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08:16

Rural Development

This chapter discusses differences among regions and the long run trends in rural poverty, and specifically the “great escape” from poverty that comes from the structural transformation out of agriculture into more diverse activities that comes with urbanization as mortality rates fall, and then fertility and birth rates fall and population growth rate declines, while in the meantime, the rural population growth rate rises. These rural population growth rates vary greatly globally,…

09:26

Introduction: The Oceans and Sustainable Development

The global ocean connects us all and provides our livelihoods, the oxygen we breathe, and transportation, among other things. The ocean is included in SDG 14. This course will try to provide a deeper understanding of the complex understanding of the ocean, environment, and climate system. Humans receive resources from the ocean, as well as risks. There will be weekly lectures on different topics, including the basic physics of ocean circulation, the ocean ecosystem, how the deep ocean works,…

10:48

Existing Structures of Global Governance

This chapter is about global governance and structures to deal with complex global environmental problems. Governance is a set of complex interactions between state and non-state actors at the global level.There are several key trends to look at in global environmental governance, including the increase in international environmental agreements and the involvement of more actors. These have led to fragmentation, segmentation, and decoupled decision making, as well as increasing inter-linkages…

08:25

Bridging the Digital Divide

This video introduces the concept of the digital divide, addressing the socio-economic goods that can come out of the digital world while also highlighting the continuing inequalities that currently exist within it. This video is licensed under the CC BY-NC-SA license.

06:04

Social Communication for Social Change

Sarah Bradshaw argues that if we want to change rates of violence, we have to change the way violence is understood and change attitudes about violence in society. In Nicaragua, a feminist non-governmental organization called Puntos de Encuentro used media to highlight ideas about violence, including a popular television show that discussed issues like violence and homosexuality in a conservative society. The show jumpstarted discussion around how attitudes can change simply by promoting…

07:33

The Challenge of Urban Politics, Planning and Governance, Part II

Urban politics comes down to making decisions with short, medium, and long-term impacts in a context of scarce resources between competing priorities, making planning very important. Types of planning include spatial planning, strategic planning or growth management planning, spatial literacy planning, precinct-level planning, and other intersectional types of planning. This is considered through the case study of the City of Johannesburg, South Africa. Watch Part I This video is licensed…

16:20

What is "One Health"?

01:22

How to Achieve the SDGs - Trailer

On September 25, 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with a new set of goals collectively called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This ambitious agenda is a call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.This 7-module massive open online course (MOOC) provides an in-depth look at planning for SDG implementation. We will discuss financing, policy development, roles…

12:40

Hitting Planetary Boundaries

The sixth wave of globalization is the one expected to characterize the 21st century. In this chapter, Professor Sachs provides an overview of the Planetary Boundaries framework and discusses the reality that, due to the scale of human population and economic activity, we are detrimentally changing our planet’s physical environment. The Planetary Boundaries are a set of limits that humanity needs to observe for the well-being of our own species and the future of our planet; they are…