Currents Summer 2020 Vol. 36, No. II | Page 11

Many Hands Make Light Work BY MARY FRANCES L. The UN Sustainable Development Goals are a way to measure what progress (development) we make worldwide toward improving people‘s lives between 2015–2030. Before cynically rolling your eyes, know that these 17 goals were set by diverse experts, not politicians, from all over the globe. The idea is to keep all the goals in mind when designing a program that focuses on one particular goal. For example, when improving women‘s incomes, the environmental aspects are also considered. And, when protecting an area environmentally, remembering how local women are going to need affordable fuel for cooking (preferably by talking to the women involved, of course). Besides being cool, progressive, and idealistic, what has that got to do with AWCH? The fact is, we have always been, and will continue to be, active in promoting these goals, and you probably weren‘t even aware of it. In our very own AWCH, the Book Club selections, the Walking Groups getting women active, SnB‘s Heart Pillows and drainage bottle bags, the Alster Fun Run for the women‘s shelter, the presentations on mental health, the clothing and book swaps—these are some club activities that work right here for and with us in Hamburg. Betcha didn‘t know you were helping achieve the SDGs when you took part! clean-up day, marched for Fridays for Future, and worked for cleaner energy and cleaner transportation. Some have encouraged women‘s participation in STEM careers, worked on legal issues for refugees, are passionately responsible consumers, and much more. It‘s a good thing we in AWCH work well together, because that gives us more hands. Were you aware that through our membership in the Hamburg Women‘s Council (Landesfrauenrat), we have been part of workshops considering grassroots recommendations to the Hamburg Parliament to improve Hamburg‘s own measures? (Reducing inequalities in the availability of education and evaluating the gender effects of budgeting decisions were two topics.) And a great big hand goes to FAWCO and all that our membership allows us to do. The teams on health, environment, education, and human rights cover so much ground that none of the 17 SDGs are left untouched. Plus we have our Development Grants and Target Projects. The campaign against FGM is obviously about Goals Three and Five, but look again: it all starts with knowledge and enables more education, so Four is one of the alpha/ omega goals. Just look at the other goals and you realize that they reduce social pressure, which helps open minds and hearts for creative solutions. The goals all need to be considered and work hand-in-hand to achieve, among other specifics, the eradication of FGM. So watch on Facebook and Instagram every Tuesday, or read the posts in the AWCH newsletter. Watch for an event mid-September, when the SDGs turn five. See what changes and what stays the same. Become aware of the SDGs around you, wave and smile “hello,” help the word grow and the work get accomplished. There are members who have individually taken part in an annual city www.awchamburg.org 11