UN SDG Action Campaign

The 2025 edition of the Heroes of Tomorrow: UN #SDGAwards will recognize the extraordinary campaigns, initiatives and changemakers who reaffirm our belief that every choice matters—and that every person, in every context, have the power to create lasting change. Resilience Award honors initiatives that demonstrate outstanding resilience in overcoming crises, adversity, or systemic—environmental, political, economic, or social—challenges turning adversity into opportunity to build stronger, more inclusive communities. Creativity Award recognizes campaigns and initiatives that harness the power of creativity—through art, music, film, theatre, digital media, or any form of expression—to shift public perceptions, influence policies, and drive action for more sustainable, equitable, and peaceful societies. Changemaker Award honors individuals who envisions a new reality and create lasting impact—whether leading movements or working quietly behind the scenes for equality, justice and human rights, illuminating the path even in the most challenging places and times. ✍️ Apply for the #SDGAwards by 🗓️ 25 May 2025: https://lnkd.in/ei8kxTck

Imagine a world where no one goes hungry — where every young person has a seat at the table, not only to eat, but to shape the future of how food is grown, shared, and valued. A world where creativity and art don’t just reflect reality, but they change it. At the #UNFSS2025 Action Day event Young People as Changemakers: How Art and Creativity Are Transforming Our Food Systems, co-hosted by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia , Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, and the UN SDG Action Campaign, high-level speakers, including United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed and Dr. Ergogie Tesfaye, Ethiopia’s Minister of Women and Social Affairs, joined UN #SDGAward changemakers, artists, youth leaders, and civil society in a dynamic, intergenerational experience. The message was clear: art is not a soft power — it’s a systemic force. Read more: https://lnkd.in/d3rFYdD2

“Let’s make food systems a bridge to dignity, sustainability, and shared hope.” —Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) and Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa. At the United Nations Food Systems Summit +4 in Addis Ababa, Mrs. Eziakonwa calls for bold, inclusive actions to transform food systems. With only five years left to deliver on the 2030 Agenda, we face a world marked by climate shocks, conflict, and inequality. Yet transformation is within reach—when we prioritise inclusive governance, community knowledge, and leadership. 🎥 Watch the full message from the ASG and join the movement for sustainable and resilient food systems. #UNFSS2025 #GlobalGoals

"Our world is currently home to the largest generation of young people in history. 1.2 billion young people worldwide hold an enormous potential to address the challenges of inequalities, climate change, agriculture and food insecurity," said Dr. Felipe Paullier Olivera at the #UNFSS2025 Action Day Event, "YOUNG PEOPLE AS CHANGEMAKERS: How Art and Creativity are Driving Change and Sustainable Food Systems," co-organised by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia , Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, and the UN SDG Action Campaign. Watch the event on demand: https://lnkd.in/erDFcfbv

At the #UNFSS2025 Action Day, we explored how #art and #creativity are not just tools for expression — they are catalysts for systemic change. 🎨 The Parallel Realities digital collage series by Turkish #artist Uğur Gallenkuş takes us beyond statistics and into the deeply human stories behind hunger, conflict, and inequality and guides us towards action rooted in hope. We were joined by an inspiring lineup of speakers, performers, and changemakers. - Dr. Ergogie Tesfaye, Minister of Women and Social Affairs, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia - Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations - Dr. Felipe Paullier Olivera, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, United Nations Youth Office - Ms. Marina Ponti, Global Director, UN SDG Action Campaign - Ms. Eldana Samuel, Chairperson of Nefas Silk Lafto sub-city’s Child Parliament/Member of the Ethiopian and Addis Ababa city Child Parliaments - Prof. Bekele Mekonnen, Contemporary Visual Artist, Poet and Educator, Addis Ababa University - Ms. Nzambi Matee, Founder of Gjenge_Makers, a Nairobi-based social enterprise - Dr. Million Belay, General Coordinator, Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) - Mr. Njathi Kabui, Chef and Expert in Food Literacy - Ms. Paola Andrade, Founder of ecuadordicenomas - Ms. Chioma Ogbonna, Singer-Songwriter and Artivist - Ms. Yordanos Yohannes, Yared School of Music, Addis Ababa University - Mr. Rocky Dawuni, Singer-Songwriter, 4x Grammy-nominated Musician, Activist, and UN Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador Co-Moderators: - Mr. Valerio Cataldi, Africa Correspondent for Rai - Radiotelevisione Italiana - Mr. Shiferaw Lakew, Ethiopian Broadcast Journalist A heartfelt thank you to the Governments of Ethiopia 🇪🇹 and Italy 🇮🇹 for their commitment to inclusion, creativity, and transformation. Watch the Action Day Youth Event on demand: https://lnkd.in/erDFcfbv

