Outreach Issues A daily publication of Sustainable Development Issues Network (SDIN) and Stakeholder Forum (SF)
Prosperity Without Growth? An Alternative Perspective on Economic Recovery
TUESDAY
For the last five decades the pursuit of economic growth has been the single most important policy goal across the world. Rising GDP is supposed to deliver a thriving economy, more spending power, increased family security, greater choice, richer and fuller lives, more public spending and better public services.
May 12, 2009
Inside this Issue: Green Shoots? An Alternative Perspective on Economic Recovery
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Bringing CSD17 home... for the small producers
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UN HABITAT’s Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development
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Food Security and Climate Change
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Biofuels and Food Security
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Rio 2012
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Negotiation Made Simple
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2009: A Year of Change
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Live at the CSD
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Food for Thought...
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Outreach Issues is the civil society newsletter produced by the SDIN Group (ANPED, TWN and ELCI) and Stakeholder Forum. Outreach Issues aims to report with attitude, from the global scene of sustainability. The organizations publishing Outreach Issues are not responsible for the content of signed articles. Opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors.
By: Tim Jackson, UK Sustainable Development Commission
When growth stalls, as it did last year, things go quickly from bad to worse. Firms go out of business, people find themselves out of jobs and a government that fails to respond appropriately is likely to find itself out of office. No surprise then to hear now the almost ubiquitous call for people to go out shopping. Boosting highstreet sales is deemed the best way to dig ourselves out of the mire. We need to ‘kickstart’ consumer spending and put the economy ‘back on a growth path’. Never mind that people would rather save than spend. Never mind that indefinite material expansion in a finite world borders on self-delusion. Never mind that the global
economic system is 5 times the size it was half a century ago. And that, if it continues to grow at the same rate, it will be 80 times that size by the year 2100. This extraordinary ramping up of global economic activity has no historical precedent. It’s totally at odds with our scientific knowledge of the finite resource base and fragile ecology on which we depend for survival. And it has already been accompanied by the degradation and over-use of an estimated 60% of the world’s ecosystems. For the most part, we ignore the stark reality of these numbers. Questioning growth is deemed to be the act of lunatics, idealists and revolutionaries. But question it we must. Because growth is failing. It is failing the 2 billion people across the world who still live 1
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on less than $2 a day. It is failing the fragile ecological systems on which we depend for survival. It is failing, even in its own terms, to provide stability and security in people’s livelihoods. Today we are faced with the imminent end of the era of cheap oil, the prospect of rising commodity prices, the degradation of forests, lakes and soils, conflicts over land use, water quality, fishing rights and food. And the momentous task of stabilising concentrations of carbon in the global atmosphere. And we face these tasks with an economy that is fundamentally broken, in desperate need of renewal. In these circumstances, a return to business as usual is not an option. The call to high street arms is misguided. Prosperity for the fortunate few founded on ecological destruction and persistent social injustice is no foundation for a civilised society. Economic recovery is vital. Protecting people’s jobs – and creating new ones – is absolutely essential. But we also stand in urgent need of a renewed sense of shared prosperity. A different kind of economics for a low-carbon world. A commitment to a less unequal, less materialistic society. The current economic crisis presents us with a unique opportunity to invest in change. To sweep away the short-term thinking that has plagued society for decades. To replace it with considered policy capable of addressing the enormous challenge of delivering a more sustainable economy. This is the challenge taken up by the Sustainable Development Commission’s Redefining Prosperity programme. A recent ground-breaking report, Prosperity without Growth?, unravels the complex dynamics that lock us into damaging denial and sets out a compre-
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“Questioning growth is deemed to be the act of lunatics, idealists and revolutionaries. But question it we must.” hensive 12-step programme of policy renewal – capable of setting us on the path towards a lasting prosperity. For at the end of the day, prosperity goes beyond material pleasures. It transcends material concerns. It resides in the quality of our lives and in the health and happiness of our families. It is present in the strength of our relationships and our trust in the community.
It is evidenced by our satisfaction at work and our sense of shared meaning and purpose. It hangs on our potential to participate fully in the life of society. Prosperity consists in our ability to flourish as human beings – within the ecological limits of a finite planet. The challenge for our society is to create the conditions under which this is possible. It is the most urgent task of our times. Prof Tim Jackson is Economics Commissioner for the Sustainable Development Commission and Author of Prosperity without Growth? The transition to a sustainable economy. You can download and read more about the report at http://tinyurl.com/dg4bjx .
