Education

Education holds a paramount relationship with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as delineated by the United Nations in 2015. It is not only recognized in its standalone form in SDG 4, which strives to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”, but also serves as an enabler of other SDGs, highlighting its cross-cutting impact across multiple facets of development. It acts as the foundation stone of knowledge, fostering an understanding of complex socio-economic dynamics that are critical for the attainment of other goals.

Consider, for instance, how education impacts SDG 1 - No Poverty. The increased earning potential offered by quality education is a powerful tool in breaking the poverty cycle. Similarly, in relation to SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being, education is instrumental in driving better health outcomes by fostering understanding of healthy lifestyles, disease prevention, and the benefits of timely medical intervention.

Addressing the climate crisis (SDG 13) also necessitates education, as it prepares individuals to understand the intricate relationships between human activities and their environmental impact, and to seek sustainable solutions. Moreover, achieving gender equality (SDG 5) is intrinsically tied to education, as access to quality learning opportunities for girls and women empowers them, promotes their participation in decision-making processes, and helps in overturning deeply entrenched societal biases.

Quality education also fosters innovation and infrastructure development (SDG 9), as it equips individuals with the technical and creative skills necessary to devise advanced technologies and infrastructures. Moreover, education fosters peace and justice (SDG 16) by promoting a culture of peace, non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity.

In this multifaceted role, education serves as a catalyst in the process of sustainable development. However, these interconnections necessitate that education systems themselves are made more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. The challenges of the 21st century, such as the digital divide and the increasing need for lifelong learning, require urgent attention to ensure education continues to play its role effectively. Education is the key that unlocks the potential of all other SDGs, making its universal attainment not just a goal, but a pre-requisite for a sustainable future.

International Literacy Day

International Literacy Day 2024: SDG Resources and the Promise of Education

Literacy is more than just reading and writing—it's a ticket to freedom, a voice in the community, and a bridge to opportunity. On International Literacy Day 2024, we gather to celebrate and reflect on these principles, and how they play a pivotal role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Significance of International Literacy Day

The community-based MLMC intervention described in this paper had significant impacts on individual intake of dietary fat and carbohydrates. These dietary behaviors are important key factors related to chronic disease risk and further implementation of MLMC interventions could go someway way to improve dietary intake among Native American populations post-colonization.
The authors of this paper developed and tested a culturally appropriate food picture-sort frequency tool that is feasible and acceptable to both Navajo children and adults. This tool and its indices have the potential to measure the change for school-based intervention studies among the Navajo Nation because of its cultural appropriateness, ease of administration and low burden, and the convergent validity and reliability of its indices.
The authors of this paper conclude that training food service staff and other food service staff may be beneficial to improve meal quality in the Early Care and Education (ECE) programs but point out that positive changes did not last, perhaps indicating a need for longer and rigorous trainings.
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, 21 March 2023
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on the day the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid "pass laws" in 1960. The UN General assembly created this day to signify the struggle to end the policy of apartheid in South Africa and call on the the international community to end all forms of racial discrimination.
Under the theme "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality", the United Nations Observance of International Women's Day 2023 will highlight the need for inclusive and transformative technology and digital education. Photo: UN Trust Fund/Phil

Celebrated annually on 8 March, International Women's Day is a global day to recognize the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The theme for this International Women’s Day 2023 (IWD 2023) is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality." Elsevier is proud to support IWD 2023 through this thoughtfully curated, freely accessible collection of journal articles and book chapters highlighting the strides being made towards embracing equity and the barriers that stand in the way of achieving gender equality.  

 

Elsevier, part of RELX, supports researchers in the developing world with free and low-cost access to knowledge through Research4Life. This is the story behind the successful programme, relating to SDG 4, Quality Education, and SDG 17, Partnership for the Goals.
This article ties to SDG 3 & 4. This study evaluates the effectiveness of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) in a group format delivered by lay counselors to children with trauma-related symptoms in China.
This content advances goals 4, 5 and 10 by highlighting diversity, equity and inclusion for women in the world of hand surgery.
This review article advances goals 3, 5, and 10 by addressing inequity in care among pregnant women with asthma in underserved communities and examining potential interventions that may help improve health outcomes and standard of care.

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