Meet Paul Newnham
Paul Newnham currently heads up the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 Advocacy Hub as Director, an initiative bringing together NGOs, advocacy groups, civil society, the private sector, and UN agencies to coordinate global campaigning and advocacy to achieve SDG2.To this end, the SDG2 Hub facilitates a network of 700 chefs from 70 countries to support chef action on the SDGs. Chefs are equipped with a simple set of actions called the Chefs’ Manifesto, to drive progress on the Global Goals.
Paul specializes in generating solutions to complex problems alongside communities around the world. Working strategically alongside actors from all aspects of the food, agriculture, and nutrition industries, Paul seeks to generate change that will impact our food system and the planet. Paul has over 20 years’ experience in, and extensive knowledge of, the Not For Profit Sector having worked in National and Global roles.
He is a strong advocate for good development, working alongside communities to improve livelihoods. Through inspirational and evocative leadership, Paul is able to enthuse and motivate others, achieving goals beyond expectation.
Get to know him:1. Words I live by… “Live a life worth remembering” – this is part of a Bruce Lee quote. I strive to live a life that will be worth talking about in a good way after I am gone. “Remember that guy Paul? He really gave everything he had to…” fill in the blank. 2. Why I like to eat healthy (or why eating healthy is important for our family)? My wife and I have always eaten a healthy diet largely due to our upbringing. I grew up in countries where we could only eat whatever was sourced locally: Malawi, Bangladesh, India, and Zimbabwe. Keren grew up in a suburb of Melbourne, and her family had a vegetable plot. They grew as much of their food as they could, planting and picking according to the seasons. We have also made exercise and physical activity a part of our relationship. As time has gone on we have exposed our own children to a diverse and nutritious diet, based around plants and ingredients that are minimally processed.
3. A dream I’m turning into reality is? Traveling the world with my family, having continual adventures and teaching them the gift of tolerance, curiosity, and awareness, whilst pursuing my vocation which is intricately woven into the fabricate of my life: that all people be able to live lives of their choosing, free from fear, with access to nutritious food. 3. What’s that one fun thing you always do with your children? So many things! With four kids it is hard to ensure everyone enjoys the ‘fun’ activity, though, for me, it’s more important that we are together. Aside from travel, family night is every Sunday night in our house. It’s my night to cook which I love to do for them, we play board games and we watch a family show together. The Amazing Race is a favorite in our house, along with sourdough pizza and a variety of toppings. 4. What is the easiest and happiest part of being a parent? The easiest part of being a parent is being married to my partner Keren. She is such a great parent and makes me a better Dad. She is the glue that sticks our family together, who intentionally sets out to create experiences that shape and mold our children into better humans, and who challenges their thinking and stretches their imaginations in ways that allow them to explore their own selves, whilst still knowing they have a safety net.
The happiest part of being a parent for me is the little things: seeing your child overcome an obstacle to reach a goal; watching the joy on their faces as they experience something new or wonderous; hearing them help out a sibling or friend with advice that you have previously given them; seeing the resilience they show in the face of adversity, and having them say thanks when you cook them a delicious meal!
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