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• Finding Your Career Through Sustainable Development Goals Pathways School Gurgaon
  
  October 31

The only constant in life is growth and change. To ensure that this evolution is consistent and positive, the United Nations plays a vital role. It is an intergovernmental organization with the primary purpose of maintaining international peace and security, fostering friendly relations among nations, and serving as a center for coordinating the actions of nations for a better future. Currently, 193 countries actively participate in the UN. The United Nations strives to maintain international peace and security, promote sustainable development, protect human rights, uphold international law, and provide humanitarian aid in times of crisis.
To achieve these objectives, the UN has established 17 goals known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs aim to address the most pressing challenges facing the world today, including:

• 1. No Poverty: End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
• 2. Zero Hunger: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
• 3. Good Health and Well-being: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
• 4. Quality Education: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
• 5. Gender Equality: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
• 6. Clean Water and Sanitation: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
• 7. Affordable and Clean Energy: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
• 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth: Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
• 9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.
• 10. Reduced Inequalities: Reduce inequality within and among countries.
• 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
• 12. Responsible Consumption and Production: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
• 13. Climate Action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
• 14. Life Below Water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.
• 15. Life On Land: Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss.
• 16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.
• 17. Partnerships for the Goals: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

Now, after understanding the goals, let’s view them at a very different level. We never even imagine how closely they are related to our lives. We never imagine how they shape our future. We never imagine how they help us become what we want to be in the future. These goals matter because they are interconnected and aim to create a better world for everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances. The SDG goals matter because they provide a roadmap for collective action, bringing together governments, civil society organizations, businesses, and individuals to work towards a common vision. The SDG goals matter because they offer a vision of a better future, provide a framework for collective action, and promote accountability and transparency. While we need to help overcome all these goals together, we should start with something that we are passionate about—something passionate like our career.

The first step in exploring career options within the SDGs is to discover which goals matter to you. One way to do this is by reflecting on your values, interests, and experiences. You can read about each of the 17 SDG goals and think about which ones resonate with you the most. Alternatively, you can consider the issues you care about or have experienced firsthand and see which SDG goals relate to those issues.
For example, if you are passionate about reducing inequality, you may find that SDG Goal 10 - Reduced Inequalities is particularly important to you. Or if you are interested in promoting peace and justice, you may find that SDG Goal 16 - Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions aligns with your values.

Once you have identified the SDG goals that matter to you, you can start exploring career options within those goals. An example could be my journey to listing down my own career options. Firstly, I started by researching these SDG goals and listed down the ones that interested me the most and held a special place in my heart. The results were as follows:

NO. 10-REDUCED INEQUALITIES
SDG Goal 10 - Reduced Inequalities aims to reduce inequality within and among countries. It focuses on promoting social, economic, and political inclusion for all people, regardless of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, or other factors.

Personally, this goal matters to me because I have witnessed individuals facing inequality and, in some cases, have faced it myself. By contributing to this goal or working towards overcoming it, I can better understand why certain gender dynamics exist and how society plays a role in perpetuating them. It also allows me to explore ways in which I can help overcome these issues and create a more equitable world for all.

NO.16-PEACE, JUSTICE, AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS
SDG Goal 16 - Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions aim to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development. It focuses on strengthening institutions that promote justice, accountability, and transparency, and reducing violence and conflict around the world.
This goal matters to me as learning about building relationships for a sustainable and developed world is something that I have always been interested in. It provides a framework for creating a society that is fair and just, where everyone has equal access to opportunities and resources. By achieving this goal, we can create a world that is not only peaceful but also prosperous and sustainable for generations to come.
After I had stated out the two main goals, I started by listing down career options I was interested in and then started researching them. The options consisted of a sports journalist, editor at a special interest magazine, public relations specialist, and a crisis communication specialist. Then, I worked out ways in which these careers could help me work towards these SDG goals. If I were to be an editor at a special interest magazine, then by creating content that is inclusive and representative of diverse perspectives, an editor at a special interest magazine can help to promote equality and reduce marginalization of underrepresented groups. If I were a public relations specialist, then by working for organizations that promote diversity and inclusion, a public relations specialist could help to raise awareness of these issues and promote positive change. If I were a crisis communication specialist, then by helping organizations to respond effectively to crises, a crisis communication specialist can help to prevent situations from escalating and potentially causing harm or injustice. Along with that, by working with organizations to develop crisis communication plans that are fair and transparent, a crisis communication specialist can help to promote trust in institutions and reduce the risk of conflict.
Overall, exploring career options with the SDGs can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. By aligning your career with your values and interests, you can contribute to creating positive change in your community and beyond. In conclusion, the SDGs provide a framework for collective action towards creating a more sustainable and equitable future. By discovering which goals matter to you and exploring career options within those goals, you can contribute to achieving the SDGs while pursuing a fulfilling career."

By: Bhavika Jain, MYP 5B