Welcome to SSCC
Since its establishment in 2016 in Colombia, SSCC, a global network for South-South dialogue, has joined forces with many policymakers and academic experts across the Global South to seek novel mechanisms for strengthening peace and popularizing and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.
It has expanded its operations in the Americas, Africa, the Arab world, and Asia/Pacific and has embarked on a series of concrete programs. These include cultural diplomacy, responses to climate change, responses to natural disasters, and using the arts to contribute to the culture of peace. The programs and SSCC’s chief players are described in greater detail on the website.
Programmes
FORUM ON “ANCESTRAL WISDOM ON PROTECTING ENVIRONMENT”
In July 2025, the forum “The Value of Ancestral Wisdom for Environmental Protection” took place in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia—a global gathering that brought together Indigenous leaders, Afro-descendant communities, and youth to share ancestral knowledge for environmental protection.
The event was held at the Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española in Cartagena de Indias, an iconic venue located within the Santo Domingo Convent.
Organised by the South-South Cooperation Council for Sustainable Development Initiative (SSCC) in collaboration with UNESCO, and sponsored by Vijay Karia’s Opticloud, IQ Hall, and other strategic partners, the forum featured five thematic panels addressing topics ranging from sustainability and biocultural heritage to the contemporary environmental and spiritual crisis.
The event included the participation of Indigenous leaders from the Brazilian Amazon and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Afro-Colombian authorities from San Basilio de Palenque, academics, young leaders, and representatives of civil society. The forum adopted the Cartagena Resolution, which provided the foundation for future editions, including the next forum in Manila in 2026, during the Philippines’ chairmanship of ASEAN. This programme aims to build a lasting platform for intercultural dialogue and collective action inspired by ancestral wisdom.
