Global Policy in a Box: The Sustainable Development Goals As Boundary Objects in Glocal Agenda 2030 Implementation

• In Event: Innovating, Interrupting & Regenerating the Human-Technology Frontier - II

Abstract

The policy implementation of Agenda 2030 has implied that actors interact with the 17 icons of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The colorful icons appear in Twitter messages, webpage campaigns and pamphlets from organizations ranging from UN to companies, Swedish municipalities and civil society, i.e. organizations with different rationales. This presentation focuses on the inclusion and enactment of the SDG goals in situations where the Agenda 2030 is implemented. In communication campaigns there are cardboard boxes each carrying a number and icon explaining which out of the goals it represents like zero hunger, improved health, education for all, gender equality, smart cities, transparent and inclusive institutions or enhanced international cooperation on science and technology that are interesting in this context.
The material is from participant observations from workshops about digital inclusion and sustainable development aiming for collaborative work to “visualize” the SDGs in digital boxes for educational and business communication purposes. The analysis focuses on how the global policy Agenda 2030 with the specific goals become a boundary object when implemented in glocal contexts. I am interested in the digital material of the SDG boxes in interaction with people, and how to understand the SDGs as boundary objects (Star 2010) in these situations. It is the collaborative work to digitalize, visualize, operationalize and play with the goals (SDGs) among programmers, companies, civil society that gets attention.

Author

• Karin Skill, Linköping University