Sounding good and the United Nations'
The sustainable development goals are a global compass for peace and prosperity for people and the planet. They were adopted by all Member States of the United Nations in 2015. 
By progressing cultural sustainability and social justice for artists and communities, each of the Sounding Good case study projects advances several SDGs. Read how below.
Advances SDG 3 Good Health and Wellbeing, by promoting cultural participation, cultural strength, a sense of cultural identity, and better social and cultural conditions for Cambodian people living rurally
Advances SDG 10 Reduced Inequality, by progressing the causes of equity and access to culture and learning for people living rurally
Advances SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, by expanding opportunities for rurally-dwelling people to participate meaningfully in the social and cultural lives of their communities
Advances SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, by promoting a just, peaceful, and inclusive Cambodian society and by contributing to repairing historical traumas
​​​​​​​Advances SDG 3 Good Health and Wellbeing, by promoting cultural sustainability, a strong cultural identity, and better social and cultural conditions for First Peoples in Australia
Advances SDG 10 Reduced Inequality, by progressing the causes of recognition, equity, and justice for Australian First Nations people across cultural and racial domains
Advances SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, by a promoting just, peaceful, and inclusive society and by contributing to reconciliation and the repair of historical and ongoing wrongs against First Nations people​​​​​​​
Advances SDG 3 Good Health and Wellbeing, by promoting cultural participation, a strong cultural identity, and better social and cultural conditions for Indigenous and African-descendent people in Brazil
Advances SDG 4 Quality Education, by ensuring that the musical practices, cultures, languages, and knowledges of diverse local peoples are represented in formal education
Advances SDG 10 Reduced Inequality, by progressing the causes of fairness, equity, access, and participation across cultural, racial, and educational domains
Advances SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, by promoting a just, peaceful, and inclusive Brazilian society and by building more effective and inclusive educational institutions
​​​​​​​Advances SDG 1 No Poverty, by providing livelihoods and generating income for people living rurally in West Bengal, and by advancing the economic resilience of their communities
Advances SDG 3 Good Health and Wellbeing, by promoting cultural participation, cultural strength, a strong cultural identity, and improved social and cultural conditions for people living rurally
Advances SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, by providing meaningful employment and income for artists, and by helping to grow the local economy
Advances SDG 10 Reduced Inequality, by progressing the causes of participation, access, and equitable opportunity for people living rurally, across cultural, economic, and educational domains
Advances SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, by making rural villages more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable across social, economic, and cultural domains
Advances SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, by promoting a just, peaceful, and inclusive society and by building more effective and inclusive partnerships with government and civil society actors​​​​​​​
portraits of saharawi music, Western Sahara / algeria
​​​​​​​Advances SDG 3 Good Health and Wellbeing, by promoting cultural participation, cultural strength, a strong cultural identity, and improved social and cultural conditions for a displaced people in north-west Africa
Advances SDG 10 Reduced Inequality, by progressing the causes of political and cultural justice for a refugee people, and advancing their efforts to achieve self-determination and independence
Advances SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, by establishing safe opportunities for cultural expression and learning, in ways that promote human connection, resilience, and hope
Advances SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, by promoting just social conditions where human rights are respected, and by building partnerships with government and civil society actors to that end​​​​​​​
Advances SDG 3 Good Health and Wellbeing, by promoting cultural participation, cultural strength, a strong cultural identity, and improved social and cultural conditions for a small-island Pacific community
Advances SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, by providing culturally meaningful employment and income, especially for women, and by helping to grow the local economy
Advances SDG 10 Reduced Inequality, by enabling women to participate more fully in the cultural and economic development of their community
Advances SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, by making a small island settlement more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable across economic, cultural, and social domains
Advances SDG 13 Climate Action by empowering Indigenous people from a small Pacific island community to meaningfully and powerfully engage in international climate discussions and decisions
Advances SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, by promoting a just, peaceful, and inclusive society where local ecologies and natural environments are acknowledge and cared for
While these are perhaps the key relationships between the case study projects and the SDGs, many further connections can easily be drawn.
Vanuatu Women's Water Music advances SDG 1 No Poverty and SDG 5 Gender Equality too: it empowers women and girls to generate income and contribute to the economic development of their small-island community, and enables them to participate in international climate and cultural advocacy.
The Rural Craft and Cultural Hubs enable artists and other community members to participate in training and education (SDG 4 Quality Education), and by increasing women's cultural participation, income, and social mobility and standing, they promote SDG 5 Gender Equality too. They also expand local industry and infrastructure, especially those relating to the tourism and cultural sectors (SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure). 
Indirectly, the Khmer Magic Music Bus and Meeting of Knowledges advance SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth: both employ artists of traditional cultural practices in their programs. 
Vanuatu Women's Water Music and Rural Craft and Cultural Hubs promote ethical tourism, including the SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production of cultural goods and services.
Through the water-related cultural practices Etëtung and Bhatiyali respectively, Vanuatu Women's Water Music  and Rural Craft and Cultural Hubs contribute to SDG 14 Life Below Water. They raise awareness of the local environmental, ecological, social, and cultural value of water and water ecologies, and stimulate action. 
And the Rural Craft and Cultural Hubs and Portraits of Saharawi Music (in particular) are advancing SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals. They both mobilise and strengthen partnerships between local communities, public institutions, civil society, governmental stakeholders, and non-profit organisations.
Through the case studies, Sounding Good illustrates innovative and creative ways to progress the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. 
It brings visibility to the work of musicians and communities around the world who are successfully using cultural expressions to advance sustainable development. 
It also illustrates how culture-bearers, communities, and other stakeholders can work together on common sustainable development aspirations, for everyone's benefit.
Learn more about the sdgs
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