Soroptimists Take a Stand for Sustainable Development
To mark the 100th anniversary of Soroptimist International, the service organization of professional women is placing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the center of its activities. The anniversary campaign, “Plant Trees”, which aims to plant trees and promote global tree sponsorships, ties back to the organization’s very first project. In 1921, the founders worked to protect centuries-old redwood trees.
Today, Soroptimist International has around 70,000 members in more than 100 countries. The organization’s core areas of focus include human rights, gender equality, peaceful coexistence, and environmental protection. Reflecting these values, Dr. Renate Tewaag, President of Soroptimist International Germany, emphasized during a press conference: “The pandemic and the climate crisis are a wake-up call to persistently and collectively preserve livable prospects for future generations.”
To actively contribute to international climate protection, several SI clubs are already supporting the Alliance for Development and Climate. Prof. Herlyn, senior researcher at FAW/n and member of the SI Club Meerbusch, has long advocated for this step within the organization. In the previous year, the Meerbusch club became the first SI club in Germany to achieve climate neutrality through development-promoting climate projects in Myanmar. In a recently published issue of the Soroptimist International Germany bulletin, Prof. Herlyn authored an article highlighting Soroptimist International’s commitment to sustainability and its fight against climate change.
You can find the complete bulletin here.
Image source: SI-Club Braunschweig
