Heroes of Tomorrow: a conversation with Marina Ponti

Next May 21, at 10:30 a.m. in Sala dei 146 (IULM 6), IULM University will host a Lecture by Dr. Marina Ponti, Global Director of the United Nations SDG Action Campaign.

The United Nations Action Campaign for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG Action Campaign) is a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, through the Executive Office of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) based in Bonn, Germany. The Campaign has a mandate to engage, raise awareness and catalyze positive change toward the Sustainable Development Goals, while promoting a rethinking of the socio-economic system and forms of active participation so that they serve people and the planet. Hence the focus on young people, the world of universities and forms of art and communication as tools for cooperation. The Campaign touches on areas such as human rights, gender equality, climate defense, food security, digital, peace, financial architecture and the new generations

In this sense, the title of the meeting, "Heroes of Tomorrow", refers to an international award dedicated to those who work silently, to build a sustainable future on the ground and in innovative ways, as in the case of the latest winner, Julienne Lusenge, a human rights activist who supports thousands of victims of gender-based violence, promoting peacebuilding in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Special guest speaker for the lecture at IULM will be Marina Ponti, Global Campaign Director and former lead on several global initiatives, including the UN Millennium Development Goals Campaign and the award-winning #TurnItAround and #FlipTheScript campaigns, which have promoted more than 350 million actions for the SDGs in 190 countries around the world. Marina Ponti has worked on innovative global mobilization initiatives, building broad coalitions and long-term partnerships with civil society, local governments, the media, the private sector, and the UN system. She has also served as Special Advisor to the UN 2030 Agenda final negotiations process and has held leadership roles at UNICEF, the UN Secretariat, and Catapult, a pioneering crowdfunding platform for advancing the rights of girls and women.

The event, organized in collaboration with the Master's in Communication for International Cooperation and Nonprofit and the Master's in Communication for International Relations at IULM University, will include greetings by the Deputy Pro-Rector, Prof. Guido Formigoni, a brief introduction by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Fashion and Tourism, Prof. Massimo De Giuseppe, and the Lecture by Marina Ponti, with a space for questions from the audience

The meeting is open to all while seats last.