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Southern Caucus of NGOs for Sustainable Development Five Multi Regional Partnership and Policy Centers
[last updated April 16, 2004 1:00 PM]
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General Information
Partnership website(s) |
Expected TimeframeMarch 2002 - Open Ended |
Partners
| Governments:
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Major Groups:
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| UN System:
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Other intergovernmental organizations:
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Other:
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Thematic Focus
Primary Themes:
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Secondary Themes:
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Geographic Coverage
Geographic Scope: Global
Country(ies) where the partnership is being implemented: Algeria, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mauritius, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Uganda, Venezuela |
National Focal Points
This partnership has made contact with the national focal points for sustainable development in the countries involved
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Goals and Objectives
Summary of the partnership's goals and objectives
THE PARTNERSHIP SHALL:
1. Establish Five Multi Regional Centers to assist in recruitment, mobilization and development of human resources and strengthen Southern Major Group NGO Institutions on Local, National and Regional Levels and increase their Capacity to participate in and contribute to the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation Locally, Nationally and Regionally.
2 Seek resources to implement National NGO Action Plans to Eradicate Poverty, complementary to Government Plans
3 Report on the impact of reduction of poverty programs using UN CSD measurements and report on NGO Sustainable Development achievements and obstacles to participation in Local, National and Regional Sustainable Development.
4 Increase participation of Southern Major Group NGO¿s as observers and experts at Government Regional Meetings with feedback to local communities.
5 Replicate to NGOs in the countries served by the Centers best practices and expert programs developed by National and Regional NGO Major Groups that contribute to Sections IV to VIII of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, including the following:5a Reduce digital divide problems through Digital Divide Centers linked to Distance Learning, Technology Exchange, Higher Education, Research, Technical Assistance and Communications Programs,
5b Provide .
5c Participate in Monitoring and Management of Watersheds, Forests and Carbon Exchange programs
1. Establish Five Multi Regional Centers to assist in recruitment, mobilization and development of human resources and strengthen Southern Major Group NGO Institutions on Local, National and Regional Levels and increase their Capacity to participate in and contribute to the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation Locally, Nationally and Regionally.
2 Seek resources to implement National NGO Action Plans to Eradicate Poverty, complementary to Government Plans
3 Report on the impact of reduction of poverty programs using UN CSD measurements and report on NGO Sustainable Development achievements and obstacles to participation in Local, National and Regional Sustainable Development.
4 Increase participation of Southern Major Group NGO¿s as observers and experts at Government Regional Meetings with feedback to local communities.
5 Replicate to NGOs in the countries served by the Centers best practices and expert programs developed by National and Regional NGO Major Groups that contribute to Sections IV to VIII of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, including the following:5a Reduce digital divide problems through Digital Divide Centers linked to Distance Learning, Technology Exchange, Higher Education, Research, Technical Assistance and Communications Programs,
5b Provide .
5c Participate in Monitoring and Management of Watersheds, Forests and Carbon Exchange programs
Targets and Progress
Partnership targetsnone specified
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Progress against targets* Five NGO organizations have been identified to host and convene the Multi Regional Centers for their area under the leadership of the Multi Regional Coordinator of Record of that area in the structure of the Southern Caucus. Most importantly, they have immediately assumed the responsibilities for a Regional or Multi Regional Centers even with their limited in-kind resources.
* The initial five centers are located in:Barbados (SIDS) .... Panamá (Latin América) .... South Africa (Africa) ¿. South Korea (Asia) Brooklyn, NY U.S.A. (Southern Diaspora) · The Southern Caucus of NGOs for Sustainable Development is continuing to work on targets 1 through 5 * Many Partners listed have developed detailed implementation proposals and plans according to Target 5 and are seeking resources to implement these initiatives. * Several proposals are being prepared and developed by Regional Partners and by participating National Networks of NGOs in Countries of the Various Regions based on reaction to the abstract list of UN Actions disseminated by the Southern Caucus for inclusion in the various Multi Region Center Processes and for expansion and inclusion in the work of achieving the targets of this partnership. * Focal Points are being contacted by those participating. |
Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
- Human resources development/training
- Education/building awareness
- Institutional strengthening, including local participation
- Technology transfer/exchange
- Other
Human resources development/training activity
Institutional strengthening, including local participation Facilitate NGO Participation and Collaboration with Government National, Regional and Multi Regional structures in programs for Sustainable Development to meet UN related Targets MRC¿s and SCNGO Clearing House
Institutional strengthening, including local participation Coordination of Monitoring Evaluation and Reporting on NGO and other SD Activity from a NGO perspective. MRC¿s and SCNGO Clearing House,
Institutional strengthening, including local participation Development of NGO Governance and Fiscal Accountability capability MRC¿s and SCNGO Clearing House
Education/building awareness Strengthen and Expand Southern Caucus Clearing House and MRCs to guarantee effective two way communication and Promotion of Sustainable Development activities and Best Practices and Southern Caucus Multi Regional Center and Clearing House Partnership with an International Awareness Project , The W. Haywood Burns Environmental Education Center et al Partial list of Participants.
