OSS - GROWTH, FROM "MORE" TO "BETTER"
Taizhou and Oss are literally putting their signature on this. Due to the crisis, Oss realises like no other that our task goes much further than providing work and daily care for our community. The Global Goals are a guideline and source of inspiration for Oss to give meaning to the social challenges and to look for new partners and forms for a sustainable future.
Our internationalisation policy is now also based on the Global Goals. Taizhou and Oss had an economic relationship, but by systematically working on the SDGs, we have started to shift our focus. China's growth is moving at an incredible pace. How do you keep that under control? The consequences for people, for the planet and the economy. China is aware of this. Oss and the province of Brabant can learn a lot from China and vice versa. A reason for Oss to join a Brabant trip to China.
With a delegation from Oss education, an entrepreneur and the Platform Global Goals, we visited various projects focused on the SDGs. The educational parties have agreed to work out the Global Goals together and include them in the curriculum. They have agreed to organise a student exchange in a broad area of the Global Goals. Our entrepreneur spoke with a professor about the restoration of architectural heritage. In addition, we have discussed waste and water purification with various sustainability parties.
This is in line with our policy for international contacts, in which the Global Goals always play a role. During an inspirational trip to Silicon Valley, at Slum Dwellers International, at our Brussels platform Food NL and the way in which we connect with international initiatives. In China we have sowed the seeds for a network, for learning from each other, innovation in which quantities are not key, but qualitative growth. From enough to eat to safe and sustainable food. Towards smart technologies for industry and transport, towards innovative education. Towards preservation of heritage in an economic storm.
| "We have safeguarded this view of internationalisation in our internationalisation policy. And now also in our relationship with Taizhou: The Global Goals are now literally part of that. Taizhou and Oss have literally put their signature under this." - On behalf of the Oss administrators, civil servants, residents and partner organisations, Wobine Buijs-Glaudemans, Mayor |
The present time teaches us that we are not only connected to China through trade relations, but that we also, together as world citizens, make use of the same reserves of the earth. We are each confronted in our own way with the tensions between people, planet and profit. The challenges facing China with megacities undoubtedly offer a wealth of experiments and opportunities for non-competitive knowledge sharing. The sustainable development goals of the United Nations are an excellent mutual guideline for giving substance to this relationship.
As the most inspiring Global Goals municipality 2018 and partner of Taizhou in Jiangsu, Oss has included the SDGs in the cooperation agreement. For Oss, the theme of the trip is the learning experiences of the World Expo Shanghai 2010 "better cities, better life" (SDG 11), innovation in education (SDG 4), sustainable energy (SDG 6) and waste flows and recycling (SDG 12).
https://www.oss.nl/bestuur_en_organisatie/organisatie/gemeente_oss_is_global_goals_gemeente.htm