During India’s G-20 presidency, there was a large, concerted effort to ensure that LiFE (Lifestyles for Environment) took centre stage in the discussions of the C-20. The concept and practice of LiFE have been rooted in indigenous traditions across civilisations, but eroded and marginalised by the provenance of capitalism and industrial society. The current crisis – banking crisis, climate change, inequality and conflict ongoing simultaneously – offers an opportunity to re-cast everyday behaviour and find again the spiritual and moral basis for action.

The 3^rd International SDG Conference to be held at Chitrakoot on 25-27 February 2023, will explore the idea of a LiFE Society that would place the concept of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ with sustainability and equity as its pillars.

It will focus on specific SDGs, within the overall context of building a LiFE Society, in continuation of its mission to bring SDG practitioners front and center in the discussions on the accelerating progress towards SDGs, as also partnerships to sustain beyond 2030.

SDG 2 – What we Grow. How we Grow. What we Eat.

Hunger takes many forms. In its most basic definition it is a lack of food that causes a deterioration of the body and its functions as it is malnourished. Hunger, however, is more than an empty stomach. The most affected by hunger are children.

Without a global strategy and global co-operation to ensure equitable access to basic food grain and non-grain food (including water, forest foods and uncultivated foods) and the utilisation of sustainable agricultural practices to avoid soil degradation, the goal of Zero Hunger by 2030 appears impossible. Vasudhaiva Kutambakam – treating  the world as one family – is the only possible pathway, as no family allows its members to starve.

SDG 4 What we Learn. How we Learn. Where we Learn.

“Raising school enrolment, like economic development in general, takes a long time. This is partly because, as a mountain of empirical evidence now shows, economic conditions and slowly changing parental education levels determine children’s school enrolment to a greater degree than education policy interventions.

India’s New Education Policy recognises the continuum between school education, higher education and technical, medical and vocational education. Government has accordingly reformed the Human Resource Development ministry to the Education Ministry, with distinct but interlinked verticals.

Catering to the SDG 4 credo re lifelong learning, the capacity building of government functionaries to deliver local services has been a key area for action.

To join us, please email us at info@dri.org.in