SDG Music Guide

Your Guide to Music and the SDGs COPYRIGHT INFORMATION © Center for Music Ecosystems www.centerformusicecosystems.com No reproduction or copying of this work is permitted without written consent of the authors. Your Guide to Music and the SDGs Cover Image: © Adobe Stock/JinnaritT Design: www.aliceclarke.com Center for Music Ecosystems supports the Sustainable Development Goals 1 Dear Music Lover, This guide is our attempt to offer I want to thank my co-authors a different language of value and partners in this pursuit - to tie Thank you for downloading and ask you to look at music music to all the Global Goals in an and reading the inaugural differently. It is not just a song, honest way and propose solutions report from the new but a way to improve people's and actions to take forward. This global NGO, the Center lives. And when incorporated into includes many UN agencies and for Music Ecosystems. the globally codified language private sector organisations, Through my work at Sound of sustainability, the Global many of whom are thanked at Diplomacy over the past Goals, it is immensely powerful. the end of the report. And to all 8+ years, I've seen that We see this day in day out at of you, thanks for reading. This is while the appreciation of Sound Diplomacy. Music is worth the beginning of the Center for Music Ecosystems. Join us. As The music has accelerated, so much more to all of us. Beatles continue to remind us, the recognition of it in This is the objective of the Center it's getting better all the time. global policy has not. for Music Ecosystems. It will commission and deliver research Music is part of all of us, part to expand the value of music in of our humanity. We've seen global policy frameworks. This is that in how we've used it to get increasingly important as we look through the COVID-19 pandemic. to recover from a devastating It has been a consoler, a friend, pandemic, where poverty and Kindest Regards, companionship. And with that, the hunger are rife and the climate Shain Shapiro PhD Photo: © Adobe Stock/Piotr Piatrouski amount of music being listened to emergency is increasing. And around the world has increased. in this international year of the Founder & Executive Director, But in most places, it was not creative economy, now is the time Center for Music Ecosystems the songwriters and artists who to be deliberate and intentional benefitted from this increase. Founder & Group CEO, about music – because it can Sound Diplomacy More music being listened to make all lives better, everywhere. did not translate to more music rooms in schools, more music incorporated into healthcare Welcome strategies, or more music industry investment by governments, who in tune are spending our money. In fact, musicians have Shain Shapiro PhD, Founder & Executive Director, Center for faced increasing hardship. Many Music Ecosystems and Founder & Group CEO, Sound Diplomacy have left the profession. Photo: © UN Costa Rica 2 3 Foreword We must #TurnItAround The Music industry is It is with great conviction that for people and planet already making a difference the UN SDG Action Campaign collaborates with the music and the SDGs are our Long before COVID, the music Marina Ponti, Director of United Nations industry and welcomes this Guide framework for action industry began incorporating the SDG Global Action Campaign to bring together the Music SDGs into its business models The COVID-19 pandemic has industry, culture, and arts – one by addressing its environmental affected the lives of people of the worst-hit by the pandemic footprint; striving to address its everywhere and forced us to look – in a more sustainable, just, own systemic gender inequalities at the world with different eyes. and equal recovery by providing and connecting its huge platforms We have had to truly reinvent good examples that can be for a more just and equal society. the way we work, interact with scaled and built upon moving Examples range from the each other and adjust to the forward, a guiding light for others first-ever gender equal line-up to major shifts the world is facing. to follow. This Guide is the zero-waste and more accessible Yet despite the hardships, even first step to developing a SDG events, to zero-tolerance when faced with lockdowns music network to bring together against discrimination. Artists and grief, the world came like-minded individuals and donated their platforms and together to support each other organisations to unite and upscale encouraged their fans to adopt and celebrate their common their efforts to make music and more sustainable lifestyles, to act experiences through song. This is culture a driver of the Goals. the power of music, it can raise against racism and inequalities, our spirits, heal us, and create a and to support solidarity We must make this year a turning sense of collective belonging. measures. The Music industry can point for people and the planet in create an enabling environment all aspects of our lives, and work With every challenge comes for people that provoke debates, towards an inclusive, just, and opportunity. The world is educate, and drive ideas and equal world for all. Together we learning from these lessons, actions to raise awareness can – and will – turn it around. and via global solidarity and of individual responsibility partnerships we go back to work aligned with the Goals. to turn things around for people and the planet, calling for a An open‑source guide transformative societal shift. The for a more sustainable Sustainable Development Goals music industry embody this transformation. Marina Ponti, The music industry, much like And to achieve them, every Director of United Nations the UN SDG Action Campaign’s one of us has a part to play. SDG Global Action Campaign mandate – can inspire, connect and mobilize people all over the world. It is a natural ally to accelerate the SDGs, and with Photo: © UNICEF/NIGB2010-0199/Pirozzi this Guide, provide an entry point to fully align with the SDG framework of transformation. 4 5 The last years have seen many the IMC and EMC are embedded The IMC and EMC are happy initiatives and good practices in the IMC’s 5 Music Rights that to collaborate and to share highlighting the nexus between support the achievement of many experience and ideas on future the SDGs and the cultural SDGs as we strive to ensure the endeavours. There is a need for sector in Europe such as the right for all children and adults creating new narratives on how Voices of Culture, a dialogue to express themselves musically culture and here in particular how with the European Commission, in all freedom, to learn musical music, with its three dimensions on “Culture and the SDGs: languages and skills and to have – artistic, social and economic Challenges and Opportunities” access to musical involvement – can help UN Member States in which the EMC with 44 other through participation, listening, strive for a better and more cultural organisations participated creation, and information. In sustainable world by 2030. and produced a report with addition, the right for all musical policy recommendations and artists to develop their artistry best practice examples on how and communicate through all Photo: © Adobe Stock/Marco Lissoni culture can support the SDGs media, with proper facilities at along with why culture should their disposal and to obtain just be a stand-alone SDG post and fair recognition for their work. Silja Fischer, Simone Dudt and Ruth Jakobi, 2030. IMC and EMC joined These values are reflected Silja Fischer, forces with seven other cultural Secretary General of the European Music Council and International Music Council throughout this guide which networks to implement SHIFT, demonstrates the importance International Music Council a project on how to achieve of the IMC 5 Music Rights and three of the 17 SDGs through how the SDGs can reinforce and cultural leadership, co-funded support the work of the music The 17 Sustainable Music Council (EMC) by the Erasmus+ programme sector. The IMC and EMC highly Development Goals (SDGs) have been advocating of the European Union. welcome the initiative of the were adopted in 2015 as a for the recognition of These initiatives complement Center for Music Ecosystems to Simone Dudt, common goal and vision to culture as the 4th pillar of each other and take a different connect each of the SDGs to the Secretary General of the angle on how the cultural world of music and thereby bring “end poverty, protect the development together with European Music Council planet and improve the lives other cultural organisations sector can contribute to the together like-minded networks and prospects of everyone, and networks, it is of sustainable agenda and this is to unite and upscale their efforts also reflected in this SDG guide. to make music and culture an everywhere” to be achieved utmost importance to essential part and a stand-alone by all UN Member States stress the role of the The International Music Council goal of the SDGs in the future. by 2030. Although arts cultural (and music) sector was founded upon request of and culture have not been as a driver and enabler for UNESCO in 1949 and as such attributed a specific goal, achieving the SDGs. has its origins in the belief that music can be a driver for peace Ruth Jakobi, it is clear that the cultural Your Guide to Music and social cohesion. Together Secretary General of the and music sector have a and the SDGs is a great with its regional groups, among European Music Council key role in achieving more initiative from the music which the EMC represents sustainable societies.

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