How Can We Make the World a Better Place by 2030?

A world free of gender inequality, poverty, world hunger, and so much more
social issues seems pretty far-fetched. However, Michael Green and the UN suggest
that it is in fact possible; If that isn’t ambitious enough for you, it apparently can be
achieved by 2030. Of course, these claims weren’t given lightly. During Michael Green’s
TedTalk he provides solid data and factors that suggest there may indeed be hope for
this world. He states that in order to achieve this goal, we have to abide by all the
factors and guides he discussed which can be found in the “Global Goals for
Sustainable Development”.
The Global Goals strive to end world hunger, poverty, inefficient medical care,
and overall make the world a better place. In order to keep every country’s progress in
check, the People’s Report Card was created. Using data from the Social Index, it
tracks just how close each country is to achieving the Global Goals. To better
understand the People’s Report Card, the Social Index contains and breaks down the
UN’s 17 Global Goals into 169 targets. It shows us all the achievements and progress
society has made. In addition to that, it also gives each country a score out of 100 with
Norway leading the index with a score of 88/100. Nevertheless, for me, the world can’t
just turn into Norway in just 9 years and the Global Goals aren’t all just about leading
the index and becoming the country with the best score (although that is ideal), it’s
about reaching the basic standards of the Global Goals and making a change in our
society even if it is little by little. The social index gives us ways to make these changes
and out of all of them, none of them are economic indicators. The reason being that
surprisingly, global wealth has a very little impact on our progress in achieving the
Global Goals. According to Michael Green, it is true that by getting richer we move
closer to our goal but it is also true that by getting richer, we move further away from it.
If I were to explain it in my own words, it’s like moving one step closer to the finish line
but also moving two steps back; you’re progressing but with every bit of progress you
make, you encounter setbacks that will slow you down.
Economic growth is important but it should not be prioritized before human rights
and/or environmental issues. For example, a country can be financially well-off due to
its booming economy but can fall behind in terms of social issues, contradicting the idea
of the Global Goals therefor taking a step back from achieving them. However, the
prioritization of the well-being of our society can get us closer to these goals. If our
world leaders prioritized wellbeing over wealth, what kind of score would the Social
Index give us? With that being said, we should responsibly choose leaders we trust will
make the right decisions for our society. The choices we make can greatly affect the
outcome of our social progress. It is our job to pressure our leaders to take a step
forward into the wellbeing of their citizens. That’s why the People’s Report Card is so
important, it shows the government how close or far they are from reaching the goals. It
indicates what steps they have to take to fulfill the promise they made to their people,
the promise to make their country strive, not only in the economy, but also socially. It is
our job to demand the change in our world
If you don’t see a change in the world, be the change. Be someone who demands
change for the benefit of humanity. That way, a better world might be possible by 2030.