SW 111SEM—Media Advocacy and the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Living and Leading in a Global World

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of interlinked objectives designed to address some of the major challenges faced today by people around the globe. They are a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future” (United Nations, 2022). Students will learn how to recognize superficial representations of global issues, and of other regions of the world, and how these misrepresentations can negatively shape public perception, and affect foreign aid and other policy decisions. They will learn the knowledge and skills needed to inform more effectively about issues, applying a global human rights perspective and the SDGs to educate and influence decision-makers through media outlets that matter to them. Students will also learn about the values associated with rights-based work; values such as cultural humility that are important for the social work profession and for cross-cultural engagement.