Look closer. These fish are made up of water bottles. #recycle

From June 20-22, the United Nations hosted a gathering of world leaders, NGOs, and brilliant minds in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The conference was called Rio+20: The Future We Want, and according to conference organizers, there were a few core goals that they intended to focus on:

“The official discussions will focus on two main themes: How to build a green economy to achieve sustainable development and lift people out of poverty, including support for developing countries that will allow them to find a green path for development; and how to improve international coordination for sustainable development. Governments are expected to adopt clear and focused practical measures for implementing sustainable development, based on the many examples of success we have seen over the last 20 years.”

To many people, this seemed to be an opportunity to continue moving forward with programs and initiatives that are working across the world, as well as learn from our collective mistakes and take measures that they aren’t repeated. There were also great expectations that the United Nations would be delivering a comprehensive, formal document outlining sustainable development goals.

However, in a recent article from The Guardian, there appear to be a large number of attendees that were upset about the draft that was released at the beginning of the conference, saying:

“…the new text simply acknowledges the world’s dire environmental and social problems without spelling out how to deal with them. …environmentalists were dismayed at the weak language on valuing ecological services and tackling unsustainable levels of consumption and production, anti-poverty campaigners were unhappy at the lack of initiatives on food and financing.”

Here is the full text of the official “Future We Want” document.

Sustainability is one of the most important aspects of our work at Invisible Children, especially when it comes to programs on the ground in LRA-affected areas. We have always been intrigued by discussions surrounding sustainable programs worldwide.

-Brady

(Image from ThisIsColossal)