SEVENTEEN GLOBAL GOALS – A Song for a World in Need

With the definition and publication of the seventeen global goals of sustainable development in 2015 a song called “We love the SDGs” by Alan AtKisson was launched to support the creation of awareness about the SDGs:

Six years upon its release and only nine years before the deadline set for the fulfillment of the SDGs, the song Seventeen Global Goals, written and produced by Peter van Ham, now follows a different, expanded concept to raise awareness about the SDGs in the world, to help create unity among the various approaches developed towards reaching their fulfillment, and to motivate more people on the planet to campaign for them – as they concern us all along with every other life form on earth!

The simple concept is to have the song in as many languages and styles as possible in order to reach as many people as possible! Seventeen Global Goals articulates each of the defined goals in its lyrics. After a short but clear definition of the state the world is in in the verses each of the Seventeen Global Goals is sung in the two choruses. Thus the urgency of the matter and the demands derived from the critical situation the world is in, which are defined by the SDGs, may be pronounced loudly and emphatically in unison!

In order to reach as many people in as many parts of the world’s societies as possible the song Seventeen Global Goals has been translated into a great number of languages that shall be gradually expanded.

So far we are looking at translations into English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Arabic, Korean, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Dyula.

Since, however, musical tastes and traditions on the planet vary greatly it appeared vital to also provide various versions and styles of the song Seventeen Global Goals that people of various societies and age-groups can relate to and identify with and therefore may be reached.

So far versions in the style of Rock-Pop, Radio Edit, Heavy Metal, Unplugged, EDM/Techno, Hip Hop, Gipsy Kings/Latin, Hindi, Samba, African Pop, Children/Choir and Orchestral Ballad have evolved and are being produced – a corpus of music that shall be expanded just as well.

Since its creation in the fall of 2020 and the beginning of its production, Seventeen Global Goals and the concept surrounding it has attracted an amazing array of artists, singers, musicians and people active in different fields of the arts and education to participate. The Rock-Pop version alone features the sounds of 31 different languages from around the world – all contributing enthusiastically to the cause!