3 October 2024 Interreg Aurora hosted a webinar on Working with the UN Sustainable Development goals in your project – and getting everyone onboard.
First part of the webinar was an information to new Interreg Aurora projects. In the second part of the webinar, the participants got to listen to three ongoing Aurora projects that shared their experiences on working with the UN Sustainable Development Goals in their project implementation.
The project Food education for the future aims to create a network of food education sites in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The project’s objectives are guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with primary goals being SDGs 4 (quality education) and 13 (climate action). Anu Reinikainen shared experiences on how the SDG framework helps to realize the projects wider impact. Anu emphasized the importance of explaining and simplifying the SDGs, to make them relevant for your project. The SDG:s could be seen as a lighthouse that guides the project team in building a sense of community and team spirit.
Helene Ajuna Olsen from the project ReCap ASáp – Regaining capacity in a changing Sápmi, talked about what the Social Development Goals mean in a Sámi context, and how goal 16 relates to ReCap ASáp. Helene emphasized the need for global cooperation and integrating indigenous knowledge with Western knowledge to achieve the SDGs. The Recap ASáp project is aimed at empowering Sami leaders and promoting a resilient Sami community, with focus on governance structures and policy development.
Rathan Alagirisamy, AuroraSpace – Boosting Space Business – the Aurora Region Space Economy Ecosystem, discussed the importance of the space industry in the Nordic region, emphasizing its potential for boosting business and innovation. He highlighted the region’s small size and the need for collaboration, as well as the importance of sustainability in the space industry. Rathan also mentioned the United Nations’ recognition of space as a key factor in addressing the Sustainable Development Goals. He discussed the importance of space data in various sectors, including weather monitoring, climate change, maritime, and coastal health. He outlined the project’s primary goals, focusing on education and innovation, and how these align with the SDGs.
Inner Development Goals (IDGs) is a non-profit organization researching, communicating and equipping leaders, organisations and ecosystems to increase their ability to drive the necessary transformation to achieve sustainable future for all people and every place on our planet. Fredrik Lindencrona, our invited keynote speaker from the IDG organisation, emphasized the importance of collaboration and ecosystem building, drawing parallels with indigenous peoples’ perspectives. Fredrik also highlighted the need for collective action to address growing human development inequalities and the importance of human capabilities and well-being in achieving sustainable development. He introduced the concept of “inner development skills”.
