Closing Session | Stage 1
Host: SDG Action Zone
The closing session will resurface the most inspirational, thought-provoking, and surprising statements made throughout the week.
In a reflective tone, it will also delve deeper into the opportunities ahead. Drawing out some of the boldest, biggest ideas and solutions shared across the week, speakers will delve into the power of collaboration, the power of diverse voices and viewpoints, and the individual insights and actions that are far greater than the sum of their parts. The closing session will look forward, highlighting how we can effectively harness this inflection point for transformative change, if we harness it together, and we truly dare to reimagine.
Speakers
Nadira Hira is a writer, host, and passionate progressive known for her distinctive voice and the compelling conversations she’s used it to create. Nadira’s spoken everywhere from Google and Disney to the United Nations; appeared on the likes of NPR, HBO, and CNN; and explored the far reaches of modern culture for many print outlets, including Newsweek and Fortune, where she did some of her favorite journalism as a staff writer chronicling the Millennial generation. A would-be poet, professional sports fan, and proud graduate of Stanford University, Nadira’s eternally grateful to call Brooklyn, New York, home.
As the Global Director of the UN SDG Action Campaign, a special initiative of the Secretary-General to inspire, mobilize and connect people from every part of the world to take action for the SDGs, Ms. Ponti is at the vanguard of innovative campaign initiatives, multi-stakeholder coalitions, and long-term partnerships with a wide range of organizations, ranging from governments, the creatives, activists, the private sector and the United Nations. Ms. Ponti was also one of the main architects of the UN Millennium Campaign - the predecessor of the UN SDG Action Campaign – where she served as Global Deputy Director and Regional Director for Europe for over a decade.
Dawda Jobarteh is the Global Head of the UN SDG Strategy Hub, located in the United Nations Office for Partnership. The SDG Strategy Hub is aimed at catalyzing SDG advocacy and coordination to inspire action.
Dawda has an entrepreneurial spirit and has worked in academia, policy, and business, in the nexus of partnerships, sustainable development, innovation and transformational change.
Hannah leads on the conceptual development, strategy, project planning, team management, production and delivery of high-level, international flagship events and special projects for the UN SDG Action Campaign. Since their conception, Hannah has been the project lead for the annual SDG Global Festival of Action in Bonn, Germany and the SDG Action Zone each September.
Partnerships
| Host: SDG Action Zone |, Christina Michalski (SDG Strategy Hub / United Nations Office for Partnerships), Dawda Jobarteh (SDG Strategy Hub / UN Office for Partnerships), Hannah Messenger (UN SDG Action Campaign), Marina Ponti (UN SDG Action Campaign), Nadira Hira (Master of Ceremony)