Our Focus Areas

Over the last 10 years, Global Shapers self-organized to deliver thousands of grassroots projects from skills development to reforestation to policy change initiatives, improving the lives of those who often are beyond the reach of local governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Through these projects, the Global Shapers Community has made, and continues to accelerate, progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Global Shapers change systems and cultures, seeking to redress inequalities and raise the agenda of important issues.

Acknowledging the breadth and complexity of global issues, the Global Shapers community in 2021 identified six new impact areas, providing a framework to accelerate the accomplishment of the SDGs.

 

  • Protect the Planet

    Reduce emissions, fight drought, respond to natural disasters, preserve biodiversity, converse nature, promote sustainable consumption, and more.

  • Deliver Basic Needs

    Respond to local disasters, take humanitarian action, end hunger, fight extreme poverty, and more, to support the world’s most vulnerable communities.

  • Reskill for the Future

    Provide all people with better education, skills and jobs to ensure no one is left behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, along with promoting new standards of work, digital literacy, online safety, and more.

  • Create Inclusive Communities

    Advocate for human rights, modernize social norms and disrupt harmful stereotypes related to gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, homelessness, statelessness, and more.

  • Strengthen Civic Engagement

    Empower minority leadership, mobilize citizen voting, inspire youth to run for local politics, ensure representation in decision-making and solution-building at all levels of society, and more.

  • Improve Health and Well-being

    Achieve health equality, ensure access to health services, address the social determinants of health, advance youth mental health support, respond to pandemics, and more.