Co-creating a systems change towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

[L-R] Yoshana Premarathne (Programme Coordinator), Shabnam Hilal (Social Impact Fellow), Abdul Baasit Sathar (Co-Founder/ Director), Madhavie Warnakulasuriya (Programme Coordinator), Darshatha Gamage (Co-Founder/ Director), Gimhani Rathnayake (Manager - Communications & Advocacy), Mohamed Husni (Co-Founder/ Director), Hakshala David (Manager - Knowledge Management), Usama Liyaudeen (Manager - Community Relations & Engagement), Gayathri Karannagoda (Programme Analyst). Absent: Chamath Kalupahana (Stakeholder Analyst)

Now more than ever we feel a sense of urgency, with only a decade left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We live in a society where inequalities triumph and inequalities deepen when citizens lack access to engage with and influence the decisions that affect their lives and when policies fail to address their needs.

Building back better from COVID-19 demands that we redouble our ambition in this Decade of Action. steps into the picture with aspirations to bring critical players together and ensure that no one is left behind. This unique organisation is a proactive breeding ground for equitable solutions that would also help achieve SDGs and its related discourses and ideas to be shared and brought to fruition.

With a mission to connect the unconnected, impart knowledge through advocacy and facilitate to unlock the potential of citizens for Social Development and Innovation, IMPACT VOICES focuses on a citizen-centric approach to drive sustainable solutions.

Co-founder Mohamed Husni states, “At IMPACT VOICES, we advocate for Conscious Leadership at all levels; and design strategic programmes re-imagining civil society, economies and governance to scale-up transformative changes leading to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.

Why IMPACT VOICES is the finest?

IMPACT VOICES was founded by experienced young professionals from a manifold of sectors who felt that despite significant progress, there was still a need to re-look at our existing strategies, re-imagine our social fabric and re-define our approaches in addressing social issues. Their work is designed to support active citizens, organisations, institutions and networks that serve those on the margins and elevate the next generation of advocates and leaders across all sectors to champion a fairer, more inclusive and just society.

IMPACT VOICES prides itself as a purpose driven organisation navigated by a team of young professionals with years of professional experience from diverse backgrounds including Non-Profit Management, Legal, Research, Corporate sector, Academia, Volunteer Involving Organisations (VIOs) and Multilateral Organisations such as the United Nations and the Commonwealth. One potential determinant of the team’s effectiveness is its gender balance coupled with an assortment of knowledge and skills.

The team asserts, co-creation is essential for driving impact, and their approach is trifold: design thinking for social change to identify what is working—or not working; creating space for reflection and cross-programmatic exchange; and multistakeholder engagement. It goes without saying that internal diversity and inclusion is a stepping stone to achieve innovative delivery of products and programmes. This is reflected in their team culture and deliberate steps to strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, without which it would be impossible to strive to co-create a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable world for ALL.

Co-founder Abdul Baasit Sathar adds, “We advocate for sustainable and ethical value chains in conducting business operations, and support designing social impact initiatives with corporates”.

TEAM PICTURE and the caption

IMPACT VOICES team has an already proven track record in Programme Delivery and Design for Products and Services which are tailor-made to create positive ripple effects in communities. They also offer trilingual comprehensive trainings and capacity building programmes conducted both online and in person on themes such as countering Disinformation and Hate Speech during the pandemic, Conscious Leadership & SDG integration, Designing Social Action Projects, Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention.

IMPACT VOICES also launched its COVID-19 Response Project, titled #LeadingResilience on the 5th of April 2020 to create a multi- stakeholder dialogue and engagement opportunity to address some of the pressing issues in the society in times of COVID-19 and help communities to Build Back Better from COVID-19! Some of the innovative civic engagement initiatives curated by IMPACT VOICES include: “#VisionToAction”, an initiative that connects people, ideas and movements to work towards achieving 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in their respective area of interest; “#Lead16Now’’, an initiative dedicated for individuals and organisations working towards SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and “Impact Voices - Digital Advocates’’, an initiative that provides an opportunity for professionals from all backgrounds to voice out their opinions.

Co-founder Darshatha Gamage reiterates, “We design and deliver innovative holistic programmes and trainings towards empowering passionate individuals and groups to become problem solvers, leaders and changemakers”.

IMPACT VOICES team also specializes in providing Consultancy Services to both Development as well as the Corporate sector to co-create High Impact Initiatives that lead to social change.

What moves the needle on profound transformation is the collective action of citizens and organisations working towards co-creating an inclusive, sustainable and resilient world for all. Has the time come for co-creation for a systems change yet? If yes, drop IMPACT VOICES an email on impactvoices@outlook.com and let them know how you would like to engage with them.