Aligning Your Project with Core Themes and SDGs

Creating a project that aligns with YSEALI Seeds for the Future 2025 Core Themes and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is essential for crafting a compelling and impactful application. This guide provides comprehensive instructions on how to align your project with these foundational areas, ensuring your initiative contributes to meaningful change across Southeast Asia.

What are Core Themes and SDGs?

Core Themes are the foundational areas that YSEALI Seeds for the Future 2025 focuses on to address regional challenges and promote positive transformation. These themes guide the selection of projects that drive meaningful change, foster leadership, and encourage sustainable development.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal set of 17 goals, targets, and indicators adopted by all United Nations Member States to address global challenges. Aligning your project with relevant SDGs enhances its impact and demonstrates its contribution to global sustainability efforts.

Core Themes

Understanding and aligning your project with YSEALI’s Core Themes is crucial for crafting a compelling and impactful application. These themes guide the selection of projects that drive meaningful change across Southeast Asia, fostering leadership, innovation, and sustainable development.

What Are the Core Themes?

YSEALI Seeds for the Future 2025 supports projects under four primary themes. These themes are designed to address key areas of development and societal improvement within the ASEAN region. While projects can incorporate multiple themes, it is crucial to identify and focus on a primary theme to maintain clarity and effectiveness.

1. Civic Engagement

Definition:

Initiatives that promote community participation, dialogue, and actions to address societal issues.

Examples:

  • Empowering migrant workers and improving employer-employee relations.
  • Engaging community members in dialogues about coexistence and legal compliance.
  • Facilitating voter education and participation in local governance.

2. Education

Definition:

Programs that enhance learning, training, and educational development to empower individuals and communities.

Examples:

  • Conducting workshops and training programs for young entrepreneurs.
  • Developing curricula for marine conservation education.
  • Implementing digital literacy programs in underserved communities.

3. Economic Growth

Definition:

Projects aimed at enhancing economic systems, supporting entrepreneurship, and improving financial stability within communities.

Examples:

  • Supporting young entrepreneurs through incubation programs.
  • Creating employment opportunities and improving hiring solutions.
  • Developing financial literacy workshops for small business owners.

4. Sustainable Development

Definition:

Promotes environmental sustainability, resource management, and long-term ecological balance.

Examples:

  • Establishing technology laboratories to address water, energy, and food nexus challenges.
  • Implementing marine conservation projects to sustain coastal communities.
  • Launching renewable energy initiatives in rural areas.

Guidelines for Selecting Themes

To ensure your project aligns effectively with YSEALI Seeds for the Future 2025 objectives, consider the following guidelines when selecting themes:

Primary Theme

Definition:

The main focus of your project.

Guidelines:

  • Ensure your proposal clearly aligns with this theme.
  • The primary theme should drive the core objectives and activities of your project.

Secondary Themes

Definition:

Additional relevant themes that support your project’s objectives.

Guidelines:

  • Use secondary themes sparingly to maintain clarity.
  • Ensure that secondary themes are genuinely interconnected with your primary theme.

Strategic Focus

Definition:

Maintaining a clear and focused approach in your project design.

Guidelines:

  • Avoid applying under multiple themes unless they are genuinely interconnected with your project’s core objectives.
  • Ensure that each theme you address adds value and relevance to your project’s overall impact.

Illustrative Examples

To illustrate how projects can align with the Core Themes, here are some examples:

Rice Impact Thailand

  • Themes: Economic Growth (Primary), Education (Secondary)
  • Description:
  • Engages young entrepreneurs in social innovation development through workshops that provide training and resources to start and scale their businesses.

Octo Mission Brunei

  • Themes: Education (Primary), Sustainable Development (Secondary)
  • Description:
  • Educates young leaders on marine conservation through scuba diving training, combining educational workshops with sustainable environmental practices.

Pink Collar Community Malaysia

  • Themes: Civic Engagement (Primary), Education (Secondary)
  • Description:
  • Empowers migrant domestic workers and improves hiring solutions for employers by facilitating community dialogues and providing educational resources.

Sky Elevation Slab Indonesia

  • Themes: Sustainable Development (Primary)
  • Description:
  • Establishes a technology laboratory addressing water, energy, and food nexus challenges, promoting sustainable resource management and innovation.

Tips for Aligning Your Project with Core Themes

Identify Your Project’s Focus:

Clearly define the primary goal of your project and determine which core theme it best aligns with.

Integrate Relevant Themes:

If your project addresses multiple aspects, identify how secondary themes can support and enhance the primary theme without diluting the focus.

