Solving the Solvable in Global Health, Agriculture, and Youth Employability

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 7, 2017 /3BL Media/ – PYXERA Global and partners convened more than 200 leaders and innovators at the Global Engagement Forum: Live in Washington, D.C on April 4 and 5. The two-day Forum dove into global challenges outlined by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically with regards to hunger (reducing post-harvest loss), global health, and youth employability. The Forum was a one-of-a kind convening created with a highly collaborative and participatory focus to bring together individuals from private, public, and non-profit sectors.

“Every company depends on a much bigger context than themselves. Whether in the emerging or developed world, business success is bound to the health of the operating environment. The role for business in regards to the Sustainable Development Goals is not in donating, but in making money by solving social problems. Shared value is a strategy to find a competitive advantage to solving social problems,” said Mark Kramer, Co-Founder & Managing Director, FSG.

Using a methodology developed by CollaborateUp, forum participants teamed up to create Collaborative Canvases—roadmaps of actionable concepts to address each solvable problem, and the resources, partners, and strategies needed to bring these ideas to fruition.

"To scale innovative solutions that close the skills gap, we need replicable models that can be brought to scale globally. P-TECH is one such model that many companies across the US and internationally are embracing.  Working with the New York City public schools and CUNY, IBM created the first grade 9-14 P-TECH SCHOOL in 2011. This year marks P-TECH's first graduating class where 35 percent of its students completed high school and college ahead of schedule, far surpassing the nationwide graduation rate for all community college students. These kind of results require deep collaboration with the public sector to get the right stakeholders invested in a successful solution," said Stan Litow, Vice President of Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs, IBM and President, IBM International Foundation.

PYXERA Global and noteworthy organizations such as RTI International, The Lewis Institute & Babson Social Innovation Lab, School of Visual Arts, PSI, and SCAD will co-produce a series of publications to carry through the commitments made at the Forum and inspire future action and partnership on these imminently solvable issues.

For those who could not join the Global Engagement Forum: Live in person, there will be the opportunity to engage at a number of future events, including the Shared Value Leadership Summit on May 9 – 10 in New York City.

A Path Forward to Create Enduring, Systemic Change

“Certain global challenges can be distinguished as solvable because the tools, practices, and resources exist to successfully resolve them,” said Deirdre White, CEO, PYXERA Global. “Our conceptualization of “solvable problems” is framed within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals—focusing on specific problems to offer a path forward to create enduring, systemic change.”

The Global Engagement Forum: Live brought together leadership, vision, collaboration, and resources from the public, private, and social sectors to create clear commitments on three issues that are entirely solvable:

Post-Harvest Loss

At its heart, the Forum’s approach to post-harvest loss focuses on creating a sustainable supply chain from the field to the marketplace. An efficient, productive food system with minimized loss is the goal—and one that is well within reach. A vital aspect of solving this global challenge is to help all stakeholders in the value chain recognize the opportunity.

One way the Forum’s post-harvest loss track sponsor, Dow Chemical is tackling this issue is through its Packaging and Specialty Plastics business. The Company’s innovative plastic packaging materials help reduce food waste throughout the supply chain by protecting food from being abused or destroyed, guarding against contaminants and sealing in freshness.

Non-Communicable Diseases

Within the time frame of the Global Goals, cervical cancer can be virtually eliminated, and Type 2 diabetes and hypertension prevalence and complications can be significantly reduced. The most viable solutions to all three diseases require the collaboration of governments, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations to ensure availability of screening and treatment. Track sponsor, PSI, understands that the need for all sectors to be committed to finding, scaling, and implementing solutions in order to significantly reduce non-communicable diseases.

Youth Employability and The Skills Gap

The skills gap is a solvable problem given the private sector’s understanding of the professional skill sets in demand, as well as its ability to support curriculum and skills development. Strategic partnerships between private sector employers and public education systems can lead the way to prosperity and purpose for tomorrow’s workforce.

About PYXERA Global

@PYXERAGlobal

Join Solving the Solvable: PYXERA Global Engagement Forum: Live on April 4-5, 2017 in Washington, D.C. to connect with leaders focusing on key solvable problems within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals).

For more than 25 years, PYXERA Global has leveraged the unique strengths of corporations, governments, social sector organizations, educational institutions, and individuals to enhance the abilities of people and communities to solve complex problems and attain mutually beneficial goals.

The PYXERA Global team is passionate and dedicated to navigating challenges and pinpointing purposeful global engagement opportunities for its clients and partners. Initiatives include a wide range of services from local content development to global pro bono programs and integrated community development efforts that transform lives and livelihoods.

Contact: Katie Levey
Director of Media Relations, PYXERA Global
klevey@pyxeraglobal.org
917.593.1989