Education/building awareness Development of a Digital Divide Reduction System for dissemination of information. MRC¿s and the Southern Diaspora research & Development Center and the Universidad Popular
Technology transfer/exchangeTechnology Exchange and Capacity Building Through the Universidad Popular Affordable Distance Learning Program in Partnership with the MRC¿s
Other Generation of In Kind resources, Seed money and Financing for NGO Economic Development Funding The Southern Diaspora Research and Development Center & Southern Caucus and MRC¿s
Relationship to International Agreements on Sustainable Development
How the partnership contributes to the implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
THE PARTNERSHIP SHALL: 1. Establish Five Multi Regional Centers to assist in recruitment, mobilization and development of human resources and strengthen Southern Major Group NGO Institutions on Local, National and Regional Levels and increase their Capacity to participate in and contribute to the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation Locally, Nationally and Regionally.Relevant Sections: Strengthening institutional frameworks for sustainable development at the national level, paragraphs 146 to153 Paragraph 118 and 1192 Seek resources to implement National NGO Action Plans to Eradicate Poverty, complementary to Government Plans. Relevant Sections: Section II Poverty Eradication, Section IIa paragraph 6 items a to m; Section IIbParagraph 7 Poverty related Access to Potable Water and Adequate Sanitation Items a to g; Section IIc, Paragraph 8 Reliable, Affordable and Environmentally Friendly Energy Items a to g ; Section Iid Poverty Eradication Related Industrial Development and Living Wages, Paragraph 9 Items a to f; Section Iie Eradication of City Slums, Paragraphh 10 Items a to g.Section IX paragraph 80d Encourage the private sector, including transnational corporations, private foundations and civil society institutions to provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries. 80e support new and existing public and private innovative sources of finance for developing countries and countries with economies in transition, to benefit in particular small entrepreneurs and small- medium size and community based enterprises and to improve their infrastructure, while ensuring transparency and accountability of such mechanisms.Paragraph 82 Explore ways of generating new public and private innovative sources of finance for development purposes, provided ¿..3 Report on the impact of reduction of poverty programs using UN CSD measurements and report on NGO Sustainable Development achievements and obstacles to participation in Local, National and Regional Sustainable Development.Relevant Sections: Paragraph 130, items a, b, c, d.4 Increase participation of Southern Major Group NGO¿s as observers and experts at Government Regional Meetings with feedback to local communities.Relevant Sections: Srengthening Arrangements for Sustainable Development at the Regional Level, paragraphs 141 to 144;Participation of major groups, paragraphs 150, 152, 1535 Replicate to NGOs in the countries served by the Centers best practices and expert programs developed by National and Regiona NGO Major Groups that contribute to Sections IV to VIII of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, including the following:5a Reduce digital divide problems through Digital Divide Centers linked to Distance Learning, Technology Exchange, Higher Education, Research, Technical Assistance and Communications Programs, 5b Provide . 5c Participate in Monitoring and Management of Watersheds, Forests and Carbon Exchange programs Relevant Sections: IV Protecting and managing the nataural resource base of economic and social development;V Sustainable Development in a Globalizing world, paragraph 45; VI Health and Sustainable Development, paragraphs 46 to 50; VII Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States , paragraphs 52 to 55; VIII Sustainable Development for Africa, paragraphs 56 to 65; VIII.bis Other Regional Initiatives, paragraph 66;Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, paragraphs 67 & 68; Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific, paragraphs 69 & 70; Sustainable Development in the West Asia Region, paragraphs 71 & 72.Re Trade: paragraphs 90 to 93Re Technology Transfer and Institutional support paragraphs 99 to 108Re Education paragraphs 109 to 117
Coordination and Implementation
Coordination Mechanism of the PartnershipExisting institutions and structures will coordinate the Centers according to the Flow chart included with the following item of this form. The communication required for said coordination will be facilitated using interactive web site, E-conferencing, and virtual libraries as a repository for sustainable development principles, concepts and practices. The Centers will organize regional seminar and workshops, and promote and facilitate, where necessary, national consultations. To promote greater NGO-government interaction through establishing formal and structured relations, the five centers are accountable to the multi-regional structures of the Southern Caucus of NGOs for Sustainable Development (SCNSD) and will be linked to each other through the Clearinghouse, the Secretariat of the Organization based in New York and the International Management Committee of the (SCNGOSD).
