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Roz Muthana, Iraq, Goal #4 Quality education 

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Roz Muthana, Iraq, Goal #4 Quality education 

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I decided to choose #4 which is about
Quality education ,Education enables people to develop of their attributes and skills to achieve their potential as human beings and members of society.
The education in Iraq needs more development because the student study many lessons that they don’t need it in their future’s job, for example many students study history and they become a doctors so they didn’t need to study history, it will be better if they change the education system to a different system that the students will get benefits from it like studying the lessons that they need them in college from high school so they can have more skills and information because students deserve to have the education they need to prepare them for the future because they are the future.

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Transnational open forum programs can help socially and economically disadvantaged communities through collaborative and educational dialogue to narrow inequalities and work towards effective plans for government action on  more sustainable societies.

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Socially and economically disadvantaged communities should have equal opportunities to thrive in Iraq and U.S. for a more equitable and just world.

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Soma Dlshad, Iraq, Goal #4 Better Education
I have chosen SDG #4. Unfortunately, events like the Kurdish Fashion Week or The Beauty Pageant, take place in an entirely different context. Beauty ideals or clothing styles are pre-determined. Many women pass judgment on them- indicating that Kurdish society is far from inclusive. This can hardly be classified as self-determination. That's the main reason why women make it far from making their own decisions and achieving personal goals. Thinking too much of fascination and beauty has made women disinterested in looking for jobs and achieving their goals.
I hope that Kurdish women return to their decision immediately, to start studying and trying to educate their children with love at the same time and manage to be lovely mothers who are successful women at the same time. I believe fascination and beauty are overrated.

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Lava Shwan, Iraq, Goal #3 Good Health and Well-being

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Lava Shwan, Iraq, Goal #3 Good Health and Well-being

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I have selected SDG #3 Good Health and Well-being
Our health is of the utmost importance; we should keep our bodies healthy for a better life. Nowadays, all around the world, there are too many health issues that lead to death and disaster for people. For example COVID-19 is a dangerous virus which has killed nearly 5 million humans already. For that case we should protect ourselves our families from any health issue. I believe that we should educate our children about health issues so that they learn about and prevent them from an early age.

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Ana Munoz, U.S, Goal #16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

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Ana Munoz, U.S, Goal #16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

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The United Nations goal that I will be focusing on is #16: peace, justice, and strong institutions. Being born and raised in a country with no freedom was difficult. As a child, I was taught never to say the words "Libertad" out loud since such actions could have damaging consequences. Therefore, I interviewed Luis Alberto Marino Fernandez, a musician from Cuba who now lives in Argentina. Cuban citizens are unable to exercise their fundamental human rights because of the Cuban government's actions. Over 500 Cubans are said to be jailed, over 600 political prisoners are held, and many minors remain missing for peacefully protesting in the streets of Cuba. When interviewing him, he explained that Cuba has been oppressed for more than 60 years and that Cubans like himself have had enough. He states that his presence in another country does not diminish his sympathy for the brave men, women, and children who protest for their right to freedom every day. Luis Alberto Marino Fernandez does his greatest act in front of the Cuban Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina: playing his violin and fighting for human rights. He dedicates his songs played on the violin to political prisoners and mothers in Cuba who are suffering and imprisoned. Furthermore, he goes on hunger strikes, organizes peaceful protests, and agrees to be interviewed by well-known news outlets to increase awareness and achieve the aim of Cuban people's liberation. Luis Alberto's conduct exemplifies Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which calls for "peace, justice, and strong institutions" through his music, commitment, and actions to ensure equal access to justice for all.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CRknLGwB8CJ/?utm_medium=copy_link

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Xiu Hau, US -- UN Sustainable Development goals: 5. Gender Equality

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Xiu Hau, US -- UN Sustainable Development goals: 5. Gender Equality

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I chose UN Sustainable Development goal number 5 and I interviewed my neighbor about her experience being a first generation college student whose parents are from Mexico. Latin America is a place where gender inequality still exists and it’s accepted by many. Gender norms have always been a huge part of the culture. Most girls grow up learning how to be caregivers and being told their place and dream is to marry and have a family. Boys are also affected by these norms too. From childhood, most boys are taught to be tough and hide their emotions. According to so many parents, boys don’t cry, that’s just for girls. Although times are changing and more and more parents in Latin America have started to leave and reject these norms and stereotypes, there is still a lot of work to be done. For example: my neighbor Marilyn was born in Mexico and came to the United States with her parents at a young age. She mentioned to me how she was expected to follow certain rules based on what a woman’s place was supposed to be from her parent’s perspective. She had to be a caregiver for herself, her dad, and her older brother. Despite the idea that a woman’s place is serving her family, she left for college at 18 years old and decided to get a degree in accounting. Her parents never stopped her from wanting to get a degree, but she still had the pressure of being a “good daughter” and staying with her family. Said pressure was never really imposed on her brother. Gender inequality is still a huge issue, not just in Latin America, but in the rest of the world as well. The idea that men and women have different abilities when it comes to success and work is outdated and we must fight for the world to realize this.