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Bringing CSD17 home... for the small producers As a development advocate and practitioner from the Southeast Asian region, our policy advocacies have mostly been directed to regional intergovernmental bodies, food and agriculture agencies attached to the UN system, and national governments. CSD 16/17 cycle offered us an opportunity to engage the global UN system on themes which are core to our existence, thus our presence here. From CSD 16 till today, to the implement at the ground level the results of this process. By: Marlene Ramirez, Secretary General, AsiaDHRRA
In the first week of CSD17, amidst the rumble and tumble of words and statements from the official delegation to find the right language to suit content and form of the negotiating text, and witnessing how countries or political blocks (e.g. G77, EU, JUSCAN) really “behave” in favour of our ideals of sustainable development. I found the deliberation on creating access to markets for small scale producers a spark of light and, well, closer to home. It was an encouraging moment (and an antidote to jet lag and disappointment) as I followed the working group deliberating agriculture and rural development. Other than the plenary and working group discussions, I managed to join a side event (farming first) which also tackled the challenges of linking small producers to market. There I had the chance of sharing to a small cluster of fellow major groups delegation (youth, farmers orgainzations) and some official delegation, our regional program on linking farmers to markets and the challenges that we face in the course of our work. I hope that CSD 17 results will get concrete translation in terms of policy reform and more responsive programs at the national level, in FAO and IFAD, and global development cooperation in favour of the more vulnerable small scale producers. Again, not the large scale, but the small scale producers.
The means of implementation is wide and diverse to make CSD17 meaningful to the lives of the majority rural poor. Linking small farmers to markets is one. Small Farmers/Small Holders access to Markets In most Southeast Asian countries, small holder farming is important in terms of agriculture and food security. Its importance is derived from its prevalence and role in agricultural and economic development and the concentration of poverty in rural areas. The term ‘small holder’ refers to the limited resource endowments relative to other farmers and therefore the definition of small holders differs between countries and between agro-ecological zones. The distinction between small holders and larger farms based on their landholdings is not always
applicable. More useful is the one based on labour use. Small holder farms are usually family farms, with the labour (including management) needed on the farm being supplied by the household. Large farms commonly employ hired labour. Most small farmers and small holders are vulnerable to economic and climatic shocks and spread their risk by diversifying their sources of livelihood, including significant off-farm income. In this respect, small holders also form a diverse group in terms of their allocation of resources to food, cash crops, livestock and off-farm activities, their use of external inputs and hired labour, the proportion of food crops which are sold, and their household expenditure pattern.
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Complete subsistence or self-sufficiency does not really exist anymore because there is always some form of local market, in which small holders trade their surplus. But these markets are not very remunerative and offer limited opportunities for negotiation. Finding and entering markets that will provide better prospects can be extremely difficult, and small holders are often faced with a number of difficulties. Several studies have listed the constraints that small farmers encounter when they want to link to new markets or become more competitive in existing markets. The World Bank (2007) distinguished the following five issues: lack of access to these markets; weak technical capacity; difficulty in meeting quality standards; difficulty in meeting contract conditions; and exposure to additional risks. Policies of privatization, liberalization and accession to the WTO or EU between 1980 and 2000’s, was followed by a wave of investments by food manufacturers and retailers. Combined with rising urbanization and changes in consumer preferences and purchasing power, these have led to a growth of modern food processing and retailing, which often have requirements or industry standards for quality and safety built on traceability and certification. Conformity with labour and environmental standards may also be required, with compliance costs proportionately much higher for smallholders. Experiences would show that most market channels are not inherently eager to engage small-scale farms due to issues of product quality and safety, pole-vaulting and the higher transaction costs involved in relating with many of them. Buyers generally prefer and seek out larger suppliers, aggregators and consolidators and also seek out areas that are already favoured by agribusiness, such as zones involved in export production. Increasingly, NGOs now recognize that if they are to promote livelihood 4
“Increasingly, NGOs now recognize that if they are to promote livelihood diversification it is not sufficient to encourage farmers to produce new crops by providing inputs, credit and some extension advice.” diversification it is not sufficient to encourage farmers to produce new crops by providing inputs, credit and some extension advice. Such approaches have been shown to be unsatisfactory because they fail to take into account the market demand for the products, the supply chain or marketing system through which the products will have to reach the consumers, processors or exporters, and the potential profitability of the recommended production. A majority of NGOs are now acting towards a "new paradigm" of encouraging farmers or rural enterprising communities to carry out market-led production and of being supply-chain facilitators, rather than the old "charitable/subsidized” approach which had little chance of sustainability. It is in this context that we pursue a regional cooperation that help strengthen the entrepreneurial capacity of farmers organizations and NGOs towards establishing on-ground marketing links between small-scale farmers' groups and market players and to collaborate with policy makers at local, national, and regional levels to respond to agricultural marketing issues confronted by the small farmers. Currently, the project focuses on specific commodity lines in pilot countries in Cambodia, Indonesia, Philppines, and Vietnam, with domestic and national formal markets as priority targets. The challenges are plain and simple, at this juncture of project cooperation, in our southeast Asian experience: 1) Organizing of groups or cluster of small farmers based on a single agricultural product to able to consolidate production at economic scale;
