Written by: Sean Fleming

The challenges facing the world are overwhelming, from the climate crisis to stubborn rates of poverty, inequality and ill health.

But what if we could tap into the network effect to unite the world’s brightest problem-solvers with the clout of the World Economic Forum’s community?

UpLink is an ambitious new platform, open to anyone, which aims to achieve exactly that.

17 SDGs

UpLink’s purpose is “to accelerate the resolution of the world’s most pressing issues, as set out by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.

There are 17 SDGs, covering everything from eradicating hunger and poverty to securing gender equality and safeguarding the environment. Even if you feel strongly about helping the world work towards these goals, you might be forgiven for wondering if one person’s contribution could ever be enough.

The 17 SDGs include affordable and clean energy and decent work.

Credit: United Nations

Even more so if you are young or from a demographic typically underrepresented on the global stage. But finding a network of like-minded people, maybe with different skills and capabilities, while gaining access to powerful organizations could be the key to scaling up for real impact.

Davos 2020: UpLink’s official unveiling

Unveiled at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at Davos, once it’s live in February, UpLink will be a global platform for action, bringing together the next generation of young change-makers and social entrepreneurs.

But more than that, it will also connect them to networks of new contacts that have the resources, expertise, and experience to help bring about change – bringing energy together with experience.

Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, says: “By pairing the World Economic Forum’s unrivalled ability to convene leaders from across all stakeholder groups with UpLink’s potential for massive, open participation, we have created a unique formula for catalyzing the knowledge, ideas and actions necessary to solve our world’s greatest development challenges.”

Republished with permission from World Economic Forum