Date July 21, 2025 15:30 - 18:00

Location: Tzu Chi Center for Compassionate Relief. 229 East 60th St. NY, NY

Co-Organized By: AHAM Education, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, and the Loretto Community

Background: 

Hosted on the sidelines of the High Level Political Forum at the Tzu Chi Center, this offsite event—“Storytelling for Hope: Living the SDG Lifestyle” is part of a series of interactive storytelling circles cohosted by AHAM Education Inc , Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, and the Loretto Community, that brings together policymakers, practitioners and community members to reflect on how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are already being integrated our daily lives, and how we can do more to meet and surpass the 2030 Agenda.
Together we elevate lived experiences, explore how changemakers are shaping the culture of their communities, reframe, envision and normalize an “SDG lifestyle” for the masses as we design a better world for everyone to live in. 

With less than five years left to achieve the SDGs, and with many goals lagging behind their targets, it has become clear that a culture shift is needed. This HLPF focuses on 5 specific SGDs:

• 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, 
• 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls), 
• 8 (Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all), 
• 14 (Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development), and 
• 17 (Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development).

While these goals may seem daunting and ambitious, to make meaningful progress, we must transform the aspiration of “Living the SDG Lifestyle” into concrete, tangible action. Storytelling for Hope brings together these perspectives with the UN and broader community to envision and co-create a better today and tomorrow.

The following questions will be explored in dialogue with participants of the side event:

• What does an SDG lifestyle look and feel like at home, school, work?
• How might we integrate the Sustainable Development Goals into our daily lives? What SDG values can we apply to our daily routine?
• What are we already doing well to meet SDGs called by a different name and how can we replicate this?