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Do you have an artistic talent and a creative mind? Do you want your designs to be featured at UNICEF, shared with United Nations and contribute to promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? We are calling on you to design a representation of the SDGs and we want them to be distinctly Chinese, drawing on the rich Chinese culture!  It could be a set of poster/s, ceramics, paintings, statues, jewelry, poems… Well, anything imaginable (or unimaginable). Amaze the world with your creativity! 

What are SDGs?

The SDGs, also known as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, is a set of seventeen aspirational "Global Goals". The SDGs guide development, inspire Governments to do more, to reach specific goals to improve the situation of people particularly the most vulnerable. 194 United Nations Member States, including China, adopted the SDGs during the UN General Assembly in September 2015. UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), is actively working with the Government of China to implement the SDGs, particularly to improve the lives of the most vulnerable children in this country. 

Specifically, the SDGs are: 

1.     End poverty in all its forms everywhere

2.     End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

3.     Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

4.     Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

5.     Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

6.     Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

7.     Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

8.     Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

9.     Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

10.  Reduce inequality within and among countries

11.  Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

12.  Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

13.  Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

14.  Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

15.  Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

16.  Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

17.  Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

Now, we encourage you, artists, designers and young people in China, to come up with unique, creative designs to represent the SDGs. Your designs will demonstrate your keen commitment to the achievement of development goals for the people, bringing your artistic interpretation of each of these important goals that affect the lives of everyone. 

Contribute to the SDGs with Creativity

·       Help communicate the message of the SDGs to the Chinese audience.

·       Share your interpretation of the SDGs with the broader United Nations community in China and around the world.

·       Your design will be showcased at UNICEF and potentially our Government partner's establishments. 

Requirement

·       Design a collection of ceramics/posters/statues/icons/poems/songs/ceramics/clothing (or any other form of your choice) to represent the 17 sustainable development goals!

·       The design should have distinct Chinese characteristics, drawing on rich Chinese culture.

·       The design should clearly convey the SDG message.

·       The design should be of reasonable size to be showcased (no miniature sculptures or soccer field sized posters).

·       There is no limit to the style, medium, complexity or simplicity of your design. In fact, you don't need to be trained in arts. Everyone is encouraged to be creative!

·       You may (and are encouraged to) work in teams.

Evaluation Criteria

Your designs will be appreciated and evaluated by United Nations staff as well as art and design experts. Desired designs will:

·       Have distinct Chinese characteristics,

·       Clearly translate the SDGs into an easily understandable artistic language,

·       Reflect your understanding of the SDGs,

·       Be creative and unique,

·       Be easily shareable online and offline so that more people can be inspired to learn about the SDGs. 

How to Submit

Please send a digital version of your designs toaddress chn-sdgdesigns@unicef.org, with title “SDG design” by May 1^st, 2017. 

Please note all submitted designs must be your (or your team's) original work. If selected, you agree to use an open source license (such as a Creative Commons License) for the designs. You agree to allow UNICEF to use your designs for free for non-commercial purposes, and you will not profit financially from the work.