and bringing their hopes, fears, and priorities to us so we can better serve them and the future generations.
We are also joined by Majken Barbro Witt, Business Director at IMPACTR. After ten years in the gold, oil, and mining industry, she dedicated herself to the 17 SDGs and creating change. In alignment with a similar vision as proposed by UN #75, IMPACTR aims to create a global community involved in generating tangible impact.
They talk about how being media savvy and the resultant social connectivity enables today’s generations to be catalysts of change. Today, we have the technology that gives us the ability to influence a vast segment of the population. And when used for a good social cause, the impact an individual creates could be more humungous than ever possible before. They, however, are also conscious of the drawbacks of the same, as they discuss the need to curb polarization and fake news.
While they urge us to be vocal and inspire people to create change by sharing their doings on relevant platforms, Majken mentions how no change is small enough. She believes in working closely towards the area that we are most vested in and be specific in what we envision. More doors open up, as long as we continue to be motivated to create a positive social impact.
She says,
Just choose one area you are passionate about and then just do one small thing in that direction and from then on, you’d quickly be inspired to do more without having to over-complicate it.
