Nadia Murad, UN SDG Advocate

One of 17 SDG Advocates

Is gender equality and women empowerment important for you? Do you feel it is unfair that some people live in war with a constant fear of bombs, mines and weapons? Do you want to make the world a better place? Do you want to collaborate with others to make change happen? Great! The SDGs – the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – do emphasize these issues, among many others.

The SDG 5 is all about Gender Equality. The SDG 16 promotes Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. The SDG 17 emphasizes the fact that the SDGs can be realized only with strong global partnerships and cooperation.

In an article recently published in this blog, we presented the UN SDG advocate Hindou Oumaro Ibrahim, who is a strong advocate for indigenous peoples, the environment and climate action representing the Mbororo people in the Sahel region.

In this article, we chose to focus on Nadia Murad. In 2016, she was appointed the first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking of United Nations. In 2018, Nadia Murad (born in Iraq) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize together with Denis Mukwege (born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo). They received the prize "for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict".

Nadia Murad, a Yazidi human rights activist and survivor of ISIS gender-based violence, delivers remarks at the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on July 25, 2018. (State Department photo/Public Domain.)

Nadia Murad

Nadia Murad was born in Kojo, Iraq, in 1993. Nadia belongs to the Yazidi ethnic and religious minority in northern Iraq. On 3rd August 2014, the Islamic State (IS) launched a brutal attack on Nadia Murad’s home village. Over the following days, the terrorist group executed hundreds of men and took captive thousands of women and children, publicly reviling them as 'infidels', according to a report from United Nations Human Rights.

“The Commission of Inquiry calls on the international community to recognize the crime of genocide being committed by ISIL against the Yazidis and to undertake steps to refer the situation to justice,” was the message from the Commission of Inquiry on Syria three years after the massacre, on 3rd August 2017.

“We need justice. Justice for women. We want people to accept women’s messages, so women won’t be afraid to talk about what they went through.”

- Nadia Murad

Iraqi Yazidi Islamic State survivor and activist Nadia Murad received the European Parliament’s 2016 Sakharov Prize during a ceremony in Strasbourg. Photo: ©European Union 2016 - European Parliament.

Nadia’s Initiative

In 2018, Nadia Murad founded the nonprofit organization Nadia’s Initiative. The aim of the organization is to “help women and children victimized by genocide, mass atrocities and human trafficking to heal and rebuild their communities”. 

Education, healthcare and women’s empowerment

Nadia’s Initiative works in the region of Sinjar in Iraq to help rebuild the local community by providing education and healthcare. Women’s empowerment is an important part of the work and the organization gives support to survivors of sexual violence worldwide. This means that Nadia’s Initiative and Nadia Murad is a strong advocate for SDG 3 – Good Health & Well-being, SDG 4 – Quality Education, and SDG 5 – Gender Equality, among others.

SDG 3 – Good Health & Well-being

The Sustainable Development Goal 3 is “to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. The Covid-19 pandemic has unfortunately interrupted childhood immunization programmes in around 70 countries and made the health situation very difficult.

According to UNSD, United Nations Statistics Division, less than half of the global population is covered by essential health services. Service cancellations due to covid-19 will lead to 100 percent increase in malaria deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa, says UNSD.

Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health & Well-being

UN Digital Dialogue on 6th Anniversary of Yazidi Genocide

On the sixth anniversary of the Yazidi genocide, on 3rd August 2020, Nadia’s Initiative co-hosts a UN digital dialogue about the genocidal campaign against the Yazidi minority. Co-hosts are also the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations in New York and the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations in New York.

Message from Ato Dakheel to the world on the 6th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide, August 3rd 2020. Experience advocate of Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions. 

Ato Dakheel, Goodwill Ambassador in Sweden representing the Yazidi people of Iran, Iraq and Syria. 

Interview with Ato Dakheel

On the 6th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide on August 3rd 2020, Globcal International Ambassador Maria Veneke Ylikomi had a conversation with Ato Dakheel, an indigenous Yazidi who currently lives in Sweden.

Today I am very sad, says Ato. There should be no difference between different groups of people in Iraq or other countries, says Ato Dakheel, who today lives in Sweden.

