BY PREKSHA SARAF, STAFF REPORTER
The 100K Deeds Challenge aims to raise awareness and inspire youth to take action for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Everyone around the world has the capacity to serve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by taking action through small commitments and deeds that together create a big impact. A deed is any action that contributes to the furthering of one or more of the SDGs. To date, we have logged thousands of deeds across all 17 SDGs. They range from raising awareness about a topic through student-led workshops to everyday deeds that further the SDGs to large-scale campaign actions that have immense impact.
A FEW PLANS IMPLEMENTED IN THE PAST AND A IDEA OF PLANS WHICH CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE 100K DEED CHALLENGE IN THE FUTURE :-
We just implemented our inaugural 24 Hour Challenge which encouraged youth changemakers to accomplish as many deeds as possible relating to SDGs 1 and 15 within a 24 hour period in teams of 4. While this was an internal challenge, we plan to introduce this to all in the near future.
In 2017, SaPa – Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts launched a pilot 10,000 Deeds campaign in partnership with UNICEF to encourage young students to perform deeds to serve the SDGs in their families, schools and communities. The campaign was kicked off by co-founders Bindu and Ambi Subramaniam with a music video by The Thayir Sadam Project. A select number of schools in Bangalore adopted the program, where students were given a pamphlet with examples of simple ways to serve the various SDGs. Students were each given a “Deed card” to fill out and return, describing their deed and the relevant SDG. MUN Impact was inspired by the 10,000 Deeds campaign and launched the 100,000 Deeds Challenge in January of 2021.
THE INSIDE THOUGHTS OF Ms. Christine – THE CO Secretary General of 100k Deeds.
My favourite part of 100K is how action orientated we are. As the upcoming generation, it is our duty and responsibility to create a more sustainable future for all. Although the UN and governments around the world have taken various initiatives to combat the various daunting global issues we face, we often forget that we can also contribute meaningfully to combating such world issues by taking steps in our everyday lives – from making small, conscious decisions that better the world to raising and spreading awareness about current affairs – these are all ways that we can help create change. The 100K Deeds Challenge brings together and motivates youth to carry out such individual deeds that aim to help further the 100K Deeds Challenge. It is only through youth changemakers like us that we can continue initiatives that continuously aim to better the world. I will forever be impressed and inspired by how much impact that we, as a group of like-minded youth changemakers can have on the greater world.
QUESTION TIME :- The thought about the negligence of the present youth generation and how can we move forward making them a part of our program ?
That is definitely an issue that collectively, as a generation, we are facing. In many other cases, while many of the present youth generation are aware of current issues, they feel helpless and have no idea how they can contribute to the solution. This is why raising take direct action is such a core component of our mission at 100K Deeds. Awareness about the Sustainable Development Goals and encouraging the youth to take direct action is such a core component of our mission at 100K Deeds.
100K Deeds at Summit 3.0:
Session 3.A will be conducted by three of our most promising student contributors of the 100K Deeds Challenge – Luna Mercuri, Komal Gupta and Tanisha Saxena and is called Climate change: impacted terrestrial ecosystems? When asked about their session they told us, “the workshop will talk about the impact of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems. The main topics to be discussed are: what SDGs 13 and 15 are, the United Nations Environmental Programme, harmful impacts of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems, such as vulnerable/extinct species, our field experience and a description of an action campaign organised by MUN Impact, the 100K Deeds Challenge.”High school students: Meera Ranjan (Head of India, 100K Deeds Challenge) and Prince Santosh Kumar (Diplomat at MUNI Global) will be presenting Travel Responsibly! – Sustainable Tourism, on the very same day, 3rd September. “The COVID 19 Pandemic has set back sustainability by many years of efforts. The Tourism Industry is one of the worst hit and countries are working to revive it. During this revival, it is important that sustainability is ensured simultaneously with development. This workshop will inform participants about the importance of sustainable tourism, and how they can help as tourists/ citizens to foster sustainability in their communities”, they explained.
On Day 2, Session 10.A will be hosted by 17 year old Maria Teresa Egea Diaz and 14 year old Tanisha Saxena, of 100K Deeds Challenge. Their area of focus is SDG 8: What has COVID-19 changed?. “The aim of the workshop is to discuss different viewpoints on the topic and highlight the idea that all actions count to achieve the 2030 Agenda. At the end of the session, participants will be able to ask questions and take part in a quiz”, they have described. Day 3 will also see Maria and Meera host a workshop, this time on Equality? Equity? Take your pick! The workshop will explain the theme of equity and its relationship to the Sustainable Development Goals.