A common goal to support and realise the ambitions of SDG4.7

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Our Shared World

Our Shared World brings together a large network of actors seeking to advocate for and support the successful realisation of SDG 4.7 across England by 2030, equipping our society to create a more sustainable, fairer, peaceful and resilient world.

The urgency of addressing complex and interrelated global challenges such as climate justice, the COVID-19 pandemic and racial and economic justice cannot be overstated.

The student climate strikes, #MeToo movement, COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter have revealed the pressing need – and opportunity – to ensure both formal and non-formal education systems include stronger elements of active citizenship. SDG 4.7 outlines the high-quality education for sustainable development and global citizenship that is needed to support and motivate people – especially young people – to tackle these global challenges. Set within the wider framework of the SDGs, SDG 4.7 emphasises the connections between global challenges – for example, to address the climate emergency we also need to understand its connection with other issues such as poverty or girls’ education.

Convened in 2019, OSW is a broad network of nearly 100 organisations including universities, INGOs and local NGOs, teacher and student unions, subject associations and UNICEF.

All share a common vision based on the educational themes of SDG 4.7 and recognise that how we educate is as important as what we educate about. Co-chaired by CoDEC and SEEd, OSW is a directed network with distributed organisation involving a dynamic governance structure. In 2021, the network is focussing on the first two of its objectives: shifting the narrative on the purpose of education and sharing evidence about successful approaches to SDG 4.7. There are five working groups who deliver on these objectives:

  • Social movement building group
  • Action Learning and Research group
  • Coordination group
  • Purposeful policies group
  • Evidence and Research group

The OSW network includes:

For more information or to join the network and support one or more of these working groups, please contact us: ann.finlayson@se-ed.org.uk