Sustainable Development Goals Week

The latest student initiative at UWC Adriatic is the Sustainable Development Goals Week (April 6-9), with an interesting online programme aimed at raise awareness about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The organisers set out to do this both by providing information and tips on how each one of us can contribute to achieving these goals and by organizing a series of talks.

The first online talk was held by our guest speaker, Sabine Kinzel, who provided an anthropological perspective on the much-debated issue of whether we have lost our humanity to the digital world. Sustainable Development Goal number 16 states that our aim should be to “Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the internet in the least developed countries by 2020”. In her talk (available in the video below), Sabine looked at the consequences of the rise of digital media on various populations, drawing on the research of a variety of anthropologists (a short bibliography is available below), and focusing in particular on two topics: the impact of social media platforms on persons with disabilities and the role of social media in different places around the globe. Excellent input to try and figure out what it means to be human in the digital age!

Throughout the week several students made presentations about the situation in their home countries with respect to various SDGs:

• Marta presented the situation of the Minor Sea – the biggest saltwater lake in Europe – polluted by nitrogen-based fertilizers with reference to SDG8 (​Decent work and economic growth)​, SDG14 (Life below water)​ and SDG15 (Life on Land).
• Nayla and Felista focused on SDG1, which aims to end poverty, with reference to the government policies in Mozambique and Kenya. Dusan covered the harmful impact of oil drilling in Montenegro.
• Nina M. Victoria, Ade and Nemea), addressed the philosophy behind minimalism and how this can be a response to SDG 12 (sustainable consumption and production patterns).
• Marvin’s talk was about SDG6 ensuring access to water and sanitation in the Kindom of Eswatini and
• David also addressed the water supply problems in his native Nigeria, describing his own initiative to bring free water to his community in the town of Aba.
• Tea’s presentation about veganism and why a vegan diet is sustainable addressed as many as 4 SDGs. The 4-day online event, was capped off by the screening of one of the episodes of the series “Rotten”, with many students joining online to watch it together.

The SDGs Week organising committee was formed by the following first-year students: Chunxi (China), Zuzanna (Poland), Naima (Italy) and Ania (Serbia). “There is no doubt” said Chunxi, “that the UN’s 2030 SDGS are very closely connected with the UWC Movement. Aside from providing crucial information for our community on all the major global issues in the world, they also inspire us to take action to achieve these goals.” He added: “Organising this initiative has been very rewarding, especially since diversity in our community enabled us to bring real-life information and experiences to the presentations made by our students.  Being my first time organising a digital online event, it was a powerful reminder of how fortunate we are to gather such a diverse community in our college.”

Short Bibliography Sabine Kinzel’s talk 

Baggs, Amanda, “In My Language“, video uploaded to Youtube in 2007

Donna Haraway, 1988, “Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the Privilege of Partial Perspective”

Zuboff, Sh., 2018, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
There is also a good film/documentary about this.

UCL, Why We Post
UCL, Why We Post, free books for download

Miller, D, 2011, Tales from Facebook

Horst H., Miller D., (Eds.), 2012., Digital Anthropology
In this book I recommend in particular the chapter by Fae Ginsburg, “Disability in the Digital Age”

Ellis K., Kent M., (Eds.), 2017, Disability and Social Media