Achim Steiner
ADMINISTRATOR AND UN UNDER SECRETARY-GENERAL, UNDP
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The
program
Our two-day program was held in a dynamic virtual space with six different stages featuring plenary sessions, lightning talks, performances, exhibitions, and interactive workshops.
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Main Stage
with +35 events
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Stage from Japan
with +10 events
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Speakers
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Countries
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Networking zones
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Interactive spaces
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Workshops
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Musical Performances
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Exhibits
Speakers
Meet our speakers, performers, exhibitors for the Global Festival of Action 2021.
Danny Sriskandarajah
CHIEF EXECUTIVE, OXFAM GREAT BRITAIN
Delphine O
SECRETARY GENERAL FOR THE GENERATION EQUALITY FORUM
Ellen Jackowski
CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL IMPACT OFFICER, HP INC.
Homi Kharas
SENIOR FELLOW, BROOKINGS
Jutta Urpilainen
EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Kumi Naidoo
PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE, THUNDERBIRD ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY; GLOBAL AMBASSADOR AFRICANS RISING
Lola Castro
REGIONAL DIRECTOR, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME
Lysa John
SECRETARY GENERAL, CIVICUS
Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, AFRICAN CENTRE FOR ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION
Mitzi Jonelle Tan
CONVENOR, YOUTH ADVOCATES FOR CLIMATE ACTION PHILIPPINES
Sanda Ojiambo
CEO AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UN GLOBAL COMPACT
Siya Kolisi
UN GLOBAL ADVOCATE, SOUTH AFRICA RUGBY CAPTAIN, THE KOLISI FOUNDATION
Stefano Boeri
PRESIDENT, TRIENNALE MILANO
Tasneem Alsultan
CANON AMBASSADOR, CANON EMEA
Yemi Alade
MUSICIAN AND UNDP GOODWILL AMBASSADOR
Workshops
The 28 interactive workshops and hands-on sessions provided space for participants to interact with and learn from expertise from across the SDG Action community. Together, this was the opportunity to dive into new approaches, models and methods for accelerating impact and mobilizing communities.
Exhibitions
The virtual experiences and action area showcased immersive films, photo galleries and multimedia exhibits transforming the way we look and experience this turning point moment and call to action on the SDGs.
Creative Content
Throughout the event we showcased films and video art pieces from artists, creators and organisations from all sectors and regions using creativity to #TurnItAround for people and planet.
Themes
The Festival provoked debate and drive action around four cross cutting themes highlighting ideas, approaches and solutions, for climate action, poverty & inequality, gender equality, and inclusive systems and finance. We must make 2021 a turning point for people and planet!
#TurnItAround for
Climate
Action:
Action:
2021 is a critical year for nature and biodiversity, and climate action requires bold and transformative leaps forward as the world races to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, combat deforestation, protect biodiversity and achieve net-zero carbon emissions.
#TurnItAround for
Gender
Equality:
Equality:
A central tenet in moving the Agenda forward is gender equality, because gender discrimination is not only wrong, but harms us all by undercutting the intelligence and experience of over half of humanity.
#TurnItAround for
inclusive systems and sustainable finance:
We must rethink the global economy and power structures by adopting inclusive and sustainable finance systems that align with the SDGs, and stop perpetuating wide-scale discrimination and exclusion.
#TurnItAround for
Poverty
& Inequality:
& Inequality:
This past year, we have witnessed rising poverty and inequalities around the world. Through universal health coverage, safety nets, justice and human resilience, the world must never again be in a position of such acute vulnerability.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The Big
Picture
the Main
Stage
Established and emerging leaders from all sectors and disciplines shared the boldest ideas, tangible actions and cutting-edge insight and share.
sdg action
awards
Knowledge
building and sharing
Inspiring a New Normal Track - Featured on the Main Stage
Participants learned from the latest ideas and project insights that can trigger transformative shifts. Content focussed on sharing knowledge that could be harnessed for different contexts and to explore tide-turning methodologies and approaches that offer solutions for transformation.
SDG Global Festival of Action from Japan Workshop Space
Participants dig deeper into key initiatives and approaches coming out of the SDG Global Festival of Action from Japan, by joining interactive sessions and workshops that facilitated a two way learning exchange
WORKSHOPS
Ideation
space
2020 has been a year of great adaptation in thinking and approaches, models and methods for creating impact and mobilizing communities. Co-creation Workshops called on participants to build on novel approaches and have the power to take projects and initiatives to scale.
Upskilling
space
A “how to” track of sessions equipped participants with tangible skills. Industry experts led hands-on skills-building sessions focused on new and emerging skill sets and approaches that campaigners, communicators and mobilizers need as we move into a rapidly expanding virtual world.
Activation
space
This novel format provided the opportunity for just communities to connect to hash out new campaigns and bring in broader networks to activate plans. Sessions focused on socializing, activating, building and expanding emerging or longstanding campaigns to onboard key networks and community members, and agreed on plans, timeframes and methods to create impact together.
Networking
and connections
Wellness
space
The impacts of the challenges we currently face are being felt individually and collectively. These sessions are dedicated to supporting the SDG Action community by taking the time to recentre and reconnect. Sessions for guided meditation, mindfulness, self-love and well-being to take some time to reflect and recuperate with like-minded people.
Meetings
space
Networks and alliances hosted their own strategy meetings. Through these invitation-only meetings, partners leveraged the utmost SDG convening event of the year to connect and plan with communities across the globe.
Connections
Space
Meeting new people, building partnerships, generating ideas, expanding networks and finding new collaborators and friends is what makes the SDG Action Festival. This dedicated space made spontaneous and facilitated networking easy to continue building the SDG Action community.
Experiencing and
downloading
Experience
and Action Space
Experience and reflect on the future of our world, learn new realities through different perspectives, and find new and engaging ways to take action for transformative change at the virtual and immersive exhibit and Action space.
CREATIVITY
AND ART
Feel the urgency, hope and ambition of the current moment through spectacular music, concerts, poetry and artistic performances by some of the most inspiring artists of today
RESOURCE
Library
Access key resources shared by session hosts, speakers and partners. Find bespoke SDG Action Campaign toolkits, latest reports, communications assets to ensure participants can “collect” key information and continue learning and sharing with their own networks long after the event.
MULTILINGUALISM AND ACCESSIBILITY
Live and pre-recorded sessions featured on the Main Stage were in English, simultaneously translated into French and Spanish, and signed in International Sign Language for full accessibility. On the Japan Stage, sessions were in English and Japanese and signed in International Sign Language. Social media assets were in English, French, Spanish and Japanese.
