Danai Gurira’s Humanitarian Work: A Report on Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals

This report analyzes the humanitarian contributions of actress and playwright Danai Gurira, focusing on her strategic use of storytelling and advocacy to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Her work provides a compelling model for integrating arts and culture into global development frameworks, with a primary focus on poverty alleviation, gender equality, and quality education.

Strategic Alignment with Key Sustainable Development Goals

Danai Gurira’s efforts as a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador and co-founder of Almasi Collaborative Arts are directly aligned with several core SDGs. Her intersectional approach demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of how these global goals are interconnected.

• SDG 1 (No Poverty): Addressing the root causes of poverty by empowering marginalized communities to achieve economic and social visibility.
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Championing the rights and stories of women and girls, and combating gender-based discrimination and violence.
• SDG 4 (Quality Education): Providing specialized arts education and professional mentorship to youth in Zimbabwe.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): Amplifying the voices of underrepresented African communities to challenge global stereotypes and misrepresentation.
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): Promoting narrative justice, where communities affected by conflict and poverty have the agency to shape their own stories.

Advancing SDG 5 and SDG 10 Through Narrative Platforms

Theatrical Productions as a Tool for Gender Equality (SDG 5)

Gurira’s Broadway play, Eclipsed, serves as a powerful vehicle for advancing SDG 5. By focusing on the experiences of women during the Liberian civil war, the production moves beyond statistics to humanize their struggles and resilience. This narrative approach is critical for:

1. Raising global awareness of gender-based violence in conflict zones, a key target of SDG 5.
2. Challenging one-dimensional portrayals of African women, replacing victimhood with narratives of strength and complexity.
3. Utilizing an all-Black female cast and creative team, which actively works to reduce inequalities (SDG 10) within the arts industry itself.

Reshaping Global Perceptions to Reduce Inequalities (SDG 10)

Through her influential role as Okoye in Black Panther, Gurira contributed to a significant cultural moment that challenged long-standing, harmful stereotypes about Africa. This work directly supports SDG 10 by dismantling narratives that perpetuate prejudice and inequality. Representation in mainstream media is a vital tool for fostering a more inclusive and accurate global discourse, influencing public perception and policy.

Fostering Localized Development Through Almasi Collaborative Arts

A Grassroots Initiative for SDG 4 and SDG 8

In co-founding Almasi Collaborative Arts in Zimbabwe, Gurira established a sustainable model for local development that directly contributes to multiple SDGs.

• SDG 4 (Quality Education): The organization provides high-level training in dramatic arts, offering educational opportunities that are often absent in traditional curricula. It builds capacity by nurturing the next generation of Zimbabwean artists and storytellers.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): By equipping young creatives with professional skills and facilitating cross-cultural exchanges, Almasi Arts helps foster a viable creative economy. This creates pathways to dignified employment and economic self-sufficiency, contributing to poverty reduction (SDG 1).

Global Advocacy for an Intersectional Agenda

U.N. Women Ambassadorship and Narrative Justice

As a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador, Gurira leverages her platform to advocate for policies that dismantle the structural barriers facing women and girls. Her focus is inherently intersectional, recognizing that gender inequality is deeply intertwined with poverty, lack of education, and poor health outcomes. Her advocacy promotes:

1. The integration of gender equality (SDG 5) into all poverty reduction strategies (SDG 1).
2. The concept of “narrative justice” as a prerequisite for achieving SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). By ensuring marginalized communities can control their own narratives, her work fosters agency, healing, and social cohesion.

Conclusion: Storytelling as a Catalyst for Sustainable Change

Danai Gurira’s career demonstrates that storytelling is not peripheral to development work but is a central and powerful strategy for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. By blending high-profile artistry with grassroots initiatives, she effectively tackles the interconnected challenges of poverty (SDG 1), gender inequality (SDG 5), and systemic misrepresentation (SDG 10). Her work provides a clear framework for how cultural influence can be harnessed to build dignity, foster empathy, and drive meaningful and sustainable change.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

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

The article on Danai Gurira’s work addresses several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through her advocacy, artistic endeavors, and humanitarian efforts. The following SDGs are prominently featured:

