A goal-oriented career

Victoria University of Wellington alumnus Ben Schaare graduated with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in International Relations, French, and European Studies. Today he works in New York for the United Nations on its Sustainable Development Goals project. Ben takes some time out to chat about life in New York and what he’s been up to since graduating.

What was your student experience at Victoria like?

My student experience was fairly typical—I came down from New Plymouth, lived in Te Puni Village, and then had student flats in Kelburn and Aro Valley. I spent many hours in the library, the Hunter Lounge, and on Cuba Street, Manners Street, and Courtenay Place.

I took great classes with great professors, and appreciated the breadth of subjects I was able to study. I also did an exchange at American University in Washington, D.C. for a year. This was a great experience, and a good opportunity to augment the classes offered at Victoria University. It was also a bargain—I studied at one of the top undergraduate International Relations schools in the world and only paid New Zealand fees.

What have you been doing since graduating?

I worked in Wellington and New Plymouth before heading over to France to teach English for a year. From there I did my Master’s degree at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C., with the support of a Freyberg Scholarship. While at SAIS, I had an internship at a think tank—the Center for Strategic and International Studies—and at the Samoan Mission to the United Nations (UN).

After graduating from SAIS, I worked at a small consulting firm in Washington, D.C. advising large multinational companies, and then moved up to New York to work for the UN. Currently, I am still working for the UN, where I manage the SDG Advocates—17 celebrities appointed by the Secretary-General to raise awareness and accelerate implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

What’s been a highlight of your career so far?

All the jobs I have had have been highlights—in each job I have had moments where I have to pinch myself and ask ‘Is this really happening? How did a kid from Taranaki end up here?’

The office of the consulting firm I worked for in Washington overlooked the White House, so going into work every day with that view, and routinely pausing meetings in the conference room to watch President Obama land or take off in Marine One, was pretty surreal.

What do you love about working on the SDGs? Why are they important?

For me, the SDGs are exciting and important for a few reasons.

First, they are universal—meaning they apply to all countries, rich and poor, developed and developing. The SDGs change the traditional donor/recipient aid paradigm, and recognise that developed countries, like New Zealand, have things to fix at home as well if we truly want to leave no one behind.

Second, the Goals are interconnected. The SDGs explicitly recognise that one goal cannot be achieved without achieving all the others. For instance, achieving Goal 4 (quality education for all) is impossible without progress on Goal 2 (zero hunger—kids who are hungry do not learn as well) or Goal 5 (gender equality—girls must have the same education opportunities as boys) or Goal 9 (quality infrastructure—you need good schools and facilities for quality education), and so on and so forth. As SDG Advocate Alaa Murabit says, what is the point of teaching a man to fish, if the fish are dead because the river is polluted, or the river has dried up because of climate change, or he cannot reach the river because of war, or if he is too sick to fish because he does not have access to healthcare? Because individual Goals cannot be achieved on their own, everyone can be involved—no matter whether you are interested in gender equality, climate change, good governance, poverty reduction, or protecting biodiversity, you have a role to play in achieving the SDGs.

Third, the SDGs were negotiated and agreed to by every government in the world. It is hard to overstate what an achievement this is. Getting two, or five, or 20 countries to agree on a narrow set of issues is difficult. Getting 193 countries to agree to such a broad and forward-looking agenda is borderline miraculous. However, this also means that citizens can (and should) hold their governments accountable for achieving the SDGs—after all, they pledged to achieve them by 2030.

Finally, the SDGs are measurable. The 17 Goals have 169 targets, progress against which can be measured by 232 indicators. This means that the SDGs are not just lofty statements of intent or ambition, but real, measurable targets and policy guides for everyone to work towards.

Have you kept up any connections with Victoria University?

I make a point of attending alumni events in New York, and I am a big believer in utilising the alumni network. If anyone reading this wants to talk about career pathways, the SDGs, or doing a Master’s degree in the US, please reach out!

What are your future plans?

I really enjoy my job at the UN, and I love New York. However, I would like to move back to New Zealand in the future to help shape or implement policy, probably in foreign affairs.