<sustainable communities>

Sustainable Communities

Background

ISF's focus on sustainable communities goes back to the organization's early days. In the past, ISF worked with CitNet and ANPED to organize the first International Sustainable Communities Forum, held in New York in 1997. Today, ISF's primary work on this topic is through CitNet's Sustainable Communities Initiative (launched in 1996), involving a loose network of regional focal points around the United States providing information and links to local concerns and developments. As secretariat of CitNet, ISF has the responsibility of coordinating that loose network of "regioners," encouraging and assisting them in their local organizing efforts, as well as helping them keep their constituents informed and meaningfully engaged in national and international policy discussions, campaigns, and other activities.

Goals

Promote strategies for building sustainable communities within the US and around the world.

Strategy

Promote local sustainability strategies (e.g., Local Agenda 21 plans) rooted in local participation, with concrete, time-bound targets and indicators to measure progress. Further, highlight the cross-sectoral importance of sustainable production and consumption policy tools and objectives. For 2004, focus on two strategic priorities:

Sustainable Communities Initiative

Revise and help to implement CitNet's Sustainable Communities Initiative. This requires engaging and providing greater support to CitNet regioners in building capacity and promoting sustainable community development policies and practices. This activity follows the five objectives/priorities of the Initiative:

• Information exchange : Strengthen communications among regioners through the following actions:

• Mapping the movement : Strengthen the vision, knowledge and public awareness of the sustainable communities movement in the US.

• Policy development and advocacy: Promote and support development, adoption and implementation of citizen-based sustainability policies.

• Capacity, coalition and constituency building: Help strengthen US NGO effectiveness through greater capacity and collaboration among members and potential NGO and other allies.

• Media strategy : Engage regioners and others in regional approach and media strategy, especially for the 2004 Citizens Campaign on Leadership for Sustainability:

NGO Caucus on Sustainable Communities

Help strengthen involvement and effectiveness of CSD NGO Caucus on Sustainable Communities .

• Encourage greater participation in the Caucus.

• Work with Caucus members to develop the Caucus webpage on the SDIN site.

• Help distribute information about CSD12 review of human settlements policy.

• Interview caucus members to identify communication and information technology needs and capacity .

• Build membership and use of Sustainable Communities Caucus listerver .

• Encourage inter-caucus cooperation.



	Sustainable Communities Background ISF's focus on sustainable communities goes back to the organization's early days. In the past, ISF worked with CitNet and ANPED to organize the first International Sustainable Communities Forum, held in New York in 1997. Today, ISF's primary work on this topic is through CitNet's Sustainable Communities Initiative (launched in 1996), involving a loose network of regional focal points around the United States providing information and links to local concerns and developments. As secretariat of CitNet, ISF has the responsibility of coordinating that loose network of "regioners," encouraging and assisting them in their local organizing efforts, as well as helping them keep their constituents informed and meaningfully engaged in national and international policy discussions, campaigns, and other activities. Goals Promote strategies for building sustainable communities within the US and around the world. Strategy Promote local sustainability strategies (e.g., Local Agenda 21 plans) rooted in local participation, with concrete, time-bound targets and indicators to measure progress. Further, highlight the cross-sectoral importance of sustainable production and consumption policy tools and objectives. For 2004, focus on two strategic priorities: CitNet's Sustainable Communities Initiative CSD NGO Caucus on Sustainable Communities Sustainable Communities Initiative Revise and help to implement CitNet's Sustainable Communities Initiative. This requires engaging and providing greater support to CitNet regioners in building capacity and promoting sustainable community development policies and practices. This activity follows the five objectives/priorities of the Initiative: • Information exchange : Strengthen communications among regioners through the following actions: • Mapping the movement : Strengthen the vision, knowledge and public awareness of the sustainable communities movement in the US. • Policy development and advocacy: Promote and support development, adoption and implementation of citizen-based sustainability policies. • Capacity, coalition and constituency building: Help strengthen US NGO effectiveness through greater capacity and collaboration among members and potential NGO and other allies. • Media strategy : Engage regioners and others in regional approach and media strategy, especially for the 2004 Citizens Campaign on Leadership for Sustainability: NGO Caucus on Sustainable Communities Help strengthen involvement and effectiveness of CSD NGO Caucus on Sustainable Communities . • Encourage greater participation in the Caucus. • Work with Caucus members to develop the Caucus webpage on the SDIN site. • Help distribute information about CSD12 review of human settlements policy. • Interview caucus members to identify communication and information technology needs and capacity . • Build membership and use of Sustainable Communities Caucus listerver . • Encourage inter-caucus cooperation.

© 2005 Integrative Strategies Forum, Inc. All Rights Reserved.