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Implementation Mechanism of the PartnershipEach Center is located in an NGO host Facility and is Co-sponsored by the Host Facility and the Southern Caucus of NGOs for Sustainable Development (SCNGOSD). The Multi Region Center will function within existing space of the NGO Host. The Centers will have a governance structures that include representatives from the National Networks in the respective regions, as well as oversight by the Management Committee of the (SCNGOSD). The Partners responsible for Programs related to Targets in 5 to 8 will set up delivery capabilities in the Multi Regional Centers and from those centers develop National Capabilities.The Multi Regional Centers will collaborate with (SCNGOSD) in the communication and capacity building activity that will produce results in regards to targets 1 through 4.The Southern Caucus of NGOs for Sustainable Development has selected out from the Johannesburg Plan of Action those items that they feel provide opportunity for Participation by Southern Major Group NGOs (the said abstract is attached). The Major Group NGOs affiliated with the Southern Caucus are being encouraged to include in their NGO Action Plans Complementary to Government Plans, their contribution to the achievement of one or more of the sections of the Johannesburg plan.
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Resources
Funding Currently AvailableAmount in US$: 250000
Source(s): NGO - Other
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Non-financial resources availableType(s): Office space - Staff - Other
Source(s): NGO
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Funding SoughtRequired Amount in US$: 5500000
Source(s) already approached: Approaches are being made to UNEP, The World Bank, to other UN organizations and to Private Foundations by the Southern Caucus of NGOs for Sustainable Development. In addition, each of the Partners listed are preparing and submitting additional Partnership related proposals to National and Regional Private sources , Foundation, Community Based entities, Civil Society and other sources.
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Non-financial resources soughtRequirement(s): Computers - Office space - Staff
Source(s) approached and details:
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Additional Information
Additional Relevant Information
Starting in 1999 in national, regional and multi regional consultations and culminating with a Southern Caucus NGO Partnership Summit in Algiers, Algeria in the year 2002, Southern NGOs for Sustainable Development have evaluated the results of the first decade of sustainable development and have come to the following conclusions:
* Eradication of poverty cannot be achieved through alleviation activity but by convincing the power majority of the society that they would be better of with a commitment to removing the underlying obstacles to poverty and bringing together sectors of the society, the poor, government, financial institutions and donors for synergistic action plans for change.
* Activities for eradication of poverty are influenced by country specific internal obstacles and by neutralizing and enabling actions by Regional, Multi Regional and International structures and agencies.
* Peoples and communities impacted by the existence of high indices of poverty and the community based NGOs that currently strive to serve them can play a major role in the eradication of poverty if genuinely given the opportunity to participate in all aspects of the effort, if given access to a small part of the donor resources allegedly currently disbursed on their behalf, and if they have access to capacity building, technology exchange, digital information and the ability to give real time feed back to regional, multi regional and international structures that make decisions that can affect their work positively or negatively.
* Since the Earth Summit in 1992 several approaches to solving issues of poverty have failed and the new partnership initiatives will also fail unless the following obstacles to development are addressed.
Obstacles to Development:
1. Inability and/or failure to involve affected communities and NGOs for sustainable development in the process of developing their communities and failure to support independent self organized Southern NGO structures for collaboration with and provision of real time two way feed back on regional and multi regional levels.
