Peoples United for Our Common Future

The United Nations has been on the forefront of addressing common concerns for the future of humanity. Sustainable development through poverty alleviation solutions, accessible education, women’s health and socio-economic inequities along human rights and rule of law have been on the forefront of its mission to promote and preserve world peace for current and future generations. In spite its many limits and shortcomings, this international organization represents the best global forum we have to common concerns for the all world and its future.

The United Nations 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a call for action by all countries – poor, rich and middle-income – to promote prosperity for all people’s well-being and protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection. Read more about the SDGs>>

San Francisco contributes to this Sustainable Development Agenda in many ways. On September 12–14, 2018 California Governor Jerry Brown hosted The Global Climate Action Summit to address climate change by bringing together non-state actors including elected leaders at the state and local level. It was a demonstration that, even in the absence of political will at the federal government level, “We the peoples” representing private and independent civil society sectors along city, state and other levels of governance can make a difference to shaping together our common future we want. At the summit, a group of twenty-nine organizations announced a commitment of $4 billion to combat climate change over the next five years. The commitment was the largest philanthropic investment made addressing climate change to date. The outcome of the Summit was a strong and encouraging voice to governments for implementing the guidelines of the Paris Agreement and promoting long-term climate strategies in line with SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. 

The University of San Francisco is committed to contributing to these common promises by educating women and men through sustainability leadership and sustainable development mindsets and management capacity. The Master of Nonprofit Administration at USF’s School of Management, in collaboration with the United Nations Association (UNA-USA) of San Francisco offers training programs for young professionals to understand the SDGs and promote careers in line with sustainability and sustainable development for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. Learn more about the YPSDG program>>

Celebrating the United Nations 75th anniversary means to re-commit to the promises that the UN founders left us. It also means to re-engage and contribute by interpreting the UN mission with today’s challenges and common promises for a better future. Education and engagement are core elements of our shared global, social, environmental and economic responsibility for present and future generations. Learn more how you can celebrate and get to action>>   

The 2018 cohort of the Young Professionals for the Sustainable Development Goals (YPSDG) a collaborative training program of the University of San Francisco (MNA Program) with the United Nations Association (USA San Francisco).