Report on Convention Days 2025: A Framework for Advancing Sustainable Development Goals

Event Overview

Convention Days 2025: Ripples of Reform, held at the Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, N.Y., commemorates the 1848 women’s rights convention and the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal. The event serves as a platform to examine historical movements through the lens of contemporary global challenges, with a significant focus on principles aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The event’s programming directly supports and promotes awareness of several key SDGs:

• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The core focus on the 1848 convention champions the historical fight for women’s rights, political participation, and the elimination of discrimination. A scheduled panel discussion on the links between the Erie Canal and the women’s suffrage movement provides a critical examination of the historical foundations of this goal.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The event addresses historical injustices that perpetuate inequality. A key presentation, “Displacement and Dispossession: The Haudenosaunee and the Erie Canal,” directly confronts the adverse impacts of development on Indigenous communities, highlighting the importance of recognizing and rectifying historical inequalities.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: By offering a range of tours, discussions, and presentations, the event provides inclusive and equitable quality education for all ages. It promotes lifelong learning opportunities about history, social justice, and human rights, fostering informed and engaged citizenship.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The retrospective analysis of the women’s rights movement and the dispossession of Indigenous peoples encourages a deeper understanding of the need for just, peaceful, and inclusive societies. The living history appearances of figures like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Frederick Douglass connect visitors to the enduring struggle for justice and strong institutions.

Key Program Components

The three-day event features a structured agenda designed to facilitate historical inquiry and public engagement. Notable activities include:

1. Scholarly Presentations:
   • A panel discussion led by historians Susan Goodier and Karen Pastorello, exploring the intersection of infrastructure development (the Erie Canal) and social reform (the women’s suffrage movement).
   • A presentation by historian Terry C. Abrams examining the displacement of the Haudenosaunee people resulting from the Erie Canal’s construction, providing a critical perspective on industrial progress.
2. Public Engagement and Education:
   • Family-friendly activities, including outdoor Victorian games hosted by the Seneca Falls Historical Society.
   • Living history portrayals of key historical figures, connecting attendees with the spirit of the 1848 convention.

Conclusion

Convention Days 2025 effectively utilizes historical commemoration as a tool for contemporary education and advocacy. By framing discussions on women’s rights, Indigenous history, and infrastructure development within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, the event underscores the continued relevance of historical “ripples of reform” in addressing modern challenges related to equality, justice, and sustainable development.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The article’s central theme is the commemoration of the 1848 women’s rights convention and the women’s suffrage movement. This directly connects to the goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls by highlighting the historical struggle for women’s rights and political participation.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The event includes a presentation titled “Displacement and Dispossession: The Haudenosaunee and the Erie Canal.” This addresses the historical injustices and inequalities faced by Indigenous communities, which is a key aspect of SDG 10, aiming to reduce inequality within and among countries.

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The entire “Convention Days” event is an educational initiative. The Women’s Rights National Historical Park, through activities like tours, discussions, and presentations, provides education on crucial topics such as human rights, gender equality, and cultural history, contributing to inclusive and equitable quality education.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article discusses the historical fight for rights and justice for women and Indigenous peoples. The park itself is an institution that promotes a more just and inclusive society by preserving and disseminating the history of these struggles, aligning with the goal of building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.5: “Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” The article’s focus on the 1848 women’s rights convention and the suffrage movement directly relates to the historical struggle to achieve this target. The event commemorates the fight for women’s right to participate in public and political life.

2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.2: “By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, colour, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.” The scheduled presentation on the “Displacement and Dispossession” of the Haudenosaunee people directly addresses the historical exclusion and inequality faced by an ethnic group.

3. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.7: “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for… human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence… and appreciation of cultural diversity…” The event at the Women’s Rights National Historical Park is a direct example of education for human rights, gender equality, and cultural diversity (including Indigenous history).

4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.b: “Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development.” The article refers to the historical context of movements against discriminatory practices (denial of suffrage for women, dispossession of Indigenous peoples), which are foundational to the promotion and enforcement of non-discriminatory laws and policies today.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not contain quantitative data but implies qualitative indicators through the description of the event’s activities:

• Existence of educational programs on human rights and gender equality

  The “Convention Days 2025” event itself, with its “tours, discussions, and special presentations by scholars in women’s history,” serves as an indicator of educational efforts towards Target 4.7.

• Inclusion of marginalized histories in public discourse

  The specific inclusion of the presentation on “Displacement and Dispossession: The Haudenosaunee and the Erie Canal” is an indicator of progress in acknowledging and educating the public about historical injustices against Indigenous peoples, relevant to Target 10.2.

• Public commemoration of movements for political rights

  The event marking the historic 1848 women’s rights convention is a cultural indicator of the ongoing recognition of the importance of women’s political participation, which relates to the spirit of Target 5.5.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: 13wham.com