2) Provision of specific agricultural extension and training to help small farmers produce better quality products; and 3) Planning to achieve synchronized production system to ensure that there is available supply and delivery of a specific commodity is ensured periodically and regularly. The question is, are the government policies, including that of FAO and IFAD, attuned to this reality and challenges confronted by small farmer producers? Good anchor to policy dialogue with the Ministers This is why I believe that one of the question developed by fellow NGO delegates in preparation for the “Dialogue with Ministers on May 12”, is very important. It is “In response to the continuing food crisis, governments are called upon to invest in sustainable agriculture and rural development prioritizing local agricultural production over export crops. How can such investment be directed to the most vulnerable communities in developing countries, to feed the population and the access of women and men farmers to land, water, seeds and credit, while building new market infrastructure for local agriculture, truly supporting small family farmers, and not just benefiting large multinational food and agriculture businesses?" If only we can hear good responses to this question in the upcoming dialogues, and more importantly, keep the appropriate language in the concluding text towards this end, then I am happy that there's something that we can hold on as we engage our governments beyond CSD 17. Then we have something to bring home. That I guess explains why we are here.
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UN HABITAT’s Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development By: Catherine Norton, Consultant, Partners and Youth Section, United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT)
Of the one billion slum dwellers in the world today, it is estimated that more than 70% are under the age of 30. Yet these young people have few resources available to improve their own living environment. The urban youth-led organizations can now apply for financial assistance from United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT). “Through this new fund, we are recognizing the urgent need to bolster youth-led initiatives, and are at the forefront of a growing movement to place youth at the center of sustainable development strategies.” says Dr, Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT. The Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development will provide grants between $5,000 and $25,000 to organizations led by urban young people, aged 15-32 years from developing countries. The main areas of intervention will be in employment, education, environment, health and safety within an urban setting. The Fund will also assist governments, civil society organizations and the private sector in addressing youth concerns, and support new information and learning channels for young people.
programs in its quest to build a global database, determine the impact of youth-led projects internationally and inform the overall functioning of the Fund. At press time, agencies from more than 32 countries including Afghanistan, Haiti, India, Nigeria, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, Vanuatu and Zimbabwe had expressed interest in the Fund. “While the total may seem small on a global basis, this kind of research has never been done before and the scope of youth-led development has never been quantifiably understood,” says researcher Doug Ragan, PhD (candidate). “Through this research we will be able to more effectively and fairly deploy the Opportunities Fund globally and maximize its communitybuilding benefits.” Most of the survey respondents come from the world’s poorest economies and still they prove their resourcefulness to achieve positive results. Of the survey respondents reporting, 61% of the groups’ funding came from either selffunding or through entrepreneurial initiatives – an astonishing self-reliance that adds to their overall effectiveness in helping to stabilize communities. “Imagine how much more effective these youth-led groups can be with a few dollars from UN-HABITAT,” says Ragan, the primary re-
searcher for the Fund. “We are thrilled that the Fund is attracting global participation and we look forward to monitoring the applicant’s success.” At a special luncheon during the 22nd Governing Council in Nairobi held Mar. 30 to Apr. 3, nearly 40 dignitaries, key speakers included senior UN-HABITAT personnel, along with community groups and government officials came together to celebrate the Fund. “Half the world population is youth and therefore, those are three billion reasons for international development corporations to consider them,” says Erik Berg, representing the Norway Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who spoke at the luncheon Mar. 31. Exploding urbanization is a critical UN-HABITAT challenge, he acknowledged, and youth are often forgotten and marginalized from development and general decision-making – showcasing the need for the new Fund. He also called on global investors to participate financial and help make the Fund a long-term priority. Applications for the first phase of the programme will be accepted until June 1st, 2009. Please visit our website at: www.unhabitat.org/opfund for more information or contact UN-Habitat at: opfund@unhabitat.org
Grants will be awarded to projects that best meet the following criteria: 1. Innovation – project uses a new method to address a local or global challenge; 2. Impact – project has potential to produce significant or measurable impact on the issue it addresses; 3. Sustainability – project has potential to produce on-going positive change; 4. Youth-led and youth-driven – projects should be led by young people aged 15-32 years; 5. Gender awareness – projects should benefit both female and male youth. As of May 1, the Youth-Led Development Survey had catalogued more than 250 youth-led Catherine Norton, Anna Taibujika and Erik Berg