Ato Dakheel hopes that in the future, Yazidi children and young people will be able to live like everyone else and have the same rights as everyone else.

There should be no difference between different groups of people in Iraq, says Ato.

It was the city of Sinjar/Shingal that IS attacked on Sunday, August 3rd, 2014. Ato remembers the city of Sinjar very well. He says that he was 15 years old when IS came to the village with their big, new cars. Before the terrible event, Ato and his family enjoyed life very much in the village.

We lived in a small village that belonged to the town of Sinjar. It was very simple, but it was like a paradise for us. We were very grateful.

The Sinjar Mountains have always been and are still an important symbol for Yazidis, says Ato.

The Sinjar Mountains are like a mother who has taken care of me. IS could not get up there. It is very difficult to get up there by car. We were there for eight days before we went by foot to Syria. There were thousands of children, young people, women and men.

We ask Ato about his message to the world on the 6th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide. Ato replies that he hopes that there will be no war again.

I hope there will be peace. I hope that all people will be equal.

Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions

UN SDG Advocates for 2019–2020

The United Nations has appointed the following 17 SDG advocates for 2019–2020.

Sustainable Development Goals Advocates - Photo: United Nations

1. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana
2. Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway
3. HM Queen Mathilde, Belgium
4. HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Qatar
5. HH Muhammadu Sanusi II Emir of Kano, Nigeria
6. Richard Curtis, United States
7. Hindou Oumaro Ibrahim, Chad
8. Jack Ma, China
9. Graça Machel, Mozambique
10. Dia Mirza, India
11. Dr. Alaa Murabit, Canada
12. Nadia Murad, Iraq
13. Edward (Eddie) Ndopu, Namibia
14. Paul Poman, the Netherlands
15. Jeffrey Sachs, United States
16. Marta Vieira da Silva, Brazil
17. Forest Whitaker, United States

Agenda 2030

The Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs – were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015.

Agenda 2030. 17 Sustainable Development Goals - Illustration: United Nations

1. No Poverty
2. Zero Hunger
3. Good Health & Well-being
4. Quality Education
5. Gender Equality
6. Clean Water & Sanitation
7. Affordable & Clean Energy
8. Decent Work & Economic Growth
9. Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
10. Reduced Inequalities
11. Sustainable Cities & Communities
12. Responsible Consumption & Production
13. Climate Action
14. Life below Water
15. Life on Land
16. Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions
17. Partnerships for the Goals

Learn more about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at Act4SDGs, UN SDG Action Campaign or on the United Nations Sustainable Development Platform. 

Join us as a member of Globcal International if you have a project that you want to develop or you can also join us to become a goodwill ambassador for one of our programs under development.

Paul Amrod: Inspiring Goodwill through Poetry

Whatever Happened To The Goodwill Ambassador?

Poem by Paul Amrod

Witnessing the selfish routine of lobbyists and a money mechanism
becoming cynically the normal affair of our passing hours.

Greeting a neighbor with a 'Good Morning' and a pleasant wish
has vanished with the dawn demonstrating a hideous pessimism.

Allocating the atrocities which somehow our sympathies devour.

The political conscious is contorted around shortsighted principles
contributing to a prognosis of supposed terror playing with gullibility.

I ask myself many provocative questions concerning seriousness
of intention with open-ended book shelves of fairytale like scribble.

Trying to capitalize upon the weakness of others in their deliriousness,
overly excited aggravating their stress, while destroying tranquility.

The boisterous message of alleged superiority exhibits narcissism
with an inkling of conceit compelling avoidance and dismisses
ingenuity while enlivening resistance over absurd acquittals.

May I inquire; Whatever happened to the goodwill ambassador?

The ignorance of a military cooperate complex has perplexed
the intellectual environment in search for the left of middle.

Attempting to impress the youth with false promises the collectivism
is appalled with a continuous barrage of invalid and corrupted fixes.

Better to relax beneath a linden tree whistling with birdsong outdoors
and taking a pen to a page envisioning a princess with a troubadour.

Engendering a paradise of dreamlike passages composing a riddle
tickling our imaginations with pleasurable moments so gently expressed.

Nevertheless our aspirations are daunted and our direction is statically
inactive arousing the frustration of a meandering directionlessness.

