This article focuses mainly on the following UN Sustainable Development Goal:
Since the beginning of mankind, social issues have been harming and destroying communities and nations. It was not until 1945 when the United Nations was established that essentially, many nations have joined together to work towards transformation, unity and peace. These goals have been written up to focus on the major issues. Namely, human trafficking, fraud, war and other linked problems.
The world is our home and we as the people of the earth need to work together to achieve these goals:
16.1 Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
16.2 End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.
16.3 Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
16.4 By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organised crime.
16.5 Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms.
16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.
16.7 Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.
16.8 Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance.
16.9 By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration.
16.10 Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.
16.A Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime.
16.B Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development.
One of the major global issues in our society such as misogyny which oppresses women, racism and so on are direct results of the injustice in the past and ongoing issues which have been brought to light for many during these past few months.
Systematic oppression, racism, and homophobia which has existed in our societies and general prejudice against minority races and sexualities, some people more than others. Furthermore, there is still ongoing tension between different states across the world due to religious, philosophical and economic ideologies. The current dilemma is to resolve these issues. Throughout the world, we see diplomatic tensions, wars and all sorts of disputes between people. These are examples of problems that have caused wars in countries such as Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. The most noticeable of these is Yemen, which is going through one of the worst famines seen to mankind. These tensions were all speculated to have been caused by a proxy war between Syria and Iran, two big countries, fighting for control over the region. Rebel groups are a major part of the wars listed above and they have caused many to lose homes, family members and belongings. It goes without saying that these issues are devastating.
Unfortunately, it is hard for us to change these situations in our own capacity. Our main objective is to educate the youth and all those around us that peace and justice will be essential in creating a better future.
The world will never be perfect but here are a few things you can do to raise awareness:
Correct your colleagues when they make incorrect statements about religion, race or culture.
Learn about other religions, races and cultures.
Be aware of media outlets, they often only give one side of the story!
Within this context, from an African point of view, I believe it is crucial to ensure that gender equality, as well as peace and justice, are obtained. According to Camfed, an organisation which works towards educating and empowering young girls, an estimated 52.2 million girls of primary and secondary school age are not receiving education in Sub Saharan Africa. This is a major predicament considering the already high levels of unemployment and poverty throughout the continent.
There are several reasons why these girls are not able to go to school:
Lack of funding from parents
Forced child labour
Planned child marriages
Unfortunately amongst conservative rural areas on our continent, boys are given more education and opportunities than girls, this often leads to girls being forced to work in the big cities to raise money for their brother’s school fees. In these cases, many of them cannot count and they are often scammed when it comes to payments. As a direct result, many girls take on prostitution, not by option but by pressure to make enough money. These are just some of the daily issues that girls face across our continent due to the patriarchal societies they find themselves in.
The world has and will continue to be filled with issues, many of which are man-made and can be solved. However, this requires a global effort and not a few people who want to make a change. We call on you to please continue being an ambassador for peace, unity and equality in your communities, workplaces and schools.
Remember, change starts with you.
External Resources
Here are some petitions and websites which can help our cause!
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