Written by Maria Stefanova, Thailand Programme Manager.….
In 2015 Global leaders sat together to agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) to ensure a better world by 2030. The agenda recognizes the most pressing challenges for human beings at present and in the coming years. The SDG’s call for action was adopted by 193 countries adhering to with 169 targets and 230 measurement indicators. The SDG’s recognise that to eradicate poverty, safeguard the natural environment and create equal well being and development opportunity for people, governments, institutions, business and individuals across the globe need to join forces and tackle these issues through collective and focused work.
The work that is being done now and the choices we make today will define the life we set for our future generations. That’s why we need to make the right choices today, reach the minds and hearts of young and old, create a sense of ownership and build a bridge between Individuals and collectives contributing toward the achievement of the SDGs.
As an organisation having sustainable development at the heart of our work, FutureSense has been championing the SDG’s over the past four years, integrating the goals across all our community development endeavours. In fact, all our hubs from Thailand to Peru and from Nepal to Tanzania contribute to the sustainable development goals.
FutureSense Thailand embraces the SDG’s mission, which in Thailand is closely linked with the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP). The SEP is a core principle of Thailand’s path towards sustainable development.
In Thailand, we align our work with both the SDG’s and the SEP’s, and the 20-Year National Strategy Framework promoting moderation, reasonableness, and in all areas of life.
We are being productive and below are some of the initiatives and projects we have integrated with the Sustainable development goals. While the second largest economy in South East Asia and the consistency in achieving robust economic growth, in 2018 Thailand was deemed the country with the highest wealth inequality in the world.
Future Sense Thailand is committed to improving nutrition knowledge and raising awareness on good practices especially for children and hill tribe communities.
In the last year, FutureSense Thailand delivered 284 emergency medical response awareness raising workshops and 416 hours of health workshops. In June 2019, two Paramedic groups from Australia came to Thailand to further our mission and drive our health and well-being programme by supporting the local hospital with basic health screening, delivering first aid training workshops for local schools and the wider community. They have also worked on improving our health and nutrition modules which are designed to raise awareness in the communities we work with.
The FutureSense Foundation is committed in its mission to achieve the United Nation’s Goals for Sustainable Development. FSF Thailand believe that together we can achieve a fairer world!
Our partnership with an Elephant Park is contributing to sustaining 500 hill tribe employees working at the park, supporting animal rescue missions and helps with animal conservation through the volunteer groups who get involved in daily task such as preparing food for the elephants, helping to keep the animal enclosures and the park clean, planting grass and lending a hand with running the dog and cats shelters. We believe together we are stronger and our passion and dedication will lead more projects and collaborative work in the future.
This year, FutureSense Thailand has embarked on a new and exciting journey to improving the livelihood of rural hill tribe farmers through coffee cultivation and the introduction of small sustainable business practices.
Coffee cultivation is not only a way of strengthening livelihoods but also a means for increasing biodiversity, regeneration of slashed and burn areas, reforestation and reducing air pollution. FutureSense Thailand has partnered with Curtin Business School in Australia to kick-start this programme. A group of ambitious high achievers is currently doing the groundwork and exploring viable ways to create value and drive income into small rural communities. This is only the beginning and we are looking forward to seeing more of the young bright individual of tomorrow getting immersed in local initiatives and applying their knowledge to further our mission.
Together with our partner elephant park, the Mae Seraing Hospital and a number of local and hill tribe schools, the team at the local hub together with and all FutureSense volunteers, we believe that together we can inspire to make a difference one step and one idea at a time.
