Vasna Ramasar from LUCSUS will act as chair for the Global Goals Cafe during the very first day of Sustainability Week, 15th May. Here she highlights what her work as chair will involve, and discuss the sustainable development goals, the SDG:s.
What will your work involve as a chair?
The fun thing about a World Cafe is that people drive the process. As the chair my job is to facilitate the conversations between people, encourage creative thinking and engaging of ideas. Its not often that we get the opportunity to mix with people from different walks of life and deliberate on the Sustainable Development Goals. I am excited to hear what people will bring to the tables.
Which SDG:s do you think are most pressing at the moment?
All of them! The critical thing with the SDGs is that we have to see them as a single package - one affects the other so we must consider them together. Given the current political climate in the US and the discussions happening right now in Bonn, climate change is definitely a major concern but we cannot ignore the ongoing struggles with poverty and inequality.
Are you bringing any LUCSUS research to bear on the event?
Absolutely! I think LUCSUS work is directly tied with the SDGs and ensuring the positive outcomes for the goals. Our research has direct societal relevance. Some work is related to specific goals, for example my current work on health and environment linkages and energy justice, but as an interdisciplinary centre, LUCSUS focuses on the interaction between all the goals and the vision of sustainability as a whole.
What knowledge and facts do you think are most important to highlight during an event like this?
I think people's personal experiences and points of view are very important. A World Cafe is for open dialogue and so we want to create a fun and safe space to share. Part of the exercise will be to make connections between different knowledge and facts.
What do you hope the public will take away from the event?
I hope that people will learn new things, connect to other people's experiences, have fun and most importantly, leave with a greater awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals and our individual responsibility to contribute to their achievement.