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Sustainable Rural Development and Ecovillage Training Program
[last updated January 6, 2004 7:13 PM]
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General Information
Partnership website(s) |
Expected TimeframeAugust 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: South Africa |
National Focal Points
At present, no information is available as to whether the partnership has made contact with the national focal points for sustainable development in the relevant countries.
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Goals and Objectives
Summary of the partnership's goals and objectives
The Sustainable Rural Development and Ecovillage Training Program (SRDETP) will be based on an integrated and holistic approach to sustainable rural (and impoverished urban) development, particularly in the 3rd world. It will include a primary component focusing on the ecovillage model of development.
The Program would include an easily accessible information database containing descriptions of the primary programs, exemplary projects, and best practices that are being carried out around the world. It would also provide the means to widely disseminate and share such information. A number of programs have been developed that could be expanded and scaled up to spread such knowledge and resources throughout the developing world and support would be given to field training and implementation projects that can be replicated in other regions throughout the world.
The Program would include an easily accessible information database containing descriptions of the primary programs, exemplary projects, and best practices that are being carried out around the world. It would also provide the means to widely disseminate and share such information. A number of programs have been developed that could be expanded and scaled up to spread such knowledge and resources throughout the developing world and support would be given to field training and implementation projects that can be replicated in other regions throughout the world.
Targets and Progress
Partnership targetsThis project could be expected to result in the restoration and protection of the natural resource base and ecosystems in the development region, including through reforestation, replenishment of the water table, retention of soil, and increasing levels of bio-diversity. The program could also be expected to provide increased access to modern forms of energy, healthier and more plentiful food supplies, educational opportunities, access to information communication technologies and educational resources, water and sanitation, and a happier, more cooperative community.
Specific targets and timelines will be developed for each component. It is too early in the process to develop this aspect; however several interested partners have already done some work on strategic planning. |
Progress against targetsProcesses will be established to monitor and evaluate the success of the program. Efforts will be made to improve the program and its effectiveness and ease of usage as we go along.
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Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
- Human resources development/training
- Education/building awareness
Best Practices & Appropriate Technologies Database and Resource Library:
The Sustainable Rural Development and Ecovillage Training Program will provide information about the rich variety of programs, projects, and activities that are being carried out around the world. A website could be created that would briefly describe, and provide links to the websites of, the various actors that are active in the area of sustainable rural development. It would also include links to various listings of resource materials.
This would include a combination of existing databases, such as Capacity 21 thematic listings, Global Ecovillage Network's community based projects, GEF's projects and small grants program, nationally based aid and sectoral programs, SDNP projects and activities, and Habitat best practices, etc. It would be helpful if existing databases were referenced by sector, geographical region, scope or size, their funding base and program sponsorship, along with their inclusion of and linkage with other sectoral components. A reasonable amount of information could be provided for each project along with full contact information. Additional resources will be required to provide such information. Again, however, the first thing that is needed is one place where one can go to find out about all of the various databases and the information that is already available.
Training Conferences and Programs:
Conferences and training programs in Sustainable Rural and Ecovillage Development could be cooperatively developed and sponsored by ICLEI, intergovernmental organizations, local to national governments, business, and civil society networks and organizations. A pool of money could be set aside to support the development and holding of such programs and conferences, potentially in collaboration with Capacity 21, UNDP's Thematic Trust Funds, and/or UNITAR. The events themselves could include planning and development activities so that they are results based and will lead to project implementation. In addition they should be designed to further capacity building such that all participants increase their ability to share what they have learned with others.
Thus project participants can in time become trainers, who then move on to become trainers of trainers, and then regional program developers and coordinators. The effect being that projects and activities can spread throughout a region fairly rapidly; however, the programs must be community based and learn from the experiences and knowledge of the participants and villagers themselves.
Such programs and training conferences are already being implemented by theGlobal Ecovillage Network; UNU's People, Land Management, & Environmental Change Programme (PLEC); the Consortium for Sustainable Village-Based Development; the Sustainable Development Networking Programme; and GEF's Small Grants Program. With adequate funding such trainings could have a dramatic impact on the successful implementation of sustainable rural development around the world.
Technology transfer.
This would be developed through specific partnerships between participating organizations and networks, agencies, and businesses.
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
While the Development and Training Program would positively effect most of the Millennium Declaration goals it would specifically address the areas mentioned below:
7) Ensure environmental sustainability: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources. Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water. Achieve significant improvement in lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers, by 2020.
1) Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger: Reduce by half the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day. Reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.
In terms of Agenda 21, this program would probably address a majority of the Chapters and Articles; however it will also focus specifically on capacity building for implementation. While it will also involve or include most Major Groups, it will also be specifically targeted to Chapter 28 which deals with Local Authorities - addressing small and rurally based communities. It should also serve to strengthen implementation of Chapter 33 (financial resources and mechanisms), leading to a reorganization of development priorities towards smaller scale and more sustainably based projects.
The program will also specifically address Chapters 34-40, dealing with and strengthening all areas and aspects of Capacity Building.
7) Ensure environmental sustainability: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources. Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water. Achieve significant improvement in lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers, by 2020.
1) Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger: Reduce by half the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day. Reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.
In terms of Agenda 21, this program would probably address a majority of the Chapters and Articles; however it will also focus specifically on capacity building for implementation. While it will also involve or include most Major Groups, it will also be specifically targeted to Chapter 28 which deals with Local Authorities - addressing small and rurally based communities. It should also serve to strengthen implementation of Chapter 33 (financial resources and mechanisms), leading to a reorganization of development priorities towards smaller scale and more sustainably based projects.
The program will also specifically address Chapters 34-40, dealing with and strengthening all areas and aspects of Capacity Building.
