SDG Webinars

Join us in conversation with Pathfinder CEO Lois Quam, author of the bestselling book, Who Runs the World? Unlocking the Talent and Inventiveness of Women Everywhere, to explore what happens when we fully unlock the transformative potential of women and girls globally.

This session of the Sustainable Development Goals Webinar Series will feature three panelists who will share how they have integrated the Sustainable Development Goals into their courses or programs. You will hear about a health course with a study abroad component, a Freshman Seminar, and about how a 21-credit program was developed using the SDGs as a framework.

The Sustainable Development Goal 15 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is devoted 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.” Co-hosted by MnDRIVE Environment, this session of the SDG Webinar Series will feature three very different perspectives on biodiversity and its importance for ecosystem health.

Food justice is a social movement that sees healthy, culturally appropriate food as a human right and addresses structural barriers to food through systems change at all levels of the food system. In Minnesota and in the US more broadly, two significant crises of systemic racism and COVID-19 further destabilize food systems and disproportionately affect communities of color, low-income and immigrant communities. Local communities are proactively working to ensure food access and food justice.

In the past few months, COVID-19 and the global movement for racial justice have laid bare inequities in the U.S. and globally, and shown how these inequities undermine the very foundations of our social, political and economic systems. In this third webinar of a series on issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals, a panel of publicly-engaged scholars explored how various forms of inequality in the United States threaten community resilience and sustainable change in their areas of work and then discuss how we all can work together across sectors and disciplines to undermine systemic inequities toward positive change.

Ensuring safe, stable and sustainable housing presents an acute challenge for Minnesota communities and policymakers. COVID-19, the global movement for racial justice and the increasing natural disasters associated with climate change have laid bare the major barriers to sustainable development, equity and justice in the U.S. and globally. Housing is no exception, with a crisis of homelessness, housing instability and the need for sustainable housing design at the forefront. In this fourth webinar of a series on issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals, a panel of community engaged scholars and advocates will explore current challenges to fair, equitable and sustainable housing and discuss potential solutions from the perspective of different disciplines and approaches and then discuss how we all can work together across sectors and disciplines toward positive change.

Tremendous progress has been made nationally and globally in increasing access to clean drinking water and sanitation, however access to safe, potable water is still a challenge in some communities in the US and Minnesota. The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated the critical importance of sanitation, hygiene and adequate access to clean water for the prevention of diseases. Hand hygiene according to the World Health Organization, is one of the most effective actions that can be taken to reduce the spread of pathogens and prevent infections, including the COVID-19 virus. Yet access to clean and safe water is not available to all.

In this sixth webinar of a series on issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals, a panel of community-engaged scholars and practitioners representing a range of perspectives will offer examples and insights on where progress is being made and where more work is needed. The panel discussion will connect local Minnesota community efforts and the broader, global landscape to consider the interconnectedness of climate action across all levels.

In this 7th webinar of a series on issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals, a panel of scholars and practitioners will discuss how university partnerships and networks are advancing impactful work in communities and countries around the world. Looking at a variety of network models in several fields, panelists will offer examples and insights on where progress is being made and where more work is needed. Comments and discussion will focus on these SDG’s targets.

In this 8th webinar of a series on issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals, a panel of scholars and practitioners discuss how poverty plays an important role in the economic development of communities and the complete well-being of a person. Panelists offer examples and insights on where progress is being made and where more work is needed.