United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Course And Sustainable Mountain Development Advocacy

Since 2011, members of the Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), a coalition of student clubs at Utah Valley University (UVU), advocate for sustainable mountain development (SMD) in the State of Utah and at the United Nations (UN). 

This year, new team members will learn how through the Student-Engaged Learning (SEL) model to transform classroom learning into real-world advocacy. SEL encourages students to address pressing issues facing mountain communities by working as a group under faculty mentorship. Moreover, they will also understand that SEL makes their voices heard even at the UN.  

In the Spring Semester course “United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” the textbook Transforming Multilateral Diplomacy by Macharia Kamau, Pamela Chasek, and David O’Connor helps with their preparations. It provides historical context on the development of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the challenges of multilateral diplomacy, including competing interests and negotiation strategies, and allows students to gain hands-on experiences in entry-level diplomatic skills such as negotiation, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement.

A co-author of the textbook, Ambassador Macharia Kamau was a co-chair of the UN Open Working Group (OWG) to discuss which SDGs to select by interested stakeholders worldwide for the approval of the UN General Assembly from 2013 to 2015. During his 2017 visit to UVU, he congratulated UIMF members with their contributions to SDGs.  

Students will also be lectured by previous UIMF leaders how their initiatives fit in the context and process of the adoption and implementation of SDGs.    

• John McClure, UIMF President from 2011 to 2013 will speak about advocating for SMD during the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro (RIO+20) in 2012; 
• Jesler Molina, UIMF President from 2013 to 2015 will speak about advocating for the mountain targets, proposed by the United Nations Mountain Partnership during the session of the OWG on SDGs on December 11, 2013 
• Tony Medina, UIMF President from 2015 to 2016 will speak about hosting the International Women of the Mountains Conference under the umbrella of the UN Mountain Partnership in Orem, UT on October 7-9, 2015;  
• Christian Jensen, UIMF President from 2015 to 2016 will speak about hosting the UN International Mountain Day as a series of events at UVU from September to November 2016, including with the Utah District Rotarians.   
• Samuel Elzinga, UIMF President from 2019 to 2021 will speak about advocating for the SMD during general debates of the Ministerial meeting, High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development on July 19, 2028 
• Derek Garfield, UIMF Vice President from 2017 to 2018 will speak about hosting side and parallel events at the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2018.  
• Alitha Thompson, the first women-President of the UIMF (2021-2023) will speak about hosting a side and a parallel events during the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women in March, 2023,    
•  Dr. Rusty Butler, UVU Vice-President for International Affairs and Diplomacy (1994-2016) and a main representative of the NGO in general Consultative status with the UN ECOSOC will speak about contributing t students efforts to advocate for SMD in the State of Utah and at the UN.  

                               Editor 

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Mountain Partnership About the Program

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