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Food Security and Climate Change It is clear that food security and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people who depend on small-scale agriculture are under significant threat from climate change. To address this challenge, a new major research programme has recently been launched on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). By: Thomas Rosswall, Chair of the CCAFS Steering Committee
This initiative unites the complementary strengths of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and its 15 centres and the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP; a partnership of the four international global change science programs sponsored by the International Council for Science, ICSU) to address the most pressing and complex challenge to food security in the 21st century. The goal of CCAFS is to overcome the additional threats posed by a changing climate on attaining food security, enhancing livelihoods and improving environmental management. The Program will address this goal by generating the knowledge base and toolsets to enable and assist farmers, policymakers, researchers and donors to successfully manage agricultural and food systems so as to strengthen food security, enhance rural livelihoods, and improve environmental sustainability in the context of the challenges arising from current climate variability and progressive climate change. The strategic alliance between the CGIAR and the ESSP will bring together the world’s best researchers in agricultural science and Earth system science and engage the stakeholders in a participatory approach. The collaboration will allow a truly integrated multidisciplinary, resilience-based approach to the climate change–food security problem. Thus, the programme will bridge the natural – social sciences divide as well as the global – local scale. In bringing together climate scientists and development researchers it will tackle the difficult issue of scale, where climate must be understood at the global level, while development in small scale subsistence farmers must be understood in a local context. Much of the research is inherently place-based and will be carried out in three focus regions (East and West Africa plus the Indo-Gangetic Plain), that have populations 6
and agriculture vulnerable to climate change, sufficient institutional capacity, and offer a high chance of generating transferable results. The outputs will be IPG with utility well beyond the research locations. The activities and outputs of the CCCP are orientated towards three high-level outcomes to achieve impact: 1. Climate variability and climate change issues mainstreamed into national, regional and international agricultural development strategies and institutional agendas. 2. Innovative information products and communication processes developed and maintained at local, national and regional levels. 3. Effective, climate-informed decisions made relating to: (a) setting priorities to
identify and fund research and development agendas and adaptation policies and investments at international and regional levels; (b) promoting and implementing adaptation options that render rural communities better able to monitor and adapt to climate variability and change, with full knowledge of the tradeoffs that arise between multiple objectives of increasing food security and sustaining livelihoods and the environment; (c) establishing and maintaining a supporting institutional, policy and infrastructural environment so that adaptation options are effective. For more information, please see the Alliance of the CGIAR (http://www.cgiar.org/ impact/challenge/pilot.html or the ESSP (www.essp.org) websites or contact Thomas Rosswall, Chair of the CCAFS Steering Committee at thomas.rosswall@gmail.org.
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Biofuels and Food Security Current Biofuels, not the panacea for climate mitigation, energy security or rural development. By: Mahendra Shah, IIASA and Rachid Bencrif, OFID
A new study commissioned by the OPEC Fund for International Development and prepared by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis was released recently at CSD-17 at a side event at the UN Commission for Sustainable Development on 6th May 2009. The study “Biofuels and Food Security" concludes that the use of first-generation biofuels will increase food insecurity in the world’s poorest countries and is unlikely to deliver any significant greenhouse gas mitigation benefit for at least 30 years. There is enormous concern that without significant reductions of global carbon dioxide emissions, serious and irreversible impacts of climate change is eminent. At present transport fuels account for about a fifth of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. Liquid biofuels for transport have been widely acclaimed to enable net green house gas savings, improve fuel energy security and foster rural development. Biofuels development polices have become the thrust of publicly announced and time-bound mandates and targets in a number of countries including the United States, European Union, Brazil, China and India. “Biofuels and Food Security” reviews the global status of biofuels development, policy regimes and support measures and quantifies the agroecological potential of first-and secondgeneration biofuels crops. It presents a comprehensive evaluation of the social, environmental and economic implications of biofuels development on transport fuel security, greenhouse gas emissions, agricultural prices, food security, land use change and sustainable agricultural development. The main policy relevant research findings of the OFID – IIASA study include the following: Food Security: At present about a billion people in the developing countries are chronically hun-