Ensure Strategic Alignment:

Align your project activities and outcomes with the selected themes to demonstrate relevance and impact.

Highlight Impact and Sustainability:

Emphasize how addressing the core themes will lead to sustainable and long-term benefits for your community and beyond.

Use Clear and Concise Language:

When describing your project’s alignment with the themes, use straightforward language to convey your intentions clearly to reviewers.

Incorporate Ethical Frameworks:

Adhere to principles such as fairness, accountability, and transparency to ensure your project promotes equitable and sustainable outcomes.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Understanding and aligning your project with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is equally important. The SDGs provide a universal framework for addressing global challenges and measuring progress toward sustainable development.

Overview of the 17 SDGs

  1. No Poverty
  2. Zero Hunger
  3. Good Health and Well-being
  4. Quality Education
  5. Gender Equality
  6. Clean Water and Sanitation
  7. Affordable and Clean Energy
  8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
  9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  10. Reduced Inequalities
  11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
  12. Responsible Consumption and Production
  13. Climate Action
  14. Life Below Water
  15. Life on Land
  16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
  17. Partnerships for the Goals

Why Align with SDGs?

Aligning your project with the SDGs:

  • Enhances Impact: Ensures your project contributes to globally recognized priorities.
  • Demonstrates Relevance: Shows that your initiative addresses critical and timely issues.
  • Attracts Support: Facilitates partnerships and funding opportunities with organizations committed to the SDGs.
  • Promotes Sustainability: Encourages long-term thinking and responsible resource management.

SDG Alignment

While Core Themes focus on specific areas within the ASEAN region, aligning your project with the SDGs ensures that your initiative contributes to global sustainability efforts. Here’s how to effectively incorporate SDGs into your project:

How to Align Your Project with SDGs

  1. Identify Relevant SDGs:
  2. Review the 17 SDGs and identify which ones your project naturally aligns with based on its objectives and activities.
  3. Integrate SDGs into Project Goals:
  4. Clearly incorporate the selected SDGs into your project’s goals and outcomes, demonstrating how your initiative supports these global objectives.
  5. Measure Impact:
  6. Utilize SDG indicators to measure and report the impact of your project, providing a clear link between your activities and global sustainability targets.
  7. Highlight Synergies:
  8. Showcase how addressing multiple SDGs can create synergies, enhancing the overall impact and sustainability of your project.

Examples of SDG Alignment

  • SDG 4: Quality Education:
  • Implementing training programs that enhance educational opportunities for marginalized communities.
  • SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy:
  • Developing renewable energy solutions to provide sustainable power to rural areas.
  • SDG 13: Climate Action:
  • Launching initiatives that mitigate the effects of climate change through community-based projects.

Core Themes and SDGs Checklist

  • Relevant Focus: Does your project address one or more of the YSEALI Core Themes and corresponding SDGs?
  • Clear Contribution: Can you clearly explain how your project contributes to the chosen theme(s) and SDG(s)?
  • Community Impact: Will your project create a meaningful and sustainable impact in your community?
  • Alignment with YSEALI Goals: Does your project align with YSEALI Seeds for the Future 2025’s mission of empowering young leaders and fostering sustainable development?
  • Multi-Thematic/SDG Integration: Have you considered integrating multiple themes and SDGs to enhance your project’s impact?

Self-Assessment Questions

  1. Have I clearly identified the primary focus of my project?
  2. How does my project address the needs of my community?
  3. What are the expected outcomes of my project in relation to the Core Themes and SDGs?
  4. How will my project contribute to sustainable development in the region?
  5. Have I involved stakeholders in the planning process to ensure relevance and support?
  6. How does my project promote fairness, accountability, and transparency?

Final Reflections

Enhancing Regional Development

By aligning your project with YSEALI’s Core Themes and the SDGs, you contribute to the collective effort of driving regional development and fostering a network of empowered young leaders across Southeast Asia.

Your Role as a Leader

As a participant in YSEALI Seeds for the Future 2025, your project serves as a catalyst for change. By adhering to these Core Themes and SDGs, you showcase your commitment to addressing key challenges and promoting sustainable progress in your community.

Next Steps

For more detailed guidance on selecting and aligning your project with Core Themes and SDGs, please refer to the following resources in our Help Centre:

We Are Here to Support You

Should you have any questions or need further assistance in aligning your project with YSEALI’s Core Themes and SDGs, please reach out to the YSEALI support team. We are committed to helping you develop a strong and impactful project proposal.

Good Luck!

We look forward to reviewing your innovative and impactful projects that will drive positive change across Southeast Asia.