Through several multistakeholder projects over the last year, the Reos Partners team has had the opportunity to delve into the substance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through this work, we have realized that the SDGs are not just another set of international policy goals. Rather, they represent a shared vision for humanity and a new mental model for development. We have also understood that the SDGs are more than a set of colourful boxes, each with a theme heading. Each goal has a set of associated targets and indicators to deepen the meaning of the goal and to guide transformative action. It is when we look at this deeper level, at the mindset behind the SDGs and at the actual implementation of the agenda, that the urgency of transformative approaches (such as those applied by Reos Partners and others around the world) becomes clear.
The Mental Model of the SDGs
The mental model underlying the SDGs is different from that of their predecessor, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and from the mindset with which most institutions are wired. First, while the MDG mindset focused on the “problems” of “developing countries” and how the “developed world” could “help,” the SDGs are a set of global challenges that are common to us all and are present everywhere to varying degrees. This is the Universality principle. It finally breaks with North-South thinking, which was outdated a long time ago but which is still very pervasive. This new approach requires us to acknowledge that we are all part of shared challenges and that we all have expertise and leadership to bring.
Second, if you read through the 17 goals and their associated targets, you will notice the two most common words are “for all.” These two words reflect the “leave no one behind” principle. This principle is a break from the mindset that some people are dispensable, that progress that leaves a certain percentage of people behind is acceptable.
Third, the SDGs are indivisible. They all depend on each other, which demands a systemic and holistic approach. This is, of course, the reality of the world – everything is connected, but this explicit recognition of complexity from the United Nations is refreshing. The possibility of drawing uncommon connections and the permission and stimulus to work across divides and differences is liberating. Indivisibility is not about everyone working on everything, but about everyone working in an interconnected way.
Finally, in relation to accountability, the SDGs represent an opportunity for a new social contract, where the focus is not on accountability from “South” to “North,” nor from “recipients” to “donors.” Rather, the focus is on accountability from leaders to their people, and from people to each other. This implies a shift in power structures and is an invitation for all of society to engage and share responsibility for reaching the goals, each with our contribution.
The SDG mindset isn’t philosophical dreaming. It deserves contemplation, slowing down, digestion, dialogue, and of course conscious practice. Every day, I see small things that we would do differently if we were really thinking this way – if we really meant it. Many individuals working in the realm of the SDGs are buying into these ideas but get stuck in habits, comfort zones, or structures that aren’t designed along these principles. The good news is that there are processes that can help put this shift in practice.
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This article was originally published HERE.