“Implementing the current biofuels development targets in the developed and developing countries based on current first-generation technologies will put an additional 140 million people at risk of hunger.” gry. Implementing the current biofuels development targets in the developed and developing countries based on current first-generation technologies will put an additional 140 million people at risk of hunger and Africa and South Asia will account for over two-thirds of those most affected. Energy Security: The world transport fuel consumption is projected to increase by over 60 percent by 2030 and current biofuels targets will result in a relatively small share of about 12 percent in the developed countries and 8 percent in the developing countries in 2030. Liquid biofuels are only one among many sources of renewable energy and their efficiency and societal value needs to be assessed vis-à-vis other current and future energy options in the context of comprehensive national and global energy strategies. Climate Mitigation: Estimated global greenhouse gas emissions in 2006 amounted to 45 Gt in carbon dioxide equivalent, of which some 62 percent is energy related. The current biofuels development will not result in greenhouse gas savings until after 2030. Even for the period 2000-2050, estimated cumulative gains of 15 27 Gt carbon dioxide equivalent from biofuels need to be put in perspective to current annual greenhouse gas emissions of about 6 Gt carbon dioxide equivalent caused by the transport sector. Rural Development: Current biofuels targets will result in crop and agriculture value added increasing by just 6 percent in the developed and 3 percent in the developing countries in
2030. More than 70 percent of the world poor are found in the rural areas in developing countries and most of them depend on agriculture for their livelihoods and this sector needs to be given the highest development priority, nationally and internationally. Deforestation and Biodiversity Risks: The 2020 biofuels feedstock production targets may result in deforestation of over 20 million additional hectares with the inherent consequences of substantial carbon emissions and loss of biodiversity. Incentive schemes aiming at avoidance of deforestation need to be negotiated in the context of post-Kyoto agreements on combating climate change. The Way forward with Biofuels: There is substantial potential for the commercial production of second-generation biofuels feedstocks on about 700 million hectares of currently unprotected grassland and woodlands and of this, some 125 million hectares would be sufficient to meet current biofuels targets to 2030. The development of second generation biofuels offers opportunities to develop innovative and mutually beneficial private sector and local community partnerships that would combine biofuels production for the market with food production by and for the local community. Such partnerships would need to be well designed, monitored and legally binding to minimize social and economic risks of exploitation. For more than thirty years, debates have raged over feeding cereals to livestock, in a world where over one-sixth of the population live with chronic hunger and debilitating poverty. There is a risk that in thirty years we will still be debating the fallacy of feeding cereals to cars. However, this time the situation is different. If we fail to deal adequately with the interrelated challenges of providing clean energy, ensuring food security and coping with climate change, the entire world’s population will be affected.
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Rio 2012 Many stakeholders support the idea of a 2012 Global Summit on Sustainable Development with the need to reshape actions in the light of the current financial crisis. Others consider it necessary under a climate change perspective. In my opinion we need a new World Summit to cope with the speed of changes in the sectors of sustainable development. By: Emilio D'Alessio, President of Local Agenda 21 Italian Association
Climate change and financial crisis are obviously among the priorities, but other issues like food shortages, urban sprawl, social cohesion and immigration are also on the agenda. The issue of velocity is central in the 21st century governance. Politicians and public administrators have the difficult task to keep up with the continuously growing speed of social, economical and environmental changes. Decisions must be taken in time to anticipate problems and crisis, while the current tendency is to make shift and run after things. Another reason to have a Rio+20 is to introduce new methods of implementation and target setting procedures in all resolutions and commitments. The definition of targets and timetables is particularly effective at the local level, where citizen and stakeholders can directly check the results and the spin-off for their community. The process of target setting cannot be generic like in the case of the Millennium Goals indicators. Targets must be tailored for every level of government and designed on the priorities of local actions defined in audit reports. As Local Authorities we believe in Integrated Urban Management as the basic tool of sustainable development at the local level. Only interdependency between economy, society, ecology and good governance give us the holistic perspective to react in the time to the speed of changes. The governance model based on the integrated approach is getting implemented in the wealthiest parts of the world, the challenge now is to foster its diffusion in developing countries. Particularly in Africa, where support is 8
needed, and technical and financial assistance need to increase so as to develop local authority capacity. Good local governance and conflict prevention guarantee peace and stability. A new World Summit will have to recognize the crucial role of cities and territories for sustainable development. Today cities house over 50% of the world’s population, which means 3.3 billion people, and occupy 2% of the world’s land but consume 75% of its resources. It will be necessary to take into consideration, among other things, the rapid evolution of cities, urban sprawl, and the issue of social integration. And we cannot limit our actions to the large metropolitan areas that represent only the tip of the iceberg. Small and medium sized cities and towns
are vital for the social and economic life of a nation just like SME. The promotion of urban-rural regional cooperation is another key for a sustainable development in the southern hemisphere and this issue will be one of major points in the RIO+20 conference agenda. Also, in 2012 the new world protocol on Climate Change will be in effect. The coinciding with a new Rio+20 World Summit will create synergies and occasions for stakeholder involvement, political commitment and extraordinary media coverage. All combing to put build further momentum in creating a sustainable future.
