"Moonshot thinking" for sustainable development

What do the project to put the first man on the moon and sustainable development have in common? Paulo Gonçalves, Professor of Management at USI, tells us about it this video. Both are complex challenges, whose first prerequisite is to have a clear vision to pursue, like the one given by Kennedy to the people of America in the 1960s. Today we must approach sustainability issues with the same determination: the challenge is crucial, the survival of mankind on earth is at stake.

"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind": this is precisely the phrase that suggests the relationship between the 1969 moon landing and the possibility of sustainable development. As Professor Gonçalves explains, one of the key elements for being able to succeed in a project like this is to have imagination, a good dose of possibility of success, but also the ability to support and inspire others, just as Kennedy did in his 1961 speech, in which he already talked about the possibility for Americans to go to the moon.

Today, humankind must find just as much determination to achieve a major new goal, sustainable development. Between 2000 and 2015, the goals set by the UN were related to developing countries: food for all, lowering child mortality, etc. But now? Human activity in recent decades is not compatible with a sustainable world: what can we do? Prof. Gonçalves proposes some virtuous models, which in addition to economic and sustainability-related aspects, include social justice and greater equity.

WATCH THE VIDEO: