As part of the activities for Social Security Week 2016, the Anguilla Social Security Board collaborated with the University of the West Indies Open Campus Anguilla to host the 2nd Annual Distinguished Lecture “The UN Sustainable Development Goals and Social Protection: A Pragmatic Application to Anguilla” by Dr. Emily G. Dick-Forde, Head of the Programme Planning Department, UWI Open Campus. The event was held on Thursday, 3rd November 2016 at La Vue Conference Room.
Dr. Dick-Forde prefaced her lecture with an overview of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their targets, which were launched in September 2015 with a deadline of 2030. The Lecture was in keeping with the theme for Social Security Week – “Social Security, A True Commitment to Anguilla’s Sustainable Development”. It was not just about a pragmatic application of the SDGs to Anguilla, but also to Social Security and highlighted a key finding that there is a nexus between sustainable development and social security systems. “One assigns a liability to future generations while the other insists on us leaving the planet as we found it or better for future citizens.”
Dr. Dick-Forde shared the classic definition of Sustainable Development from the Brundtland Report as “that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” It was also pointed out that “sustainable development implies economic growth together with the protection of environmental quality, each reinforcing the other.” She stated that “the essence of this form of development is a stable relationship between human activities and the natural world, which does not diminish the prospects for future generations to enjoy a quality of life at least as good as our own.”
Dr. Dick-Forde selected and addressed three of the SDGs and their targets in her lecture. These were: Goal 2 – End Hunger; Goal 3 – Good Health and Wellbeing; and Goal 4 – Quality Education. In her pragmatic application to Anguilla, Dr. Dick-Forde pointed out that “human development focuses on the richness of human life; and sustainable work is a major building block for sustainable development. This, she said, “becomes critical in the link between Social Security and the ability of future generations to fund the pensions and benefits for tomorrow’s senior citizens and other eligible beneficiaries in the future.” Dr. Dick-Forde posited that “there must be a focus on creating and encouraging innovation for and pursuit of meaningful work that improves for generations going forward. Additionally, good governance is essential for sustainable development. The continued sustainability and viability of the Social Security System, for the benefit of generations of Anguillians requires participation by all – responsible leaders and responsible citizens!”
Dr. Dick-Forde concluded her lecture with a poignant quotation from Isabel Ortiz, head of the ILO’s Social Protection Department: “Imagine a world where all older persons receive a pension; a world where all persons with severe disabilities receive benefits for a life in dignity. Imagine a world where all women receive maternity and child support so kids can eat, study and play; a world where there is support for those who are poor or without jobs. A world where no one is left behind. This is the world we want in 2030. A world with no poverty and fewer inequalities, a world with social protection for all.”
The Lecture was well attended by a cross section of persons from the community, including Government officials, large numbers of senior students from the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, the Debating Society and the Comprehensive Learning Centre. The audience was very engaged in the discussion that followed the Lecture, where most of the questions and comments came from students.
By all accounts, the 2nd Annual Distinguished Lecture 2016 was indeed a success. The Social Security Board and the UWI Open Campus Anguilla express their gratitude to all who were involved in the planning and preparations for hosting the Lecture, thank all those who attended, and look forward to their continued support.
– Press Release
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