• SDG 1: No Poverty: The article’s central theme is the fight against “global poverty.” It explicitly states that Gurira’s mission is to use storytelling to address this issue and highlights how her work focuses on empowering “those living in poverty” and making the struggles of “impoverished communities” more relatable.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The article discusses the educational aspect of Gurira’s work through her organization, Almasi Collaborative Arts. This initiative “provides training in dramatic arts, cross-cultural artistic exchanges, and professional mentorship for young creatives” in Zimbabwe, directly contributing to skills development and education outside of traditional settings.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: This is a core focus of the article. Gurira’s work is described as a mission to address “gender inequality.” Her role as a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador, her play “Eclipsed” which focuses on the experiences of women, and her passion for telling “African women’s stories” all directly support the goal of achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: By providing training and mentorship, Almasi Collaborative Arts fosters “economic opportunity” for young artists in Zimbabwe. The article notes that developing “local talent” and offering “tools for expression” can lead to employment and functions as a “grassroots development initiative,” aligning with the goal of promoting productive employment.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article emphasizes Gurira’s focus on “amplifying historically silenced voices” and ensuring “marginalized communities have the power to shape their own stories.” Her work challenges stereotypes and aims to dismantle “structures that exclude women and girls from both narratives and policy,” directly addressing the reduction of inequalities.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: The concept of “narrative justice” is introduced as a framework for Gurira’s work, which seeks to build more inclusive societies where marginalized groups can shape their own stories. Her play “Eclipsed” explores the realities of women in “post-conflict Liberia,” touching upon themes of peace and justice. Her advocacy for inclusive policies also contributes to building more just institutions.

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

Based on the activities and goals described in the article, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Under SDG 1 (No Poverty):
   • Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions. The article’s focus on empowerment, dignity, and tackling the “gendered impact of poverty” reflects a multi-dimensional approach to poverty reduction.
2. Under SDG 4 (Quality Education):
   • Target 4.4: Substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. Almasi Collaborative Arts directly addresses this by providing “training in dramatic arts” and “professional mentorship” to young creatives.
   • Target 4.7: Ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including… appreciation of cultural diversity. Gurira’s use of arts and storytelling promotes cultural expression and empathy, which are key components of this target.
3. Under SDG 5 (Gender Equality):
   • Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. Gurira’s work to tell “African women’s stories” and challenge their underrepresentation is a direct effort to combat discrimination.
   • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls. Her role as a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador includes promoting initiatives that “combat gender-based violence.”
   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership. By creating works with an “all-Black female cast and creative team” and amplifying women’s voices, she promotes female participation and leadership in the arts.
4. Under SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth):
   • Target 8.6: Substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training. The Almasi model provides education and mentorship to “nurture Zimbabwe’s next generation of creative voices,” aiming to create pathways to employment.
5. Under SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities):
   • Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. The mission to “amplify historically silenced voices” and empower “marginalized communities” is a direct reflection of this target.
   • Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory policies and practices. Gurira’s advocacy to dismantle “structures that exclude women and girls” and reshape “public narratives” aims to achieve this.
6. Under SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions):
   • Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms. The principle of “narrative justice” and providing “tools for expression” supports the fundamental freedom of expression for communities to tell their own stories.

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 mention official UN statistical indicators, but it implies several qualitative and activity-based indicators that can measure progress:

• Increased Representation in Media: Progress can be measured by the increase in “African women’s stories” and “African voices in media.” The success of works like “Black Panther” is cited as an example of challenging stereotypes and changing the “global lens through which society views African stories.”
• Development of Local Talent: The number of “young creatives” who receive “training in dramatic arts” and “professional mentorship” through Almasi Collaborative Arts serves as a direct indicator of progress in education and skills development (SDG 4, SDG 8).
• Creation of Inclusive Artistic Works: The production of plays like “Eclipsed” with an “all-Black female cast and creative team” is an indicator of promoting gender equality and inclusion (SDG 5, SDG 10) within the creative industries.
• Increased Public Empathy and Engagement: The article notes that psychological studies support Gurira’s approach, showing that narrative “increases empathy, changes attitudes, and leads to pro-social behavior.” An increase in “public empathy and engagement” on issues of poverty and inequality is an implied indicator of success.
• Community Empowerment and Resilience: The article mentions that “story-based interventions can improve mental health, reduce stigma and foster resilience, especially in regions that war and poverty affect.” These outcomes serve as indicators of community well-being and empowerment (SDG 1, SDG 16).
• Adoption of Inclusive Policies: A long-term indicator is the influence of narrative change on policy. The article suggests that reshaping public narratives can “drive more inclusive policies” that dismantle structures of exclusion.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: borgenmagazine.com