2. The existence of attitudes of racism or ethnocentrism or class on the part of those in government and the ruling class of societies that prevent the application of human centered development with maximum feasible participation of the target populations for eradication of poverty.
3. Inadvertent corruption in the planning, administration and use of development grant resources designated to help with the eradication of poverty with subtle diversion and/or the use of the resources in ways that benefit the ruling class society instead of the poor communities for which the funds were given.
4. Lack of commitment locally and internationally to giving communities and peoples impacted by poverty, adequate direct access to opportunity, grants, venture capital, capital and credit for the development of micro and medium sized businesses leading to productivity and economic self sufficiency.
5. Overt action by the sectors of society in control of the economic wealth of the country to prevent community economic empowerment because of unwarranted fear of competition or loss of profits or markets if members of poor communities are given the opportunity to compete and do for themselves.
Core Multi Region Center and Digital Divide Budget:
At least $350,000 of resources is sought for the basic operation of each Multi-Regional Center and 250,000 for the International Coordination and accountability structure for a total of $2,000,000.00 plus $1,000,000 for Youth
268 new LAN network computers @ $2000.00 = $536,000.00
Up grade of donated second hand computers 90 x 134 x $50 = $670,000.00
Support for one e-mail account per country x 134 countries @ $100.00 per month x 12 months = $1,200 x 134 = $160,800.00
Central administrative Supporting costs @ $100,000/ Center = $500,000.00
Southern Caucus International Annual Reports Forum and CSD Session Workshops and support of CSD NGO Participation & Clearinghouse Operations = $140,000.00
Pilot Projects for Youth
Participation in the work of the Multi Region Center
For the Latin America Indigenous Youth Caucus = 500,000.00
For the Latin America and Caribbean African Descent Youth Caucus = 500,000.00
Total $3,000,000.00
Duration and phases: This process will take place over a period of ten years paralleling the ten year Millennium Goals Plan of Action proposed by the United Nations and the Commission on Sustainable Development of the United Nations. Development Start has already begun utilizing NGO In Kind Contributions.
The Electronic Media Infrastructure for the Universidad Popular Distance Learning and Related Communication Facilities Project
Budget Estimate
Infrastructure Development $860,000
Web Site Development $40,000
Universidad Popular affordable Higher Education Degree offerings in Sustainable Development and Online Library for Sustainable Development $1,600,000
Total $2,500,000
The projected Multiplier and Replicative effect of this Partnership
Already the Multi Regional Centers have generated a movement by regional Areas to create Regional Centers connected to the Multi Regional Centers. In addition Regional specialities are serving to create additional proposals for shared International Projects by Southern NGOs.
The Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations and the Johannesburg World Summit call for genuine partnerships for the implementation of Sustainable Development initiatives to eradicate poverty, contribute to good governance and massive dissemination of information to the peoples of the world to gain world political consensus leading to human centered sustainable development. For these partnerships to be successful they must include Community based NGOs and other Stakeholders in developing countries. This generates a need to strengthen the functional base of potential individual stakeholders in partnership initiatives.
Organizing strong NGO Multi Regional Institution to facilitate communication, capacity building, and technology exchange for these partners will increase productivity, foster good governance and improved collaboration among all stakeholders and the wider public. The promotion of good governance requires that both the policy maker operative partners and the wider community are fully informed and sensitized to regional and global challenges, opportunities and external forces that will affect the implementation of national development strategies.
Replication of this Effort
The Southern NGO Caucus feels that strengthening the ability of Southern NGOs to provide real time information and reports on what is happening in communities in their countries and to convey the effect of regional action on those developments will be useful in terms of assuring maximum collaboration and support by NGOs of the work of Governments and will increase participation in achieving UN Targets.
Replication is the very essence of this process. We have seen that from small beginnings, the structuring of the work of the NGOs for Sustainable Development has already begun to reproduce itself geometrically.
The Existance of the Centers will cause further expansion of the participation of NGOs in the movement for Sustainable Development.
Human Security
The NGOs for Sustainable Development in developing countries of the world and the Diaspora recognize that enabling people to achieve and meet the basic human needs, necessary to ensure vital freedoms, will require new approaches, effective use of existing resources and collaboration between all parties of goodwill.
