McMaster will hold two events on Wednesday, Dec. 2 as part of a global interactive “listening tour” organized by the United Nations to mark its 75^th anniversary.

The discussions, called UN75 Dialogues, will address challenges and solutions related to two of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 3, “Good health and well-being,” and SDG 13, “Climate action.”

The first dialogue, “Investing in Health for an Equitable Future,” is hosted by the McMaster Model United Nations, the Global Health Office and the Office of International Affairs, and will include a collaborative panel discussion on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all people at all ages.

The panel participants are:

• Andrea Baumann, McMaster’s associate vice-president of global health and director of the WHO Collaborating Centre in Primary Care and Health Human Resources
• Bonny Ibhawoh, chair of the United Nations Mechanism on the Right to Development and the Senator William McMaster Chair in Global Human Rights
• Peter Singer, special advisor to the director general of the World Health Organization

“Global connectivity has never been so important,” says Baumann. “In this new world of virtual reality, access to thought leaders is more important now than ever before.”

Attendees will be able to participate in the panel discussion through polling, surveys and a Q & A session.

All are welcome and encouraged to participate – especially students. Registration is free.

“COVID-19 is creating health, social and economic crises globally, and is affecting young people around the world,” says Ibhawoh. “If you can lend your voices as students, this will aid in the global conversation.”

On the same day, the student-led Global Collective Podcast, which explores current global health challenges, will launch a new episode that will also be a UN75 Dialogue. Called “Climate Crisis – A War We Can Win,” the episode features Josipa Petrunic, the founder of the Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium, a non-profit organization dedicated to zero-carbon mobility and transportation across Canada.

The Global Collective Podcast is available on the Global Health Office’s website, Apple Music, Spotify and other podcast streaming services.

The McMaster community is also invited to participate in a UN75 survey to share thoughts and opinions about current world issues as well as the state and future of global governance. The survey is available until Dec. 30.

The dialogues are one of several global engagement initiatives supporting the McMaster global engagement strategy, which aims to fostering a culture of global awareness in the campus community and provide students, faculty and staff with opportunities to actively engage in critical discussion about challenges facing our world.

Ideas shared during UN75 Dialogues sessions will be compiled into a formal report to be distributed online by the UN. As well, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will share feedback gathered through the initiative at the UN General Assembly, which will then inform strategies for the next 25 years.

“It is very exciting to see the engagement of our students in matters of real and immediate societal relevance,” says Peter Mascher, McMaster’s vice-provost of international affairs. “The United Nations provide a global forum for such engagement and McMaster’s contributions to the 75^th anniversary celebrations are examples of our vision for a Brighter World.”