12 village mayors recognized for advancing UN SDGs
At the Mayors Council of Guam meeting Wednesday, July 7, the Guam Green Growth (G3) team awarded plaques to twelve village mayors for their efforts in advancing the first and second Sustainable Development Goals of “No Poverty” and “Zero Hunger.”
The mayors were recognized for their participation in the Guam Green Growth Commitment (G3C) badge program. The G3C program recognizes and rewards participation from businesses, organizations, educational institutions, and community groups in developing and creating sustainable practices that align with the Guam Green Growth Action Framework and the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
At the MCOG meeting, Dr. Austin Shelton, UOG Center for Island Sustainability director, said, “We would like to recognize the first few mayors who committed to the Guam Green Growth Initiative and these Sustainable Development Goals. We are offering badges to earn in the Sustainable Development Goals — no poverty and zero hunger —- and we are thankful to the mayors who have stepped up and shared the initiatives that you are doing.”
Annania Nauta, G3 project coordinator, awarded the plaques to the mayors of Agat, Barrigada, Dededo, Hagåtña, Humåtak, Inalåhan, Mangilao, Mongmong-Toto-Maite, Piti, Sinajana, Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon, and Yona for the sustainable efforts at their respective villages.
Actions that could make an organization or mayor’s office achieve a badge include assisting with food commodity distribution or supporting backyard farming. The badge program will be rolled out over five years, starting with badges for poverty and hunger and gradually advancing through all 17 SDGs.
“The G3 Badge Program is important because achieving goals to end poverty and hunger will hopefully produce healthy and sustainable communities,” said MCOG President and Mayor of Piti Jesse Alig. “The mayors and vice mayors continue to work collaboratively with the Conservation Corps to educate and execute projects that support the Sustainable Development Goals.”
At the MCOG meeting, three members of the G3 Conservation Corps also spoke about strengthening partnership and collaboration with the different villages through the G3 Conservation Corps initiative.
Alana Chargualaf, G3 Conservation Corps member, said the UN SDGs offer a holistic approach to bringing the island to where it needs to be. “Not just environmentally, but through education. How we interact with each other — and the inafa’maolek and harmony that we always talked about and we try to promote. We can carry those out through our 17 Sustainable Development Goals,” she added.
Meanwhile, Joey Certeza, another G3 Conservation Corps member, said the village-based cleanup and beautification activities with the mayors is just a start. “(In Yigo) We collected 33 trash bags in just one portion of the village but we are just a group of 12. Imagine if we collaborate better to do a village effort, to do an islandwide effort,” Certeza said.
The G3 Conservation Corps (G3CC) program prepares the community for the emerging green economy. The program is aligned with the current island-wide efforts to achieve sustainability and other UN SDGs.