The Southern Caucus of NGOs for Sustainable Development concurs with the following statement outlined in the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) 56th Annual Conference booklet, namely that “…true human security, as recently defined by the report of the Commission on Human Security, flows from the aspirations of people seeking a sense of well-being and dignity in their daily lives and for the future." The Southern Caucus also subscribes to a subsequent statement by DPI that: “Human security can only be achieved by building on people’s strengths to create strong civil societies and institutions.”
The Southern Caucus observes that Sustainable Development NGO structures in developing countries are representative of the people seeking to achieve and meet basic human needs. They have strengths that can be built on, mobilized and utilized to add to the forces necessary to achieve security.
Building on peoples strength is best accomplished by their participation in processes that reduce dependency, token poverty alleviation and transforms members of the community into managers, owners and operators. This approach will require a receptivity to new approaches to development and the abandonment of the excuse often raised that people, from communities impacted by poverty, lack the capacity and the integrity to participate fully in development processes and therefore must have middlemen brokers who direct their development.
The Southern Caucus feels strongly that if the culture of disadvantage, dependency and alienation is changed in a group of people from the community, that said changes motivates groups of people who then can generate an economic program of action of sufficient size and scope to contribute to the eradication of poverty and improvement in the quality of life of the people in the community. The Southern Caucus believes that a disadvantaged community located in an area in development can participate with success in activities of sustainable economic, social and environmental development, if they have access to the following resources:
• An organized group from the community dedicated to invest their own human services and other resources to achieve the participation of members of that community in activities of sustainable development.
• Access to resources of high-risk investment for preliminary designs, studies, conceptual designs and presentation of a Master Plan for that community.
• Access to technological exchange in relation to the Master Plan.
• Access to Incubator Capacity Building methodology for companies organized with members of the community that want to be owners and operators of companies.
• Access to systems of Fair Two Way Trade.
• Access to capital and credit for projects developed within community based Master Plans
Southern Caucus of NGOs for Sustainable Development Actions
The Southern Caucus of NGOs for Sustainable Development through the affiliated National Networks has begun to develop national and regional action plans for the eradication of poverty, the development of human security and conservation of the environment. The plans being developed are complementary to the national and regional plans proposed by their respective governments.
The Southern Caucus is reaching out to international organizations and governments of goodwill to join the Caucus in its efforts to strengthen the ability of NGOs based in disadvantaged and vulnerable communities to involve people in achieving a state of security.
The Southern Caucus is working to insuring that NGOs and other stakeholders they bring to the partnership effort, adhere to a code of ethics that sets them apart from those organizations that are driven by greed, injustice, and a desire to dominate the vulnerable.
The Southern Caucus is helping affiliated NGOs to have available to them information, communication facilities, access to technology exchange and capacity building so that they can function as effective and qualified partners.
The Call for Multi Regional Centers
The Southern Caucus has concluded that government cannot do it alone. The international institutions cannot do it alone. The people, who are targets of our concern and who desire change, cannot do it alone. Therefore, the Southern Caucus will use the Multi-Regional Centers to strengthen the capacity of Southern NGOs for Sustainable Development to function as partners, along with other actors on National, Regional and Multi Regional levels to generate activities of sufficient size and scope as to make significant progress in reduction of poverty and establishing security in disadvantaged communities.
The Southern Caucus of NGOs for Sustainable Development has been organized since its inception in 1994 on National, Regional and Multi Regional levels. That level of organization made sense because many times efforts in the community are hindered or helped by developments on a National, or Regional or Multi Regional level. The Southern NGO Caucus is very pleased to note that the year 2003 Commission on Sustainable Development Session decided to emphasize the Regional and Multi-Regional aspects of the work on sustainable development.
* Eradication of poverty cannot be achieved through alleviation activity but by convincing the power majority of the society that they would be better of with a commitment to removing the underlying obstacles to poverty and bringing together sectors of the society, the poor, government, financial institutions and donors for synergistic action plans for change.
* Activities for eradication of poverty are influenced by country specific internal obstacles and by neutralizing and enabling actions by Regional, Multi Regional and International structures and agencies.
* Peoples and communities impacted by the existence of high indices of poverty and the community based NGOs that currently strive to serve them can play a major role in the eradication of poverty if genuinely given the opportunity to participate in all aspects of the effort, if given access to a small part of the donor resources allegedly currently disbursed on their behalf, and if they have access to capacity building, technology exchange, digital information and the ability to give real time feed back to regional, multi regional and international structures that make decisions that can affect their work positively or negatively.