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Negotiation Made Simple By: Katerina Yiannibas, Legal Adviser, International Court of Environmental Arbitration and Conciliation (ICEAC)
Conflict, at every level of abstraction, saturates our existence. Ranging from war between nations to disagreement over the inclusion of a provision in a multilateral agreement. All conflict is based upon one immensely complex yet all the while rather simple concept: communication rift. We - as individuals, communities, nations- often fail to communicate effectively, if at all, and what results is a rift: the failure to express our values and intentions all the while failing to understand the values and intentions of others. Consider the following scenario: Two world renowned scientists fighting desperately over an orange. Assume they each need one single orange to save countless lives in their separate countries and this is the last orange on Earth. They have reached an overly aggressive stalemate and world harmony hangs in the balance. What do you do?
of terms, we don’t want to understand the problem, we want it to go away, and the faster the better. What many fail to realize is that investing some, not necessarily much time in information gathering may save huge costs in the long run. Returning to the orange predicament, the key lies in gathering more information about the problem itself. Asking open ended questions and developing the responses. And of course, asking the questions is not enough. Check the responses you receive against the information you sought to gain. Information gathering is crucial and should always be accompanied by active listening, and when appropriate, a careful diffusion of tension. Questions should remain openended, allowing the other party to express themselves openly instead of confining them to a narrow yes or no response. We don’t know what we will hear when we ask a question or else we wouldn’t ask it. As such it
is important to frame questions initially as openly as possible so as to avoid imposing our own values on the information we are about to receive. It is the difference between asking, “What are your thoughts on this?” and “You don’t like it do you?” Which question would you presume lends to more information exchange? Once information is exchanged, we can begin to create value. In the orange example, if one begins to explore each of the scientist’s perspectives on the utility of the orange, you would learn that one needs the rind of one orange and the other needs the juice of one orange. In the end, it’s a win-win, but only if the requisite information is exchanged. The key is learning how to express our values and intentions all the while taking the time to understand the values and intentions of others. Information is currency, the challenge is ours to use it to make a valuable contribution.
The example may seem simple, maybe improbable, but is in fact illustrative of the core principles of conflict. Each sees only what they want, in this case an orange, and when compromise seems impossible, they become further entrenched in their positions, their feelings aggressively flare, and communication breaks down. We hear ourselves advancing our position, but do we ever stop, listen, and most importantly, comprehend the response? The currency in any negotiation of conflict is not the solution itself, but the information upon which the solution is built. When presented with a problem, many seek to ascertain a solution, prioritizing the quick restoration of the status quo above fully exploring the components of the conflict itself: the assumptions, the intentions, and the values upon which it lies. In the simplest
Kelly McCann, Stakeholder Forum
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2009: A Year of Change Visibility does not necessarily mean participation. Speaking out does not mean that voices will be heard. The year of 2009 might be recognized as a year of changes. By: Written by Ivana Savic with input from Alicia Cundall (Youth Caucus Steering Committee Members)
It is not everyday that a youth delegate welcomes the Chair of the CSD to our meeting room. But as the high level segment begins here at CSD 17, this is exactly what happened. The Dutch youth delegates arranged a meeting with Gerda Verburg (the CSD 17 chairperson) and Hans Hoogeveen (Dutch ministry director of agriculture) with the children and youth major group. The purpose was for the youth caucus to engage in discussion with the chair on the proceedings of this CSD 17 and beyond. The youth present raised concerns about further engagement of young people in the social spaces where policies are formed. Their concerns were rooted in the fact that even though youth are often invited to attend various commissions, this does not always mean they’re enabled to fully participate. The chair encouraged youth and other major groups to hold their governments accountable for the promises they’ve made here at the CSD. It was stressed that our negotiations must translate into concrete measures in our respective countries. The importance of taking into account common interests throughout the negotiating process was also emphasized. This meeting was one example of a change that is taking place here at CSD 17; although youth have been part of the process from the very beginning, we’ve reached a milestone in the recognition of young people as partners in sustainable development work. It is clear now that youth are not seen as sources of problems, but as resources needed to find and implement solutions. This increased understanding stimulates youth to continue their involvement in sustainable development initiatives. The youth caucus’ involvement and approach is not just about issues concerning youth, but issues with which youth are concerned. Indeed, since the topic of sustainable development is so broad, our concerns and actions have to be holistic in nature, taking into account the interests of multiple stakeholders.
