We document and promote music initiatives connecting communities and addressing critical sustainable development needs on international, national and local levels.
Photo Credit: Toki Rapa Nui, Easter Island, Chile
History
The inception of Music as a Global Resource began through the International Council for Caring Communities (ICCC), a Non-Government Organization (NGO) that has Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) and works with various UN partners. In 2001, the ICCC began addressing the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s). The MDG’s were to be met by 2015 (and were subsequently renewed until 2030).
The ICCC began addressing the MDG’s by bringing together individuals from music, technology, and healthcare in unique dialogues as part of the United Nations International Year on Dialogue Among Civilizations. Meeting the MDG requirements, Music as a Global Resource was one of the ICCC’s creative and innovative cross-sector strategies for addressing world economic and social issues. Since 2001, these creative and holistic dialogues focused on social, economic and health solutions have continued to grow and develop.
Music as a Global Resource strives to use music as a natural resource to develop a cross disciplinary, results-driven, and action-oriented mindset to address the MDG’s in the areas of health, education, habitat, and peace. The impetus for this far-ranging exploration is the awareness that to be economically sound and productive, the global community must also be healthy in order to reach its full potential. The initiative focuses on dialogues that emphasize the potential of music as a tool for improving the quality of life to the attention of global decision makers in government, international organizations, local authorities, and the private sector.
The Music as a Global Resource initiative has since participated in an ongoing series of seven high-level UN dialogues and conferences (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015). Since then this creative holistic approach to solutions has continued and deepened through an ongoing series of six high-level UN dialogues and conferences.