‘Mic Check’ in South Bend features voices advocating for social justice causes – WSBT

Report on “Mic Check — Voices for the Movement” Collaborative Event

Event Overview and Objectives

A cross-county collaborative event, “Mic Check — Voices for the Movement,” was held on Saturday in South Bend, Indiana. Organized by The Speak Our Truth Project, the initiative represented the first open mic collaboration of its kind for the organization.

• Date and Time: Saturday, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Location: LangLab, South Bend, Indiana
• Participating Counties: Elkhart, St. Joseph, and Kosciusko
• Primary Objective: To unite communities for an evening focused on social justice storytelling, creative expression, and community building through various art forms.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The event’s themes and goals demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a local level.

1. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   The central focus on advocating for child safety and universal human rights directly addresses SDG 16, particularly Target 16.2, which aims to end abuse, exploitation, and all forms of violence against children. The platform utilized creative expression to highlight and seek justice for these critical issues.

2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   A key objective, as stated by Rio’s Rainbow Co-Founder Aaron Ball, was to “raise awareness about mental health of children and adults.” This aligns with SDG 3, Target 3.4, which seeks to promote mental health and well-being. The event provided a forum for expression and community support, which are vital components of mental wellness.

3. SDG 11 & SDG 17: Sustainable Cities and Communities & Partnerships for the Goals

   By intentionally uniting participants from Elkhart, St. Joseph, and Kosciusko counties, the event actively promoted inter-community collaboration. This effort supports SDG 11 by fostering inclusive and safe community engagement and embodies the spirit of SDG 17, which emphasizes the importance of partnerships to achieve sustainable development objectives.

Methodology and Impact

The event employed a multi-disciplinary artistic approach to achieve its goals. The intended impact was to foster a unified regional front for social justice advocacy.

• Artistic Mediums: The program featured a diverse range of performances and displays, including spoken word, poetry, music, visual art, and dance.
• Community Impact: The collaboration aimed to build a stronger coalition for social change across Northern Indiana, leveraging creative storytelling as a tool for raising awareness and building solidarity around shared human rights and wellness goals.

1. SDGs Addressed in the Article

   The issues highlighted in the article, such as mental health awareness, child safety, human rights, and community building, are directly connected to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

   • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

     The article explicitly mentions the goal to “raise awareness about mental health of children and adults,” which is a core component of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.

   • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

     The event’s objective to “unite communities from Elkhart, St. Joseph, and Kosciusko Counties” and create an “impactful evening focused on… community building” in a public space (LangLab) relates to making communities inclusive, safe, and resilient.

   • SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

     The event’s focus on “child safety,” “human rights,” “social justice storytelling,” and “creative expression” aligns with the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all, and protecting fundamental freedoms.

2. Specific Targets Identified

   Based on the article’s content, the following specific targets can be identified:

   • Target 3.4: Reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases and promote mental health

     This target is directly addressed through the stated goal of the Speak Our Truth Project to “raise awareness about mental health of children and adults.” The event serves as a platform to promote mental well-being through creative expression.

   • Target 11.7: Provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, public spaces

     The “Mic Check — Voices for the Movement” event, held at LangLab, is an example of creating an inclusive cultural and social space for community members from three different counties to gather for “community building.”

   • Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children

     The event’s advocacy for “child safety” through spoken word, poetry, and art is a direct effort to raise awareness and promote actions aligned with this target.

   • Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms

     The open mic event is a clear exercise of fundamental freedoms, specifically freedom of expression. It provides a platform for “social justice storytelling” and “creative expression,” allowing participants to share information and experiences related to human rights and child safety.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied

   While the article does not mention official statistical indicators, it implies several qualitative and activity-based indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

   • Indicator for Target 3.4:

     The existence and number of community-led awareness-raising activities on mental health. The “Mic Check” event itself is a tangible example and a measure of this activity.

   • Indicator for Target 11.7:

     The number of inclusive, cross-county cultural events organized to foster community building. The article describes one such event, which serves as a data point for this indicator.

   • Indicator for Target 16.2 & 16.10:

     The number of public events or platforms (like an open mic) dedicated to advocating for child safety and human rights through artistic and creative expression. The event is an indicator of community engagement in protecting fundamental freedoms and advocating for vulnerable populations.

4. Summary of Findings

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators (Implied from the Article)
   SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	Target 3.4: Promote mental health and well-being.	Number of community events and initiatives aimed at raising awareness about mental health (e.g., the “Mic Check” event).
   SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	Target 11.7: Provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, public spaces.	Number of inclusive cultural events held in community spaces that unite people from different areas (e.g., the cross-county collaboration at LangLab).
   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	Target 16.2: End all forms of violence against children. Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms.	Number of advocacy initiatives focused on child safety. Number of public platforms promoting fundamental freedoms through social justice storytelling and creative expression.

Source: wsbt.com