Inspired by the 2015 Social Good Summit in New York, Australia’s own Social Good Summit was held at the University of Sydney on October 10, 2015. The crowd and guest speakers were invited to consider the question, “What type of world do I want to live in by the year 2030?” The hashtag #2030NOWAU trended on Twitter as excited participants live-tweeted their reactions to the event.
A major focus of the Summit were the 17 sustainable development goals ratified by 193 countries at the UN General Assembly on September 26, 2015. These goals continue the mission of the millennium development goals, but with a new target in mind: the year 2030. “These are actually global goals; they are universal…while they are aspirational, they are incredibly powerful,” stated Tara Dermott, a guest speaker from IOM X, the International Organization for Migration’s campaign to stop exploitation and human trafficking. Dermott listed three simple actions that we can all take to prevent human trafficking: “Learn, Act, Share.”
The potential to use media, technology, and business for social good was widely discussed at the Summit. Photographer Vlad Sokhin moved the crowd with his evocative images, proving his point that “just to show what happens in the world” can transform people’s perceptions of important issues. Summit organiser, university lecturer and consultant Catia Davim told the crowd that “a woman with a laptop is more powerful than a man with a gun”. People power can change the world, she said, especially given the increasing contributions of social media and businesses to social good initiatives.
According to Professor of Policy Studies, Susan Goodwin, “short-term, environmentally careless strategies to make money are no longer feasible”. Continuing this theme, Adam Mooney, CEO of Good Shepherd Microfinance, stressed that Australians must have a “shared vision” and “move away from the partisan political point-scoring” in order to cultivate social good. He spoke of how money is a means to an end, to “a full life that has meaning, that has dignity”.
Unfortunately, many Australians are still lacking such a life. As speakers Brendan Ferguson and Leah Armstrong pointed out, although Australia ranks second in the UN Human Development Index, we would be approximately 122nd if we were ranked in terms of our Indigenous Australians. Initiatives to close the gap could involve more Indigenous enterprises, strengthened cultural identity, and reconciliation action plans, the speakers said.
Other topics discussed at the Summit included women’s empowerment, self-defence, and creating inclusive businesses for people with disabilities. Two of the most thought-provoking comments were made by Kristy Sanderson, CEO and Founder of the Voice humanitarian organisation that helps people in crisis in Cambodia. On the problem of human trafficking in the fishing industry, Sanderson remarked: “It bewilders me that we have dolphin-free tuna, but we don’t have slave-free tuna.” Sanderson also said that when people enquire how she summons the strength to help people in poverty, she answers, “How do you not?” This comment sums up the prevalent attitude of audience members at the Summit, an inspiring event that reinforced the necessity of social good for the peace and prosperity of our planet and its people.
