Press Release: 2020 Awards
The Local Project Challenge has been an effort to encourage implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals by actors in education, the professions, and civil society. The project team has been excited by the extraordinary number of excellent projects and thank all who participated in the Local Project Challenge.
We urge you to explore all projects, videos, and websites, and to see which Goals and targets were considered. We urge you to make comments about projects, to ’like’ those you find compelling, and to exchange ideas with project entrants. We suggest you incorporate the SDGs in your next project. When UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Local Project Challenge website, he said:
“I encourage you to share this important gallery with colleagues, fellow students, friends and family. I encourage everyone to ask how the SDGs can be incorporated in our daily lives. Their widespread adoption will help realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and create a more equal and livable future. To all who have taken this first step by submitting their projects to create this extraordinary resource, my warmest congratulations.”
UN SG Ban Ki-moon
Our thanks to the International Panel who reviewed Stage 1 and 2 projects. Given the number and diversity, this was not an easy task. In an initial review to establish a shortlist of twenty-eight projects for the International Panel, the LPC team asked these questions:
- Does the project tell its story clearly?
- Does it present a convincing way to accelerate one or more of the SDGs?
- Could it inspire others to action?
- Will the project teach viewers something useful about processes or outcomes?
Through the People’s Choice Vote, we invited public opinion on any of the projects. Over 7000 votes were received, with all 110 projects receiving some votes.
Awards were presented on February 12, 2020, at the UN-HABITAT World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi as part of our “Accelerating the SDGs through the LOCAL PROJECT CHALLENGE” networking event. See the event presentation and read more about LPC at WUF-10.
Awarded projects demonstrate great diversity in type, scale, place, and intention. Many are inspiring examples of how the SDGs can be incorporated into local projects. Many of our Panelists commented on their impressions overall.
- “There are so many Stage 1 projects of note. I could make many awards.”
- “The projects are inspiring!…and show that the SDGs can help…”
- “Our preference is for projects that tell a clear story, empower communities and generate tangible impacts through strong partnerships.”
- “I loved every one of the shortlisted projects. I thought they were all highly focused and had engaged communities in meaningful ways. However, my bias was towards projects that took a pro-active role in implementing change…There are a million ideas to change the world unless you realize them- it doesn’t matter”.
The awards team hopes that as a result of participating in the 2020 international Local Project Challenge all entrants will find increased local support for their work and for the Sustainable Development Goals.
Anna Rubbo, Elliott Sclar, Lance Jay Brown, Theodore Liebman, Silvia Vercher, Bruno
Mendonca, Amanda Abrom.
International Panel Awards
Honor Awards
Education
- Design Curricula for a Resilient 21st Century
Dublin, Ireland
Civil Society
Professional
- Crosswalk: 250 Metres of Happiness
New Delhi, India
Merit Finalist Awards
Education
- Participatory Design and Planning in Tubicanga
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Zero Waste – Total Wealth
Delhi, India - Community Plumbing Challenge
Untia Village, Indonesia
Civil Society
- SoCCS in Support of Girls
Uttar Pradesh, India - Kibera Public Space Project
Nairobi, Kenya - ‘Suddo Neuve’: Rethinking Habitat
Kedougou, Senegal
Professional
- Biripi Clinic
Purfleet, New South Wales, Australia - Puttenhalli Lake as Urban Commons
Bangalore, India - Bikes for Business
London, United Kingdom
Innovation in Education Awards
- Student Visions for Guayaquil’s “New City”
Guayaquil, Ecuador - Mumbai’s Port Lands Re-imagined
Mumbai, India
People’s Choice Award
- Light: Leadership for Social Empowerment
Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
LPC at WUF10
The World Urban Forum, organized by UN-Habitat, “is the foremost international gathering for exchanging views and experiences on sustainable urbanization.”
