The Hero Awards, in collaboration with Afghan Women Rising, are spearheading an initiative to build the world's largest 'solution engine' for the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This project, formulated during the Geneva plenary session, involves converting each of the UN's 169 targets into prompts for AI bots, starting with platforms like OpenAI's GPTs, Gemini's Gems, and Claude Artifacts. These bots will evolve into full-fledged AI assistants capable of continuously updating themselves and executing actionable workflows that drive progress toward the SDGs.
Key to this effort are members of Afghan Women Rising, young women in Afghanistan who are denied formal education under Taliban rule. They design and refine the AI prompts online, then hold in-person discussions to add a human element. 'Having these girls design the prompts allows them to sidestep the ban against schooling,' says Program Director Amy Chang. 'They gain valuable experience building projects that contribute to sustainability both locally and globally, preparing themselves for a future where their talents will be vital for their country.'
The girls are inspired by the writings of J. Kutcher, particularly her metaphor of garden plant growth representing the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual development of young women. When a protocol is completed, its creator becomes eligible for a Hero Award, requiring the suggestion of previously unknown strategies for advancing UN targets. Successful efforts are publicized on the Hero Awards website and in press releases.
Since the program launched six months ago, individuals from other Global South organizations have requested involvement. These include PARI (People's Archive of Rural India), focused on underserved populations in rural India; Siku.org, serving First Nations in the Canadian Arctic and Greenland; Cybersmartafrica.org, a group of teachers and students in Senegal preserving local cultures and improving digital literacy; Terrastories, an open-source application for South American and Amazonian indigenous communities to map and share oral histories; and Winyama, an Australian indigenous group using cultural mapping to document Dreamtime stories, songlines, and biological data.
June Hero Award winners include Tara Jensen, Maria Ortiz, Herman Matsui, and Wilhelmina Searles. More information can be found at the Hero Awards Substack and the subreddit. The UN Goals and Targets are detailed at the UN SDGs website.
This initiative not only advances the SDGs but also empowers marginalized communities, particularly Afghan women, by providing them with practical skills and a platform to contribute meaningfully to global sustainability efforts.