At #UNFSS2025, I’m honored to stand alongside the next generation of food system #changemakers — young people who are not only growing food, but growing movements rooted in justice, equity, imagination, and #sustainability. Their leadership has the power to boost the global economy by $1.5 trillion and shape a future where everyone can afford a healthy, dignified life. But they cannot do it alone. We must invest in #youth, shift decision-making power, and foster #creative, inclusive spaces where ideas can flourish — where #storytelling, innovation, and the #arts become tools for transformation. 🎨 Because #art is a universal language — one that transcends borders, generations, and cultures. It helps us feel what statistics cannot express, opens our eyes to new realities, and inspires us to act. It brings together the energy of youth with the wisdom of traditional knowledge to drive collective action. That’s why I’m especially proud of the event, “Young People as Changemakers: How Art and Creativity are Driving Sustainable #FoodSystems,” co-hosted by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia 🇪🇹 and Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale 🇮🇹, and the UN SDG Action Campaign, spotlighting youth voices, UN #SDGAwards winners, and #artists like Uğur Gallenkuş who are confronting inequality and sparking transformation through #creativity. Let’s #ActNow across generations because a better future starts with the seeds we plant today and with the truth we dare to tell. Watch our Action Day Event on demand: https://lnkd.in/dXtMPf52

Live from UNFSS+4 in Ethiopia! 🌍 It’s happening now: our high-level session with FAO—“Listening to Practitioners: Barriers and Enablers of Food System Transformation”—is bringing voices to the global stage. From government representatives to farmers’ groups and civil society, today’s dialogue explores the structural barriers holding back progress—and the governance solutions helping drive it forward. From ideas to action—these are the moments that drive global progress. ➡️ Tune in! https://lnkd.in/dj698CKm #UNFSS2025 #GlobalGoals Photos: UN SDG Action Campaign/Mohammed Mostafa

⏰️ 1-hour countdown to our UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake Action Day Youth Event, co-organized by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia and Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, and the UN SDG Action Campaign. What to expect? 📺 Join LIVE TODAY for an intergenerational dialogue on transforming #foodsystems. 🎨 Through the compelling collages of the renowned Turkish artist Uğur Gallenkuş, the event will explore how #art can shift narratives — from acknowledging systemic #inequalities to inspiring hopeful action. 🎶 Three musical performances by Rocky Dawuni, singer-songwriter, 4x Grammy-nominated musician, activist, and UN Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador; Chioma Ogbonna, singer-songwriter, and artivist; and Yardanos Yohannes. The event will spotlight: ✅ Youth changemakers, including 🏆 #SDGAwards winners ✅ The power of art and creativity to inspire action ✅ Intergenerational, cross-sector collaboration between national governments, UN entities, changemakers, artists, #civilsociety, and grassroots organizations 🗓 Sunday, 27 July 2025 🕑 14:00-15:30 EAT / 13:00-14:30 CET / 07:00-08:30 EDT 📍 Africa Hall, UNECA Conference Centre, Addis Ababa 🎥 Watch LIVE from United Nations Web TV, UN YouTube, UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and learn more: https://lnkd.in/erDFcfbv

⏰️ 1-hour countdown to our UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake Action Day Youth Event, co-organized by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia and Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, and the UN SDG Action Campaign. What to expect? 📺 Join LIVE TODAY for an intergenerational dialogue on transforming #foodsystems. 🎨 Through the compelling collages of the renowned Turkish artist Uğur Gallenkuş, the event will explore how #art can shift narratives — from acknowledging systemic #inequalities to inspiring hopeful action. 🎶 Three musical performances by Rocky Dawuni, singer-songwriter, 4x Grammy-nominated musician, activist, and UN Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador; Chioma Ogbonna, singer-songwriter, and artivist; and Yardanos Yohannes. The event will spotlight: ✅ Youth changemakers, including 🏆 #SDGAwards winners ✅ The power of art and creativity to inspire action ✅ Intergenerational, cross-sector collaboration between national governments, UN entities, changemakers, artists, #civilsociety, and grassroots organizations 🗓 Sunday, 27 July 2025 🕑 14:00-15:30 EAT / 13:00-14:30 CET / 07:00-08:30 EDT 📍 Africa Hall, UNECA Conference Centre, Addis Ababa 🎥 Watch LIVE from United Nations Web TV, UN YouTube, UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and learn more: https://lnkd.in/erDFcfbv

🗓️ Save the Date! As part of the #UNFSS2025 Action Day, join the UN SDG Action Campaign LIVE for an intergenerational dialogue on transforming #foodsystems — co-organised by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia , Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, and the UN SDG Action Campaign. Through the compelling collages of the renowned Turkish artist Uğur Gallenkuş, the event will explore how art can shift narratives — from acknowledging systemic #inequalities to inspiring hopeful action. The event will spotlight: ✅ Youth changemakers including #SDGAwards winners ✅ The power of art and creativity to inspire action ✅ Intergenerational, cross-sector collaboration between national governments, UN entities, changemakers, artists, #civilsociety and grassroots organizations Watch LIVE from the United Nations Web TV, and learn more: https://lnkd.in/erDFcfbv