this is the 76th year of the united nations; but something ain't right; for 70 years those who met to represent nations had no language for mapping the exponential interactions of humans, machines and nature in communities where children grow up, and if leading tech wizardy is scaled at 100=silicon valley then it might get 10 at most places the un works most urgently many of which are not yet on electricity grids 

in 1984 i co-authored the 2025 report with my father, the economist's norman macrae; we mapped out common sense deadlines - eg it was vital early 21st c media demanded that peoples everywhere became aware and committed to solve man's greatest risk as the differences in incomes and expectations of rich and poor nations"; to me 9/11 with my daughter aged 4 living in washington dc was more than a tragedy; it showed that the 100 times more tech we have been playing with every decade as von neumann's 1957 legacy (see dad's bio of von neumann) had spiralled viciously off course as happens when increasingly few men sitting in high courts built by slaves make decisions for all of us; i wanted to rewind where my father had spent his last days as a teenager stationed facing the bay of bengal as navigator in allied bomber command

and after a few false starts i found a man who had spent his last 50 yeas mapping challenges on the ground og the billion poorest asian women; he was a practical engineer having been promoted to regional ceo of royal dutch oil company where a million of his compatriots were killed by a cyclone in 1970

sir fazle abed saw the first 5 sustainability goals as integral dimensions of any community's sustainability but unlike many westerners including mr and mrs clinton who came to bangladesh as the open university of banking for the poor almost everyone of the 100000 fieldworkers of brac was first and foremost a skils educator

 

the idea that education is a linear process is neither human nor right- nor separable from sustainability's gravitation of 5 life-shaping goals wherever families communally start up. No need to wonder why human race is on verge of extinction when world's biggest intellectual celebrations eg nobel prize have ignored educators who value children as places' greatest asset and lost the intergenerational purpose of edu. NB Its just 10 years ago that the first ever global education prize wise2011 awarded to abed 4.2 - wise's 6 other laureates 4.3 twice; 4.4 once; 4.5 once ; 4.2,3,5 twice - it wasn't until the 4th round of yidan prize that a council of luminairies inspired by legacy of fazle abed was designed so education could be mapped as a non-linear jigsaw puzzle

 un desa as described harvard innovation frontiers 2008 ash institute

Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations The Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) of the United Nations Secretariat is a vital interface between global politics and national action in the economic, social and environmental spheres. Within DESA, the Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) is entrusted by the General Assembly with implementing the United Nations Program in Public Administration and Development. Since its inception in 1948, this program has consistently promoted the importance of sound public administration for the political, economic and social development of all nations. DPADM is organized around four thematic and functional areas that support public administration on the national level: (i) governance and public administration, (ii) socioeconomic and governance management, (iii) knowledge management and E-government, (iv) public administration networking. DPADM assists Governments in strengthening their public policy making and service delivery systems, reinforcing their public sector human resources capacity, and improving the overall efficiency of their governance systems and institutions. The DPADM focuses on disseminating information and sharing knowledge, providing technical cooperation and an international forum for the exchange of national experiences. The Division’s comparative advantage is in its ability to identify and respond effectively to emerging global trends and challenges using its extensive knowledge base, professional expertise and network. Through its broad global reach and distinct mandate, DPADM contributes to improving public administration and governance in the development process. For more information: www.un.org/esa/desa/