Voices of the Pacific: Pacific Islander perspectives on the Sustainable Development Goals
The world has begun to narrow down the set of goals that will define the development agenda after 2015. In order to design targets and policies that reflect the needs of all the people in the world, we need to ask those at the margin what they need, what they want, and what they expect.
A young boy walking in his garden patch. This is how Solomon Islanders source the majority of their food for domestic consumption. (Credit: Alberto Posso)
This initiative led by Simon Feeny and Alberto Posso at RMIT University and Derek Brien at the Pacific Institute for Public Policy is looking to bridge this gap by including the voices of Pacific Islanders into this important global debate.
The initiative is carrying out an on-line survey that asks respondents a series of questions regarding the Sustainable Development Goals and which ones better represent the needs of Pacific Islanders. The survey also asks Pacific Islanders what their most pressing issues are and how they think governments can address these issues. The latter will allow for policymakers and donors to get a new perspective from people on the ground in order to inform policy in a more politically and socially sustainable manner.
See also:
SDSN Australia, New Zealand & Pacific
SDSN Australia, New Zealand & Pacific (formerly SDSN Australia/Pacific) fosters global SDSN activities within the region by developing and promoting solutions, policies and public education.
The roles of the Regional Network include:
- To mobilise SDSN Members in the region and coordinate the activities of the Regional Network
- To publicise regional and global SDSN activities amongst policy makers, private sector and NGOs
- To promote regional solutions initiatives
- To coordinate and contribute to the SDSN’s policy support to governments in the region
- To organise annual regional sustainable development meetings bringing together key actors from the region to identify and promote regional solutions initiatives
- To identifies opportunities for broadening the network
The Regional Network is hosted by Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. The University has a vast array of internal capability and external links ideally placed to assist in promoting the aims of the SDSN. It has strong research strengths and expertise in health and wellbeing, smart healthy and productive cities, future industries, sustainable environments and resilient cultures and communities. It is Australia’s most internationalised university with campuses in Asia and Africa and alliances with universities around the world.