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Nicole Viloria, US, Goal #12: Responsible Consumption and Production

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Nicole Viloria, US, Goal #12: Responsible Consumption and Production

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The United Nations goal I decided to discuss is #12: Responsible Consumption and Production because it is an issue I just started to notice when I emigrated from my home country, Venezuela. Coming here, it is incredible how many things people can buy and throw away just because "they felt like it" or "there is a newer version to replace it with." I also chose my mom to interview since she loves shopping, but has been surprised at how people here consume.
When I asked my mom about this, she told me that "buying second-hand always felt denigrating in Venezuela, but that it hurts not to do it here since people literally throw away new things and clothes." Indeed, it is devastating to see this going on, especially when there are times people do not take their things to secondhand stores like Goodwill, but they just put them in their trash bins. Thus, I believe there needs to come a point when all consumption is sustainable and people become more conscious of their what they consume and produce in order to live in equilibrium.

Source: https://www.globalgoals.org/12-responsible-consumption-and-production

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Daphnie Velasquez, U.S. Goal #10: Reduced inequalities 

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Daphnie Velasquez, U.S. Goal #10: Reduced inequalities 

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The United Nations SDG I will be focusing on is #10: Reduced inequalities within and among countries. Inequalities and large disparities are constantly present in our society- immigration, trade policy, economics, sexism, racism, poverty, access to food, healthcare. In fact, our community is in crisis. Reducing inequalities lead us to guarantee the equal realization of an individual’s basic rights. Unfortunately, inequalities are perpetuated through legal and normative structures. Therefore, to achieve the goals is imperative to come together as nation-wide governments, corporations, local communities, and as individuals ourselves to make the world more just for everyone. After interviewing Mrs. Fernandini, who teaches gender and multicultural studies, she discussed how inequality reduces the pace and durability of growth. She also addressed that inequalities can prevent the reduction of poverty and can increase political and social tension. Therefore, we need to take action.

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Camila Ramirez, U.S., SDG 15: Life on Land

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Camila Ramirez, U.S., SDG 15: Life on Land

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According the dedicated page for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, “Life on Land” refers to “Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.” My focus for this excerpt of research is the Amazon Rainforest, which has been under siege for decades. Apart from being attributed to be the ‘lungs of the Earth,’ it has been used by politicians, corporations, and other minor merchants as a place to mine resources. The most common resources that are exploited from the Amazon Rainforest are the trees (for timber), and the land (for animal agriculture and mining), all of which lead to deforestation and contamination of soil and water. Despite the number of laws that have been installed to protect this place, the rate of deforestation has skyrocketed since Jair Bolsonaro—Brazil’s current president—was elected in 2018. He reversed a lot of laws that protected the Amazon Rainforest, leading many corporations to take advantage of the land that was previously unavailable for development. This also affects indigenous groups that depend on the Rainforest to survive.

Sources:

https://sentientmedia.org/amazon-deforestation/

https://amazonaid.org/global-importance-amazon-natural-resources/

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/world-of-change/deforestation.php --This webpage shows a progression in the Amazon Ranforest’s deforestation from 2000 to 2012, taken from a NASA satellite.

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Adriana Garcia, U.S., Goal #4 Quality Education

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Adriana Garcia, U.S., Goal #4 Quality Education

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I decided to focus on Goal #4 which is about 'quality education.' Education is very important because it is what creates new generations of leaders who will take care of our world. An access to quality education is crucial since it creates jobs and allows people to grow their way of thinking. Unfortunately, since COVID-19 hit, education has been going downhill. Since it started, it has wiped out 20 years of education gains. Many students failed to adapt to the online or remote method, causing them to fail because of lack of knowledge and understanding. The future is full of kids who probably do not understand their classes because of the situation. Education is very important since it allows people to get out of poverty many times, to create a new beginning, and to succeed. A well educated society would be the solution to a lot of problems. Not only education, but a broad one that would create an understanding over all topics and enforce the thinking outside of the box, which would allow them to come up with solutions to global problems. Education liberates the intellect, unlocks the imagination and is fundamental for self-respect.