Intentionally ignoring the media's spin as their irrational euphemism
is exposed as utter gibberish and nonsense exposing senselessness.

Saving acclamations for a fortuitous occasion can't keep us abreast
of the defiance necessary to counter the streams of grotesque fish
that swim through our legs as we venture courageously against the current.

I ask again; Whatever happened to the goodwill ambassador?

He travelled the world with his mission of cooperation and neutrality
giving of his substance to clarify our deliverance and impartiality.

We were given the power of deduction with the capability of verbal deterrents
to bless our surroundings with examples of his statements assessed.

Showering us with admiration and inspiration presenting his altruism
to reconcile our tribulations and heal our jealousy forevermore.

With insight into the mediation of all philosophies he adores
a genuine and authentic resolve of spiritual abundance and veracity.

Reminding us as well of our groves and gardens galore
there to flourish in Nature and transport us organically.

We are a being, the precious component of this Earth's entirety,
gifted with shrewdness and the curator of our terrestrial décor.

We possess a sanctified position under the universe's Godly city
to protect the perfect balance of our sequence as heaven's servant.

Petitioning once more; Whatever happened to our goodwill ambassador?

We send a lamentation to our archangels above to implore
a betterment of our situation at hand as we whine for it is a pity.

Selfishness and greed perpetrate the world as we slay the serpent
with a cooing murmur of poesy melting the cold heart we deplore.

As the goodwill grows with significance we salvage our sanity
with one last breath of hopefulness as patience warrants our success.

Poem by Paul Amrod

Restyled format for Globcal International News

What do Goodwill Ambassadors do?

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Shakira in Africa

Goodwill Ambassadors do what ?

A Goodwill Ambassador is a prominent individual in his/her community or profession who serves as an "Honorary Diplomat" between entities, like organizations, institutions, towns, cities, or nations. If you pride yourself on being a good friend to others and someone who initiates change you might have a future as a "goodwill ambassador."

Common examples of goodwill ambassadors are actors, artists, authors, athletes, advocates, activists and other prominent or well known figures who go on “international friendship missions” to foreign countries, where they present gifts, provide humanitarian relief, and socialize with their contemporaries and counterparts. Like these people, it’s your job as a goodwill ambassador to represent one group of people to another for the purpose of building friendly cooperative mutually beneficial relationships that will be economically, culturally, socially, or politically beneficial in the future to both parties and the world.

To accomplish your mission, you typically travel, attend social functions, participate in round-table discussions, make public appearances, involve themselves in relief projects, do media interviews, and lobby legislators. Normally the title is given to those who perform work on the behalf of a group working abroad but can be used more liberally too.

Although most goodwill ambassadors do humanitarian work for organizations like the United Nations, some act as “welcome wagons,” representing businesses to prospects. In this case, it’s your job to find and ingratiate yourself with leads by presenting prospects with token gifts, information, resources, access to benefits, complimentary promotions, etc.

Either way, your job is “being nice” as a means of promoting peace, prosperity, fellowship, friendship and brotherhood as mutually beneficial functions for society in representation to your non profit organization, cooperative, your community, or your country.

UNHCR Ambassador, Angelina Jolie working with Refugees

What are the requirements to become a goodwill ambassador?

You should have a high school degree, associates degree, or a certificate in global citizenship or higher and share these most basic traits:

Team Player - You're able to listen, communicate, and work with lots of different people.
Trustworthy - You are known for your personal integrity and honesty.
Socially Responsible - You're happy working in teams or with other people for the greater good.
Communications - You can read and write in your native language professionally.

There are other skills and traits that are relevant too, especially for international relief work. Many of the standards and guidelines for best practices among goodwill ambassadors internationally are emulated by groups that routinely use prominent well-known individuals or people especially selected by their memberships including the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Red Cross, Transparency International, Rotary International, Globcal International, and the many United Nations Organizations.

Former Spice Girl, Victoria Beckham, Goodwill Ambassador

How to become a professional goodwill ambassador?

There are many organizations and countries around the world that want, need, or would fare well by having goodwill ambassadors represent their friendship and cooperative interests, ideas and projects abroad. So the career outlook is "very good" to "excellent." Countries, states and cities often use members of their own communities like annual beauty pageant winners, local heroes, former politicians, upcoming politicians, or even mascots (fictional characters). In 2008, Japan appointed 'Hello Kitty' as an ambassador of goodwill and tourism, the mascot made over 100 high level appearances with heads of state in subsequent years.

