Of Scatterlings and Stakeholders

The immense diversity of humankind makes it difficult to place people into specific categories when we attempt to mobilize collective action. Boundary terms can be useful tools to this effect, as for instance the term Scatterlings, which is based on Johnny Clegg’s song “Scatterlings of Africa” and can be used to represent all human beings. Stakeholders is another boundary term which was initially used in the corporate world to classify people. Today its meaning is not entirely clear, although it is being increasingly used within the context of the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals. This book attempts to shed some light on existing definitions and uses through a historical lens. It then takes a closer look at the text of the 2030 Agenda and provides an overview of global governance for sustainable development, including identifying some Scatterlings who are being left behind in the Stakeholder engagement processes. These insights hope to stimulate action, such as a comprehensive global Stakeholder analysis, and new thinking so that more Scatterlings are engaged as Stakeholders in the pursuit of sustainable development through the 2030 Agenda, and no one is left behind.