Sources
https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal4
https://www.globalgoals.org/4-quality-education

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The UN SDG I am most interested in is # 13: Climate Action.
Currently, climate change is affecting the global community in every nation across the world.
During these last two years, I have been able to observe more closely the damage that we do to the environment by polluting our city. Lack of education on how to help maintain a stable and not vulnerable ecosystem. The need to have more people who want to join the change and be part of the activities that are done to help improve the environment.
I am the founder of Meraki Youth and we focus on helping the community with different activities such as clean-ups, donation drives, activism, and more. Also, our partner organization is I Love Avenue, and for this interview, I wanted to hear what their founder has to say about climate change. Luis Martinez with his organization by him and Meraki, we have organized 4 clean-ups since August and we are planning on doing 3 more before the end of the year. Following this, I interviewed Luis, and the most remarkable question was “What inspire you to do the work that you do to protect the environment”. He told me that "My future and the future of children and so on. There’s only one Earth. And we must do everything in our power to protect it.”

Here you can see what we are doing:
https://www.instagram.com/_merakiyouth_/
https://www.instagram.com/iloveavenue/

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The United Nations goal that I will be focusing on today is #3: Ensure Healthy Lives and Promote Well-Being for all at all ages. As of early 2020, the unjust and inadequate healthcare response to COVID-19 in many countries was unveiled. Ensuring the healthy lifestyle and assurance for universal healthcare is an issue that is extremely apparent and critical in today’s climate. However, access to proper healthcare ranging from all ages was still a very common issue before COVID-19 hit. Access to proper healthcare including yearly check-ups, access to vaccines, reproductive and child health is a widespread issue across the globe that affects people of all ages. As a result of declining economic activity due to COVID-19, many people are suffering the consequences of mismanaged access to healthcare by their countries. After interviewing a family friend, Carolina, that runs a local non-profit organization, she discussed how many people lack access to necessary equipment and supplies such as PPE, goggles, masks, rags, medicine, and feminine care. She also discussed how ineffective the healthcare system in many countries is and how many people lost their lives in Haiti and Cuba as a result of neglect and mismanagement. I believe having access to effective and proper healthcare is a universal right that everyone must have access to regardless of your socioeconomic background. This issue is not a common topic of discussion however, organizations like Carolina’s non-profit as well as Doctors without Borders constantly strive to reduce this injustice and promote awareness to this issue by discussing the many actions that must be met.

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The UNSDG I am most focused on is #10: Reduced Inequalities. As a Latina woman growing up in the United States, I have always heard how this particular group of people make the least of all minorities in the wage gap. To me, this is a huge injustice. With greater economic power, comes freedoms and other privileges enjoyed in a western, capitalist-driven society. Opportunities are often limited due to financial circumstances. Women are typically tied to abusive relationships and co-dependence due to their financial situations. I recently saw a documentary that explained what the wage gap is and how we can effectively work to close it. My mother, whom I chose to interview on this subject, also saw it. She was worked her way up to high office management positions in local companies in my hometown of Miami, FL. She understands what is is like to make less than a male coworker, despite holding a higher position in the job and demonstrating superior qualifications. In the documentary we saw, the main solution they gave was giving paid parental leave to both female and male parents. They cited Nordic countries as success stories for this idea. While the pay gap is not entirely erased, it has shorted to just about 99 cents to the dollar. This is because women no longer feel the need to forego promotions or better jobs simply because of their desire to start a family. It also has allowed men to see themselves as caretakers, benefitting society as a whole. I asked my mother what she felt of this and she agreed that paid parental leave would be a great start since the burden can sometimes be placed on just the mother, or one of the parents, to care for the baby, limiting that households ability to progress financially. This, she recalls, was the case in my household when I was born. Both of my parents were immigrants, who had trouble finding a job and since my mother was pregnant with me, she felt like she couldn't find a job that would allow her to take care of me. They also could not afford child care, meaning my mother did not have a formal job until I was a school aged child. In International Relations, you are taught of gender theories and all the positives that come with granting some full participation rights in society. I believe granting women equal pay is a start. This can be achieved through paid parental leave and omitting questions about gender orientation during application processes, to start.