SDGs and the next 7 generations

A solution by Iroquois' Law submitted to Localise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to action!

At the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in 2015 world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030. Today we are 3 years down the road, what is next? In this solution for the challenge provider Amsterdam we focus on influencing inhabitants and other actors in Amsterdam through local businesses (SMEs and corporates) by: 1. Create awareness & action around the SDGs for the businesses: help 21 businesses work concretely on their SDG roadmap with the help of the SDGs and the Design Thinking method 2. Create ambassadorship around the SDG within Amsterdam and beyond: teaching ambassadorship skills so they spread the SDGs around the city through their partners and stakeholders Local businesses could have a tremendous impact on the SDGs and the city of Amsterdam if we help them get started. Their influence and possible impact is easily overlooked even though they have the influence to engage big numbers of inhabitants and other actors of Amsterdam and change whole industries by influencing their partners and stakeholders. Inclusiveness; how do we address this? 1. We will focus on attendants in the program from specific industries that interact with inhabitants and other actors in Amsterdam beyond culture, religion, background etc. For example, the Food industry, fashion, Energy 2. We will focus on local SMEs and corporates that interact with a great number of Amsterdam inhabitants and other actors 3. We will focus on local SMEs and corporates that employ Amsterdam inhabitants and other actors in Amsterdam

(Pitched: 15/07/2018)

One Page Summary

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The Program short & sweet 

This is 'An SDG Ambassador journey (a 4-month program) for 21 participants (Amsterdam based SMEs and corporates); including coaching upfront & afterwards, an 2-day pressure cooker program, a harvest day and ambassador training for 7 of them. That is what this EU Challenge solution for the city of Amsterdam is about. How we select the 21 participants is described in category ‘Implementation’.

Why 21 attendants from Amsterdam based SMEs and corporates?
Engagement with Amsterdam: SMEs and corporates impact and influence a broad range of the inhabitants of the city on a daily basis. Especially when we select specific industries, for example Food and Fashion; you maximize the interaction with Amsterdam inhabitants and actors. When 21 attendants influence 500 people, this would be 10.500 people that get acquainted with the SDGs
Employers: SMEs and corporates are employers of inhabitants and actors in Amsterdam, we’ll also influence them.

General goals of the program
- Exploration of their own organisation in a new and exciting way,
- Awareness and knowledge around the SDGs, to use the SDGs as a lens for their business
- Prototyping hands-on ideas around SDGs,
- Activation of stakeholders: their internal and external ones
- Learning from other companies
- Road mapping their ideas within the company in the area of: purpose, strategy, legal    structures like their code of conduct and by-laws and processes around value chains
- Awareness of Iroquois’ law; the principle of ‘stewardship of the next 7 generations’
- Becoming an ambassador within and outside the company

Our philosophy
Iroquois’ law and its main principle is the philosophy of this collective and this designed program for SMEs and corporates.
- Iroquois’ law refers to an essential principle in the law of the Iroquois, native Americans. It is the principle of ‘7 generations stewardship’; decision makers take into account in every decision the interests of the following 7 generations.
- We focus on hands-on action and ambassadorship around SDGs in day to day business of the attendants. SDGs are an amazing tool that show the earthly boundaries and opportunities for businesses all around.


Solution description
In this part of the solution proposal we describe the solution and how it addresses the challenge. We will also discuss the implementation and feasibility and how we involve stakeholders.


“Do you chop the apple tree for a fire that warms you through the night? Or do you walk a long distance to gather fire wood, so the children of your community and the next 7 generations will be able to eat the apples?” 


With this analogy we hope to trigger a way of thinking that helps you as a reader understand what we aim for by focusing our tools around the ‘7 generations stewardship’ principle and the ........