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Chairperson Gerda Verburg meets the Youth Caucus at the CSD. Photo by Lisa Develtere
GREEN DRINKS WHAT: Every month people who share an interest in environmental issues meet for a drink around the world at Green Drinks - it's a chance to mix and mingle with other like-minded people, share info, find jobs and make friends. WHEN: Tuesday, May 12th from 6-10pm - rain or shine! Bring your business cards. Join us for speed networking at 6:30pm - 4 minutes exchanging info, then switch! WHERE: Pier 66 Maritime (W. 26th & Hudson River Park). Take the C/E, N/R, 1/9 or Path Trains to 23rd Street and take the M23 crosstown bus to the Westside Highway. Cross the Westside Highway at W. 26th Street and walk over the float bridge (the tall wooden structure). COST: $10 in advance until noon on Tues., May 12th available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/66537; $20 at the door - cash bar BONUS: First 100 people to show up get a free drink ticket! Healthy snacks, raffle prizes from Gear To Go Outfitters, Jack Rabbit Sports, LIC Boathouse, Organic Pure Life, and the Bronx Zoo; private wine tastings from Martha Clara Vineyards for the silent auction. Music from DJ Scribe (Raw Fusion NYC). 2-MIN PITCHES: Hear from Pam Peeters (Sustainable Planet Film Festival), Carolyn Centeno (Food For Thought Tours), Gary Krane, Ariane Burgess (Regenerative Culture), Neil Carlson (Brooklyn Creative League), Debra Secunda (Raw Food DVD's), and Jared Byer (Eco Discoveries) at 7:45pm.
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Live from the CSD
http://media.stakeholderforum.org
ternational Affairs department. She has dedicated her life to the cause of environmental development, and has seen the environmental movement come and go in waves, a problem which she is working to correct.
By: Brett Israel, Aleksandra Radyuk, Catherine Njambi and Michael Strauss, Stakeholder Forum
On today’s ‘Green Table,’ the discussion focused on ‘Greening the Global Economy.’ The program’s moderator, Michael Strauss, led four guests in an exploration of whether the current global financial crisis was providing an opportunity for governments to re-structure their economies in sustainable directions – and whether governments were, in fact, taking that opportunity. The participants were: Mr. Kazua Otsuka (Government of Japan); Ms. Leida Rijnhout (Flemish Platform on Sustainable Development); Mr. Bheki Ntshalintshali (Congress of South African Trade Unions); and Mr. Jurgen Maier (German Forum for Environment and Development). An interesting and previously under-explored
topic of the discussion was the extent to which working people and the general public, particularly in developing countries, are willing to accept a temporary loss of jobs and the other wrenching changes that could accompany a ‘green’ transition, and how soon they need to see tangible evidence – e.g. formation of new green jobs – to maintain their political support for policies that can bring a healthier and more sustainable future economy. In Pioneers of the Planet we profile Barbara Bramble. Barbara is the senior advisor for International Affairs at the National Wildlife Federation and a champion for the cause of environmental development. Bramble chatted with Madhyama Subramanian on Pioneers of the Planet. Highlights of Bramble’s career include serving as the environmental advisor to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and being the original founder and director of the NWF’s In-
The focus Earth Talk was Water, as Armando Canchanya sat down with Hannah Stoddart, policy coordinator at Stakeholder Forum, and Lesha Witmer, women’s representative on the government delegations of the Netherlands and a gender expert. At the CSD, water is being touted as a cross-issue, affecting many areas of sustainable development. But people in developing countries are receiving too little information about how lack of water would be detrimental to their lives. During their discussion, the guests talked about why water is a problem and how it can be a gender issue. Episode six of Today at CSD brings you events as they unfold at the Commission on Sustainable development meeting. As the summit gets into its second week, the negotiations are heating up as politics creep in. The EU and G77 groups have not been left out in the politics of CSD as each tries to push their demands for a better planet. So what are the areas of debate and are there any straight answers? Madhyama Subramanian speaks to Bedrich Moldan, EU delegation representative and Achmad Rizal Purnama, representative of the G77 delegation to find out what the differences are. She also talks to Jan-Gustav Strandenaes, NGO Coordinator at the CSD and a long time observer of the process and its politics who clarified some of the issues. As Rick Lawford, Network Manager of the Drought Research Initiative at the University of Manitoba spoke of possible solutions. But as all these groups battle out about a Green Revolution and Sustainable Agriculture in the conference rooms, what do the people outside the UN compound know about it? You will find out all this on our Jargon Buster segment only at Today at the CSD.
