
The Global Solvers Co-Lab: 489 UN-limited may be over ...
Coming out of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) present a set of universal goals to address today’s urgent environmental, political and economic challenges and sustainably improve the lives and future prospects of all people sharing this planet. Governments, organizations, and institutions have subscribed to the SDGs since, yet significant progress towards meeting the goals has not been made. As part of the SDG Report 2017, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urges: “Our challenge now is to mobilize action that will bring these agendas meaningfully and tangibly to life (by 2030).”
While the world is moving together, it seems that important factors are yet to be put into place in order for stakeholders across the board to work together as global citizens to tackle the big issues of our time.
Connecting hearts, hands and minds to advance Sustainable Development Goals: 489 UN-limited
With a leadership ideal that embraces diversity, forges equitable and sustainable solutions, and nourishes collaborations beyond boundaries of religion, race or geography, the Melton Foundation and the Ernst-Abbe-Stiftung are convening emerging leaders from across sectors and geographies to learn, collaborate, and co-create meaningful solutions to advance Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on a local level with the global context in mind.
In this Global Solvers Co-Lab, participants will engage primarily around the following SDGs:
We are calling this combination of goals “489 UN-limited”.
Over the course of six days, participants will gain a deeper understanding about these SDGs, explore how they intersect, and develop strategies to mobilize meaningful actions in their communities and in their growing spheres of influence in order to generate impact locally and help push the needle on a global scale.
(arrival & departure dates included)
The Global Solvers Co-Lab: 489 UN-limited is the space where sectors, cultures, identities, and know-how converge into something “greater than the sum of its parts”. It’s a space to deepen understanding of complex global issues, grow capacity, build networks for impact, and broaden your impact horizons. It’s a space to pivot your passion, drive and expertise as you connect, collaborate and co-create hands-on with emerging leaders from across place, identity and field. It’s an opportunity to envision and help create a future that ensures lives of dignity for all – starting with you.
As participant of the Global Solvers Co-Lab:489 UN-limited, you’ll be a co-driver of the activities. Expect to engage in intensive collaboration for the entire event, sharing your unique perspective, experiences, and approaches through a series of interactive work sessions, excursions and more aligned to the SDGs and goals 4, 8 and 9 in particular. Through this facilitated collaboration, the Co-Lab drives insight and inspiration to hone skills and catalyze solutions with sustained impact.
To find out more, download the Conference Booklet here!
Travel
We know that expenses for travel and visa can become an issue, esp. for those traveling from afar. Therefore, candidates who have been selected as participants of the Global Solvers Co-Lab can apply for financial support for their travel.
In addition, we encourage participants to organize crowdfunding campaigns in support of their expenses to attend the Global Solvers Co-Lab, including the participation fee. This is a powerful way to raise the needed funds AND build awareness for your cause simultaneously. Here are 10½ tips to help you organize the campaign and reach your crowdfunding goal.
Participation Fee
At the Global Solvers Co-Lab, everyone contributes. While the two sponsoring organizations are covering most of the costs, participants are also expected to contribute a share:
The participation fee includes lodging, meals, full access to the activities during the Global Solvers Co-Lab, plus a Certificate of Completion.
Selected participants are expected to pay the fee in order to confirm their attendance.
The Co-Lab provides tools, resources and the impetus to take ownership of and act on the most urgent challenges the world is facing.
Based on the conviction that strength is born of diversity, participants from across the globe and different sectors can apply, as long as they meet the following expectations.
The Global Solvers Co-Lab will be fun, engaging, experiential, and it means quite a bit of work – prior, during and after the event. Because we cherish diversity and constructive collaboration, people from different backgrounds and lifestyles will share space and rooms. It is essential for all of us to be respectful of each other in order to ensure a productive and conducive environment throughout the Co-Lab. If you want to get to know Aubervilliers, an exciting city near Paris, as a tourist please come earlier or stay longer after the Co-Lab. This is an adventure for us all: be flexible, stay focused and have fun.
Join the Global Solvers Co-Lab: 489 UN-limited and boost your knowledge, tools, and passion to advance Sustainable Development across the street and across the world!
Be one of 25 Global Solvers to embark on a life-changing journey at the Global Solvers Co-Lab: 489 UN-limited happening from 22 - 27 September in Aubervilliers, France!
To apply to the Global Solvers Co-Lab: 489 UN-limited, you must submit the following:
Once you have your materials ready, submit your application together with the link to download your short video using the online application form.
Should you encounter issues using this online interface or have general questions regarding the application, please contact global-solvers(at)meltonfoundation.org.
Application Deadline is Sunday, 29 April 2018!
Following the application deadline, we will select up to 25 candidates to participate in the Global Solvers Co-Lab. Watch out for a message towards the end of May 2018 with an update about the status of your application.
Selected participants will receive detailed information about the next steps, including specifics about the payment of participation fees, travel planning (and financial support for travel), as well as materials to prepare for the Co-Lab in September.
The Global Solvers Co-Lab: 489-UN-limited is organized by the Ernst-Abbe-Stiftung and the Melton Foundation - here's a little more about our work.
The Ernst-Abbe-Stiftung (EAS) promotes science, research and innovation by providing technical infrastructure and granting subsidies for diverse science projects. Named after the German physicist, entrepreneur and social reformer Ernst Abbe (1840-1905), EAS has been operating as non-profit foundation since 1992 in Jena (Germany).
To facilitate knowledge transfer across sectors and support new businesses and young entrepreneur, EAS operates the Ernst-Abbe-Centre for Research and Transfer in Ilmenau (Germany) and the Center for Bio Instruments in Jena (Germany). To advance the quality of research and teaching, they awards faculty chairs at universities across the state of Thuringia (Germany) and provides scholarships to highly talented students at these universities. They also offer a junior funding program for PhD students. EAS furthermore manages the Zeiss-Planetarium and the Optical Museum in Jena (Germany) in order to promote significant contribution to science.
The Melton Foundation (MF) promotes global citizenship as a way for individuals and organizations to work together across boundaries of place and identity to address global challenges. To achieve this, the MF offers a fellowship to young change agents in order to develop their capacity as effective and ethical leaders, equipped to act locally, with a global context in mind.
The fellowship entails a 2.5 years experiential learning program, which equips Melton Fellows with the necessary skills and tools to work together on shared solutions to the challenges of today’s interconnected world. After they graduate from the program, they join our “Senior” Fellows network to drive impact as a role model for global citizenship in their expanding network.
Since its founding in 1991, the Melton Foundation has built a network of over 500 Melton Fellows. It carries out its programs in collaboration with experienced Senior Fellows and myriad partner organizations worldwide.
Development Perspectives is a development education NGO based in Ireland and forms part of a global network of curious, critical thinkers and development practitioners working for social justice. They contribute to lessening poverty, inequality and climate change through transformative education and active global citizenship. Among other activities, Development Perspectives organizes the #SDGchallenge, a project which aims to equip individuals with the knowledge, skills and motivation to take informed action to contribute towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Development Perspectives is one of the key content partners at the Global Solvers Co-Lab: 589 UN-limited.