* Since the Earth Summit in 1992 several approaches to solving issues of poverty have failed and the new partnership initiatives will also fail unless the following obstacles to development are addressed.
Obstacles to Development:
1. Inability and/or failure to involve affected communities and NGOs for sustainable development in the process of developing their communities and failure to support independent self organized Southern NGO structures for collaboration with and provision of real time two way feed back on regional and multi regional levels.
2. The existence of attitudes of racism or ethnocentrism or class on the part of those in government and the ruling class of societies that prevent the application of human centered development with maximum feasible participation of the target populations for eradication of poverty.
3. Inadvertent corruption in the planning, administration and use of development grant resources designated to help with the eradication of poverty with subtle diversion and/or the use of the resources in ways that benefit the ruling class society instead of the poor communities for which the funds were given.
4. Lack of commitment locally and internationally to giving communities and peoples impacted by poverty, adequate direct access to opportunity, grants, venture capital, capital and credit for the development of micro and medium sized businesses leading to productivity and economic self sufficiency.
5. Overt action by the sectors of society in control of the economic wealth of the country to prevent community economic empowerment because of unwarranted fear of competition or loss of profits or markets if members of poor communities are given the opportunity to compete and do for themselves.
Core Multi Region Center and Digital Divide Budget:
At least $350,000 of resources is sought for the basic operation of each Multi-Regional Center and 250,000 for the International Coordination and accountability structure for a total of $2,000,000.00 plus $1,000,000 for Youth
268 new LAN network computers @ $2000.00 = $536,000.00
Up grade of donated second hand computers 90 x 134 x $50 = $670,000.00
Support for one e-mail account per country x 134 countries @ $100.00 per month x 12 months = $1,200 x 134 = $160,800.00
Central administrative Supporting costs @ $100,000/ Center = $500,000.00
Southern Caucus International Annual Reports Forum and CSD Session Workshops and support of CSD NGO Participation & Clearinghouse Operations = $140,000.00
Pilot Projects for Youth
Participation in the work of the Multi Region Center
For the Latin America Indigenous Youth Caucus = 500,000.00
For the Latin America and Caribbean African Descent Youth Caucus = 500,000.00
Total $3,000,000.00
Duration and phases: This process will take place over a period of ten years paralleling the ten year Millennium Goals Plan of Action proposed by the United Nations and the Commission on Sustainable Development of the United Nations. Development Start has already begun utilizing NGO In Kind Contributions.
The Electronic Media Infrastructure for the Universidad Popular Distance Learning and Related Communication Facilities Project
Budget Estimate
Infrastructure Development $860,000
Web Site Development $40,000
Universidad Popular affordable Higher Education Degree offerings in Sustainable Development and Online Library for Sustainable Development $1,600,000
Total $2,500,000
The projected Multiplier and Replicative effect of this Partnership
Already the Multi Regional Centers have generated a movement by regional Areas to create Regional Centers connected to the Multi Regional Centers. In addition Regional specialities are serving to create additional proposals for shared International Projects by Southern NGOs.
The Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations and the Johannesburg World Summit call for genuine partnerships for the implementation of Sustainable Development initiatives to eradicate poverty, contribute to good governance and massive dissemination of information to the peoples of the world to gain world political consensus leading to human centered sustainable development. For these partnerships to be successful they must include Community based NGOs and other Stakeholders in developing countries. This generates a need to strengthen the functional base of potential individual stakeholders in partnership initiatives.
Organizing strong NGO Multi Regional Institution to facilitate communication, capacity building, and technology exchange for these partners will increase productivity, foster good governance and improved collaboration among all stakeholders and the wider public. The promotion of good governance requires that both the policy maker operative partners and the wider community are fully informed and sensitized to regional and global challenges, opportunities and external forces that will affect the implementation of national development strategies.
Replication of this Effort
The Southern NGO Caucus feels that strengthening the ability of Southern NGOs to provide real time information and reports on what is happening in communities in their countries and to convey the effect of regional action on those developments will be useful in terms of assuring maximum collaboration and support by NGOs of the work of Governments and will increase participation in achieving UN Targets.