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Outreach Issues
Food for Thought…
Felix Dodds, Stakeholder Forum
“What to do with a Minister” I was chatting with a couple of government representatives on Friday and they were musing on what to do with their Minister. This is all after speaking at the CSD, doing bi-laterals, experiencing the Vienna Cafe and, of course, meeting stakeholders. So after much thought, here are some ideas that you might want to consider. It seems that you can hire a President Obama lookalike (http://www.alltimefavorites.com/ lookalikes.htm) for only around $400 an hour. This could be a great investment in your career path...... though I am not saying which way - up or down! If you do this remember to explain that this is a private meeting and so no photos should appear on government web sites. It’s probably a good idea to check with the White House diary on where he is. It would be unfortunate if he was out of the country when your look alike met your Minister. A little preparation goes a long way. Maybe brief the Minister that President Obama is reaching out to a number of key Ministers for their advice on this or that. Looking at the site you might not want to shoot so high. The Minister might be impressed to meet Tom Cruise, Sean Connery, Nicole Kidman, or even Bill
Clinton. It seems that there are no longer any George W. Bush impersonators available, so that is out. There is of course the chance to take the Minister to see Star Trek which opened this week at the Imax theatre. Tickets are a little like gold dust or climate change targets. It does seem that it is the film to see; even Newsweek has been caught up in the enthusiasm and claims that ‘Star Trek is way cool!’ Unfortunately you will have missed the chance for the Minister to attend the panel discussion with the stars from “Battlestar Galactica”, which was hosted at the UN in March on the show’s treatment of terrorism, human rights abuses and religious conflict. Of course, Star Trek has also dealt with big issues; according to the "Onion" newspaper, it has addressed issues as diverse as ‘space racism’, ‘saving the whales’ and ‘politics is a dirty business’. Now that is something that may get your Minister nodding in agreement. My final suggestion is the idea of taking them to see a Broadway show. This has of course to be defendable back in the capital, in case it should get out to the media. Luckily there is such a show in New York at
E DITORIAL T EAM Senior Editor: Jan-Gustav Strandenaes, ANPED Co-Editor: Felix Dodds, Stakeholder Forum Daily Editor: Stephen Mooney, Stakeholder Forum
Previous and today’s issues are easily available online, go to:
Design and Layout: Erol Hofmans, ANPED Contributing writers: Tim Jackson, UK Sustainable Development Commission Marlene Ramirez, Secretary General, AsiaDHRRA Catherine Norton, Consultant, Partners and Youth Section, United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT)
www.sdin-ngo.net media.stakeholderforum.org
the moment. The Toxic Avenger Musical is on at the New World Stages. It has it all as a play: a mutant superhero from New Jersey who is transformed by toxic waste and his love for a blind librarian, fighting to end global warming. With songs like: ‘Hot Toxic Love’ and ‘Who Will Save New Jersey?’. A question asked by so many people every day, this has to be a must. To top it off, waste management is an issue for CSD 2010 - this could help with the preparation for your national report due in July 15th this year. Remember to consult your stakeholders on your national report… or take them along to the musical… I understand they are always looking for spare parts. (Edited by Aleksandra Radyuk)
Outreach Issues is made possible through the generous support of: .
THE ITALIAN MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT, LAND AND SEA
Thomas Rosswall, Chair of the CCAFS Steering Committee Mahendra Shah, IIASA and Rachid Bencrif, OFID
Please send your contributions to:
AND
smooney@stakeholderforum.org erol.hofmans@anped.org
THE BELGIAN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FEDERAL PUBLIC PLANNING SERVICE
Emilio D'Alessio, President of Local Agenda 21 Italian Association Katerina Yiannibas, Legal Adviser, International Court of Environmental Arbitration and Conciliation (ICEAC) Ivana Savic, Youth Caucus Steering Committee Alicia Cundall, Youth Caucus Steering Committee Brett Israel, Stakeholder Forum Aleksandra Radyuk, Stakeholder Forum Catherine Njambi,Stakeholder Forum Michael Strauss, Stakeholder Forum
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