A president, prime minister, governor, or mayor can appoint, commission, or recognize a goodwill ambassador for a short-term (single event), for the course of a year, several years, or for life as does the governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky upon awarding honorary colonel commissions to noteworthy individual citizens and friends of the state.

Many of these positions are often unpaid, in most cases they involve attractive stipends, cooperative grants, perks, travel reimbursements and other compensation with more prominent active organizations that depend on these individuals to promote their work. Organizations like the WWF, UNICEF, the IUCN, Conservation International and the Republic of South Korea.

Yeong Chang, Goodwill Ambassador for 2018 Winter Olympics

Are there goodwill ambassador jobs available in the world today?

Sure. Governments and organizations that have goodwill ambassadors often need to develop and re-develop these positions based on political change or for particular special events. So more often than not these positions are frequently vacant or underutilized through informal relationships with celebrities or well-known community figures that have little time to spare. Many of these individuals are appointed and only work during a single annual event and maintain their status inactively during the rest of the year.

Community organizations, leaders and even individual ambassadors can be postulated at any time for a mission, event or project in this representation. Those who want to represent entities as goodwill ambassadors often use the official position or title to raise their own discretionary funds through others including friends, community leaders and even banks that collaborate at a local level to help them succeed in representing their common community interests.

How good, effective and pro-active a goodwill ambassador or a community's international cooperation department usually depends upon the individual ambassador's personal resources, community support, commitment to the cause, and time available. Being a goodwill ambassador can be a full or part time job or it can be a prestigious honor that is coveted and used infrequently, this all depends on you.

Nicholas Cage, Goodwill Ambassador for UNODC

Want some help to become a goodwill ambassador?

There is an international organization that has been exclusively developed for cause advocates and community activists that takes being a goodwill ambassador to a fine art and career profession. They assist in development and placement of ambassadors in careers to create goodwill on a global scale.

Globcal International helps individuals become ambassadors and it assists organizations, states, cities, small communities and tribal peoples in the development of cooperative programs using goodwill ambassadors. As of July 2014 they begin the operation of an extension service in the form of a resource center for goodwill ambassadors and their potential employers through a number of on-line social network platforms and maintains a cooperative fellowship that comes together through their joint member programs.

Dorothy Lockheart, Goodwill Ambassador for New Brunswick

Qualify and join the club?

In essence the organization serves to propel the professional development of these illustrious determined  people who join or are selected by the commissioners of their organization as lifetime members of their union. Their fellowship is cooperative and serves as a confederation or assembly forum for goodwill ambassadors all over the world. Members gain access to interactive courses, certification programs, a special library collection, discourse, database of officials and the media as well as other special benefits, services and privileges both practical and virtually for those who engage the social media. 

Globcal provides registered members with introduction services with heads of state or community leaders, provide diplomatic visas, credentials, travel documents, letters patent, and embassy services in 100 countries through an extensive network of day offices and ambassadors who are cooperative members that assist their fellows and global citizen travelers at airports with transportation, emergency lodging, tourism, work assignments, and customs. They are certainly professionalizing and making the horizon richer and more prosperous for their members by promoting work opportunities.

You can qualify yourself as an international goodwill ambassador now through Globcal if you have used the title professionally and honorably anytime during your lifetime. Depending on how much experience and work you have done you may also have your name or biography listed in Globcal International's "Global Citizenship Registry" in Stockholm, Sweden. ( a new project they have under development )

Those who do qualify to become registered are listed, their names are presented and made available to NGO directors, monarchs, presidents, prime ministers and mayors from around the world as qualified honorary citizens with their direct contact information, to fill the hundreds of opportunities that exist with already known goodwill ambassadors and global citizens. Globcal International provides their certification, training, education, and registration services to members and non-members alike.

Article by Ambassador Col. David Wright. Ambassador Wright is a blog author and goodwill ambassador working with indigenous peoples in the Amazon. The colonel is a founder and an active commissioner working with Globcal International. Fell free to share his articles under creative commons credit attribute and share-alike licensing.