Replication is the very essence of this process. We have seen that from small beginnings, the structuring of the work of the NGOs for Sustainable Development has already begun to reproduce itself geometrically.
The Existance of the Centers will cause further expansion of the participation of NGOs in the movement for Sustainable Development.
Human Security
The NGOs for Sustainable Development in developing countries of the world and the Diaspora recognize that enabling people to achieve and meet the basic human needs, necessary to ensure vital freedoms, will require new approaches, effective use of existing resources and collaboration between all parties of goodwill.
The Southern Caucus of NGOs for Sustainable Development concurs with the following statement outlined in the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) 56th Annual Conference booklet, namely that “…true human security, as recently defined by the report of the Commission on Human Security, flows from the aspirations of people seeking a sense of well-being and dignity in their daily lives and for the future." The Southern Caucus also subscribes to a subsequent statement by DPI that: “Human security can only be achieved by building on people’s strengths to create strong civil societies and institutions.”
The Southern Caucus observes that Sustainable Development NGO structures in developing countries are representative of the people seeking to achieve and meet basic human needs. They have strengths that can be built on, mobilized and utilized to add to the forces necessary to achieve security.
Building on peoples strength is best accomplished by their participation in processes that reduce dependency, token poverty alleviation and transforms members of the community into managers, owners and operators. This approach will require a receptivity to new approaches to development and the abandonment of the excuse often raised that people, from communities impacted by poverty, lack the capacity and the integrity to participate fully in development processes and therefore must have middlemen brokers who direct their development.
The Southern Caucus feels strongly that if the culture of disadvantage, dependency and alienation is changed in a group of people from the community, that said changes motivates groups of people who then can generate an economic program of action of sufficient size and scope to contribute to the eradication of poverty and improvement in the quality of life of the people in the community. The Southern Caucus believes that a disadvantaged community located in an area in development can participate with success in activities of sustainable economic, social and environmental development, if they have access to the following resources:
• An organized group from the community dedicated to invest their own human services and other resources to achieve the participation of members of that community in activities of sustainable development.
• Access to resources of high-risk investment for preliminary designs, studies, conceptual designs and presentation of a Master Plan for that community.
• Access to technological exchange in relation to the Master Plan.
• Access to Incubator Capacity Building methodology for companies organized with members of the community that want to be owners and operators of companies.
• Access to systems of Fair Two Way Trade.
• Access to capital and credit for projects developed within community based Master Plans
Southern Caucus of NGOs for Sustainable Development Actions
The Southern Caucus of NGOs for Sustainable Development through the affiliated National Networks has begun to develop national and regional action plans for the eradication of poverty, the development of human security and conservation of the environment. The plans being developed are complementary to the national and regional plans proposed by their respective governments.
The Southern Caucus is reaching out to international organizations and governments of goodwill to join the Caucus in its efforts to strengthen the ability of NGOs based in disadvantaged and vulnerable communities to involve people in achieving a state of security.
The Southern Caucus is working to insuring that NGOs and other stakeholders they bring to the partnership effort, adhere to a code of ethics that sets them apart from those organizations that are driven by greed, injustice, and a desire to dominate the vulnerable.
The Southern Caucus is helping affiliated NGOs to have available to them information, communication facilities, access to technology exchange and capacity building so that they can function as effective and qualified partners.
The Call for Multi Regional Centers
The Southern Caucus has concluded that government cannot do it alone. The international institutions cannot do it alone. The people, who are targets of our concern and who desire change, cannot do it alone. Therefore, the Southern Caucus will use the Multi-Regional Centers to strengthen the capacity of Southern NGOs for Sustainable Development to function as partners, along with other actors on National, Regional and Multi Regional levels to generate activities of sufficient size and scope as to make significant progress in reduction of poverty and establishing security in disadvantaged communities.
The Southern Caucus of NGOs for Sustainable Development has been organized since its inception in 1994 on National, Regional and Multi Regional levels. That level of organization made sense because many times efforts in the community are hindered or helped by developments on a National, or Regional or Multi Regional level. The Southern NGO Caucus is very pleased to note that the year 2003 Commission on Sustainable Development Session decided to emphasize the Regional and Multi-Regional aspects of the work on sustainable development.