United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Before we left for India on our fellowship, we were given some resources to review. One of those resources was the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  As per their website, "The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. The Goals interconnect and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve each Goal and target by 2030."  

They have an excellent website with great information, resources, and tips on how to take action including "The LAZY PERSON'S guide to SAVING the WORLD".  One of my favorite parts of the website is how it details the 17 goals identified and allows you to really explore each topic in depth. Each goal also includes quick "facts and figures", specific goal targets, and additional links.  At the end of each page is an additional resource on Why that goal matters and how to learn more about it.

Another take action link on their webpage is the "Be the Change" Initiative that encourages us all to "walk the talk" and personalize our intentions in our own lives.  "Every little step helps--inform your family, your friends and your community about simple actions they can take in their daily lives." You can also find the link to 170 Daily Actions to Transform the World or print out a brochure on it. (Language Arts teachers make sure to note this brochure comes in 8 different languages!)


Those 17 goals are as follows:

Goal 1: No Poverty

Goal 2: Zero Hunger

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being

Goal 4: Quality Education

Goal 5: Gender Equality

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Goal 12: Responsible Production and Consumption

Goal 13: Climate Action

Goal 14: Life Below Water

Goal 15: Life On Land

Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals


For more details on these goals

https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

You can also follow them on social media:

Twitter: @GlobalGoalsUN

Facebook: Global Goals for Sustainable Development

Did we visit Bangalore or Bengaluru? The answer is yes, they're one in the same.

Bengaluru is the capital of Karnataka, although most Westerners may know it better as Bangalore. Also known as the "Silicon Valley of India", there's a strong connection of technology to Bangalore. But as strong of a push to modernize the city, there was also one to bring it back to its past by reestablishing its former name. But it finally happened, November 1, 2014. That is the official date that twelve cities were renamed, Bangalore now Bengaluru was one them. According to the Times of India posting from the same day the changes were made, one of the advocates for the change described it as thus:

The name-chance is the first step (to cope with retaining identity in the times of globalization and an increasingly Anglicized world). It is to force English language to accept--within its sound system--a word like Bengaluru, which ends in a vowel rather than consonant. But the only way to survive in the modern world is by being bilingual...What we need is an education system where English is taught but the medium of instruction is Kannada. By this, we can establish our own conclave in the globalised world.

This movement was a long time coming, as the twelve-city renaming proposal was made in 2006, but then stalled for an additional eight years. It finally got approval in October of 2014 and the twelve cities officially renamed November 1, 2014. One of the other cities on our itinerary was Mysore which also had been renamed in 2014 and was now referred to as Mysuru.  The other cities that changed in 2014 were as follows:

Bellary to Ballari
Belgaum to Belagavi
Bijapur to Vijayapura
Chikmagalur to Chikkamagaluru
Gulbarga to Kalburgi
Hospet to Hosapete
Hubli to Hubballi
Mangalore to Mangaluru
Shimoga to Shivamogga
Tumkur to Tumakuru

Most of the changes refer to the cities themselves and not necessarily to the established institutions, or private companies located in those cities. Renaming of cities is not new to modern India. The following is a list of modern changes that reflect this awareness-raising restoration in the indigenous version of city nomenclature.

1991 Trivandrum was renamed Thiruvanthapuram
1995 Bombay was renamed Mumbai.
1996 Madras was renamed Chennai
2001 Calcutta was renamed  Kolkata in 2001
2006 Pondicherry was renamed Puducherry
2008 Poona was renamed Pune
2011 Orissa was renamed Odisha

**A little more about Bengaluru -**
Bengaluru first appeared as Bengaval-uru in a veera galls (literally meaning hero's stone) dating back to the 9th century. The rock edict found in Begur belonged to the era of the Ganga dynasty and was inscribed in 890 CE, historians say. Begavaluru means "city of guards". Another legend has it that Bangalore was actually Benda-kaalu-ooru" (town of boiled beans) during 12th century. Kempegowda, a feudal lord, chose Bendakaluru for his capital in early 16th century. Bendakaluru grew into Bengaluru and in colonial times, the name was anglicized as Bangalore. As Bangalore acquired many layers of meaning, in 2005 Jnanpith awardee U R Ananthamurthy first proposed that Bangalore be renamed Bengaluru.  (Times of India)

The city has in recent decades metamorphosed into the country's IT capital, earning it the tag the Silicon Valley of India, as also as Biotech capital, after its early forms as a Pensioner's Paradise and Garden City. With explosive growth and cracking infrastructure, the city has now earned the notorious distinction as "Garbage City".  (The Economic Times)


Resources:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/It-is-official-Bangalore-becomes-Bengaluru/articleshow/45000684.cms

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/bangalore-becomes-bengaluru-11-other-cities-renamed/articleshow/45002333.cms