Inner Development Goals
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{{Infobox organization
| name = Inner Development Goals Foundation
| status = Not-for-profit and open-source initiative
| purpose = Fostering inner development towards more sustainable futures
| leader_title = Executive Director
| leader_name = Jan Artem Henriksson
| website = https://innerdevelopmentgoals.org/
}}
{{Explain|reason=This is so confusing I don't even know how to be clearer. I'm lost in the middle of the first sentence. Maybe consider us ignorant slobs when writing?|date=April 2025}}The Inner Development Goals (IDG) is a non-profit, open-source initiative committed to fostering inner development towards more sustainable futures. The organization developed the Inner Development Goals framework with the intent to simplify a complex field of human development to help people better identify, understand, communicate, develop, and integrate the inner skills needed for sustainable development.{{Cite web |title=Inner Development Goals |url=https://innerdevelopmentgoals.org/ |access-date=October 17, 2024}}
Rooted in interdisciplinary research, the IDG Framework consists of 5 dimensions with 23 skills of human inner growth and development.
Origins
Data released in the 2023 Sustainability Development Report shows that based on the current pace of progress, less than 20% of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets are on track to be achieved.Sachs, J.D., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G., Drumm, E. (2023). Sustainable Development Report 2023, Implementing the SDG Stimulus. Paris: SDSN, Dublin: Dublin University Press, 2023. 10.25546/102924. The IDG initiative was created to address the slow progress of the SDG, recognizing that inner development is key to achieving sustainable change.
IDGs draw inspiration from Nordic societal models that prioritize personal development for societal transformation.Doreen Ankrah, Jamie Bristow, Daniel Hires and Jan Artem Henriksson, “Inner Development Goals: from inner growth to outer change”, Field Actions Science Reports [Online], Special Issue 25 | 2023, Online since 10 November 2023, connection on 28 November 2023. URL:
Organization
in November 2023, the IDG Foundation was initiated by several groups including the 29k Foundation, the Ekskaret Foundation, IMD International Institute for Management Development, LUCSUS Center for Sustainability Studies | Lund University, the Stockholm Resilience Center, The New Division, Flourishing Network at Harvard University, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
The Inner Development Goals is a not-for-profit and open-source initiative. The initiative's Intellectual Property and operation is ultimately under the control of the non-profit organization Inner Development Goals Foundation established in Stockholm, Sweden.
Impact
Various organizations have adapted the IDG to address specific problems and make progress toward specific goals. For example, Plymouth University ResearchersSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Health, 2023-10-01. Inner Development Goals and the Meaning, Awareness and Purpose (MAP) Model for Climate Coaching, J Rhodes School of Psychology, J Blakeley-Glover, A Miller, A Taylor, I Rochmankowski
The study introduced the Meaning, Awareness, Purpose coaching model which emphasizes intrinsic motivation, imagery training, and connecting personal values to climate action. This MAP model showed promising results in increasing IDG-A scores and promoting pro-environmental behaviors compared to traditional Carbon Literacy Training.
Findings highlight the importance of self-understanding, emotional connection, and nature connection for driving sustainable behavior change and improving well-being.
In another study, researchers at Osnabrück University developed, implemented, and evaluated an innovative experiential seminar for university students, which systematically covered all five IDG dimensions and touched on all 23 elements.The Inner Development Goals as an Innovative Approach to Sustainable Development: Conceptualization, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Experiential University Seminar for Holistic Sustainability Education, by Stefanie Engel and Carolin Janssen. Submitted: 17 June 2024 Reviewed: 27 June 2024 Published: 04 September 2024