The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

During recent past the world has transformed in many ways. One of the rapid changes that has emerged is in the form of outreach to unseen areas. This has become possible due to internet communication in marginalized and remote areas especially in developing countries. As a business incentive, cellular companies invested a lot so that their business could flourish due to extended supply chain and value chain. Being a global village, the same effect came to Pakistan but due to a lack of planning at all levels; our grass roots population could only reap the benefits of using the internet as a communication service. It’s extended use in the development of society as an enabling tool in education, health and agriculture, economic empowerment rate could not be achieved.

Sustainable Development Goals in parallel brought forward a globally negotiated agenda of change, based on milestones achieved during the era of MDGs. Unluckily, being on a very low level in MDGs, we could not take the desired start in SDGs. There is an urgent need to get Pakistan aligned with the proven success story of SDGs especially in developing countries in Asia, Africa, Arab world etc.

The project as below is being submitted with highest regard for all stake holders and a vision to engage them all in aligning the development agenda of Pakistan with rapid digital transformation and taking the benefits of ICTs to the grass roots level.

Based on versatile (national and international) experience dealing with public and private sector organizations of all partners, the vision “SDGs for All” aims to address the core issue of “filling the gaps” in the development sector of Pakistan especially in the fields of health and education. Since SDGs is already a negotiated agenda of rapid development, it has been considered of vital importance to align universities, NGOs, business communities, technology companies and grass roots champions in the achievement of development targets set under SDGs in its 17 goals, 169 targets and 232 indicators. This gigantic task can only be achieved by bringing all partners on one page and to move forward with a road map and engaging all partners with a win-win situation.

Project SDGs for All would be launched in mid June 2019 with the following objectives:

1. SDG-1 defines the elimination of poverty and its allied strategies. “SDGs for All” aims to focus on SDG-1 considering it the most vital goal as it is linked with all initial 6 goals consisting of health, hunger, education and human economic empowerment.
2. The partners have joined hands together and are bringing to the table the required skill sets, infrastructure resources and already made networks in universities, government, NGOs and business communities etc.
3. Starting from 15th of May, a need assessment survey would be carried out with the help of university students to identify the regional/local issues with a corresponding study of SDGs for a forced impact in particular areas.
4. With the understanding that HD TV would provide satellite based 4G/5G bandwidth, the content, solutions and services would be provided to the grass roots on an internet based delivery system in partnering with local partners.
5. Mr. Ammar Jaffri, under his initiative E-Pakistan, already has outreach to many remote areas of Pakistan and his partner network would be approached initially for the service under the slogan “learn, earn and lead”.
6. In view of the fact, the Government of Pakistan, Planning Commission, Federal Bureau of Statistics and Higher Education Commission has already aligned their future plans with the SDGs. It would be very prudent at this stage to take the first move advantage by connecting the missing dots and showing quick results to the donor organization and other relevant stake holders initially interested to leverage the latest technologies for rapid development at the grass roots.
7. Mr. Jaffri is currently leading 3 emerging technologies IoT, AI and Block Chain through his lead companies and has a vast network of subject specialists and middle tier team to implement these technologies with the help of university students (through their FYPs). Mr. Jaffri is already managing “Uni Plus”, which is engaging fresh university graduates in new technologies under the initiative “engage community learning”. This project would supplement the development initiatives in un-served areas of Pakistan through local colleges and universities.