The Hero Awards, in partnership with Afghan Women Rising, are developing what they describe as the world's largest "solution engine" for the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals. According to CIO John Toomey, the initiative converts each of the UN's 169 specific targets into prompts for AI bots, starting with platforms like OpenAI's GPTs, Gemini's Gems, and Claude Artifacts, before evolving into full-fledged AI assistants that update themselves continuously to achieve progress toward the Goals.
The core workforce behind this effort consists of members of Afghan Women Rising—young women in Afghanistan who are denied formal education under the Taliban-led government. These women build the bots online and then hold in-person discussions to refine the prompts, adding a crucial human element. "Having these girls design the prompts allows them to sidestep the ban against schooling," says Program Director Amy Chang. "They get valuable experience building projects that will contribute to sustainability both in and outside of their own country for a long while, and prepare themselves for a time in which their talents will be vital for the country's future."
In developing the protocols, the girls have been inspired by the writings of J. Kutcher, particularly her metaphor of garden plant growth representing the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual growth of young women. When a protocol is completed, its creator becomes eligible for a Hero Award, which requires suggesting previously unknown strategies for advancing the UN targets. Successful efforts are publicized on The Hero Awards website and in press releases.
Since the program was announced six months ago, individuals from other organizations in the Global South have requested involvement and will be included in future iterations. These groups include PARI (People's Archive of Rural India), serving underserved populations in the Indian countryside; Siku.org, a non-profit for First Nations of the Canadian Arctic and Greenland; Cybersmartafrica.org, a network of teachers and students in Senegal preserving local cultures and improving digital literacy; Terrastories, an open-source application for South American and Amazonian indigenous communities to map oral histories; and Winyama, an Australian indigenous group using cultural mapping to document Dreamtime stories and historical data.
The June Hero Award winners include Tara Jensen, Maria Ortiz, Herman Matsui, and Wilhelmina Searles. More information about the initiative is available on Substack, Reddit, and LinkedIn. The UN Goals and Targets can be found at sdgs.un.org/goals.
This initiative matters because it directly addresses two critical global issues: advancing the UN's sustainability agenda and providing educational opportunities for women in Afghanistan who are banned from formal schooling. By turning UN targets into actionable AI prompts, the project creates a scalable, continuously improving system that could accelerate progress on global challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate change. Moreover, it empowers a marginalized group with valuable skills, preparing them for future roles in rebuilding their country.