Coordination and Implementation
Coordination Mechanism of the PartnershipThe International Institute for Sustainable Future is working closely with the Global Ecovillage Network and the participating partners to promote two Model Demonstration Ecovillage Projects which will be featured during WSSD in South Africa.
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Implementation Mechanism of the PartnershipProcesses will be established to monitor and evaluate the success of the program. Efforts will be made to improve the program and its effectiveness and ease of usage as we go along. The International Atomic Energy Agency initiated a project on Indicators for Sustainable Energy Development (ISED) in late 1998 to assist national policymakers in assessing and monitoring the contribution of energy to sustainable development, along with the impacts of energy on environment, economic, and social development; and the inter-relationships among these. The EU, OECD, DESA, UNESCO, UNECE, and UNEP have joined in this project and these indicators have now been field tested in fifteen countries.
Similar indicator and assessment models will also be developed and used for other sectors and to evaluate the potential success of the various components of the Sustainable Rural Development and Ecovillage Training Program, often based on the existing mechanisms and processes of the partner agencies and organizations. The Global Ecovillage Network has also developed a listing of fifteen principles by which to evaluate whether community development projects are fully sustainable and which could be quite useful in terms of identifying specific evaluative criteria. |
Resources
Funding Currently AvailableAmount in US$: 0
Source(s):
Given that the Development and Training Program will likely include intergovernmental, governmental, and the other primary stakeholders, consensus could be developed around specific proposals and bi- and multi-lateral approaches could be established as a first step towards implementation. However, the Sustainable Rural Development and Training Program should also be financed through existing mechanisms, through a targeted trust fund, and through development agencies and intergovernmental programs. This could potentially include funding through UNITAR, Capacity 21, UNDP's Thematic Trust Fund, the UN Foundation, the World Bank, and the UN University, etc. |
Non-financial resources availableType(s):
Source(s):
Much of the work would be carried out through the on-going work and activities of the participating agencies and organizations. |
Funding SoughtRequired Amount in US$: 0
Source(s) already approached:
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Non-financial resources soughtRequirement(s):
Source(s) approached and details:
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Additional Information
Additional Relevant Information
Background:
Many diverse stakeholders are working in the area of sustainable rural development. While there has been an increasing interest in integrated and cooperative approaches, there is still much work that needs to be done in terms of capacity building, education, access to resources and funding. Finally, it is critically important that new means of financing for such programs and activities be developed as the need in rural areas and for village based projects so greatly outweighs the funding that is currently available.
Partners:
Governments that will be specifically invited include: Algeria, China, Costa Rica, Germany, India, US, Venezuela, and all others.
Intergovernmental organizations that will be invited: FAO, IFAD, CGIAR, GEF, Habitat, ICLEI, ILO, UNDP, UNITAR, UNEP, World Bank, and Multi-lateral Development Banks.
Other Activities:
The International Institute for Sustainable Future is working closely with the Global Ecovillage Network and the participating partners to promote two Model Demonstration Ecovillage Projects which will be featured during WSSD in South Africa. These projects will demonstrate and show the value that an integrated and holistic approach to sustainable development can have.
The Midrand EcoCity Project is developing a Youth Ecovillage which will house youth coming from around the world to participate in the Summit Conference. It is located in Ivory Park, a ghetto township area in Johannesburg, and will be a model demonstration project during and after the summit. New housing that is developed for the conference will be given back to the community; and a good portion of it will likely go for children who have lost their parents due to AIDs. ICLEI has selected Midrand EcoCity as its Best Practices Site for Africa. <www.midrand-ecocity.co.za>
We are also working with Tlholego Ecovillage which is two hours drive from Johannesburg and is a fully sustainable village and organic agriculture training center, created more than ten years ago with the assistance of the Ashoka Social Entrepreneurship Program. It will be offering tours, seminars, and training programs during the Earth Summit Conference and include experts from around the world. <http://www.changemakers.net/studio/99july/jarman.cfm>
Funding concerns:
Mechanisms to finance and fund sustainable rural development projects must be increased. A processes could be established to consider and review such proposals introduced through the FfD process at local and regional levels and to design strategies and plans for implementing new funding mechanisms, along with environmentally friendly taxation policies.
Many diverse stakeholders are working in the area of sustainable rural development. While there has been an increasing interest in integrated and cooperative approaches, there is still much work that needs to be done in terms of capacity building, education, access to resources and funding. Finally, it is critically important that new means of financing for such programs and activities be developed as the need in rural areas and for village based projects so greatly outweighs the funding that is currently available.
Partners:
Governments that will be specifically invited include: Algeria, China, Costa Rica, Germany, India, US, Venezuela, and all others.
Intergovernmental organizations that will be invited: FAO, IFAD, CGIAR, GEF, Habitat, ICLEI, ILO, UNDP, UNITAR, UNEP, World Bank, and Multi-lateral Development Banks.
Other Activities:
The International Institute for Sustainable Future is working closely with the Global Ecovillage Network and the participating partners to promote two Model Demonstration Ecovillage Projects which will be featured during WSSD in South Africa. These projects will demonstrate and show the value that an integrated and holistic approach to sustainable development can have.
The Midrand EcoCity Project is developing a Youth Ecovillage which will house youth coming from around the world to participate in the Summit Conference. It is located in Ivory Park, a ghetto township area in Johannesburg, and will be a model demonstration project during and after the summit. New housing that is developed for the conference will be given back to the community; and a good portion of it will likely go for children who have lost their parents due to AIDs. ICLEI has selected Midrand EcoCity as its Best Practices Site for Africa. <www.midrand-ecocity.co.za>
We are also working with Tlholego Ecovillage which is two hours drive from Johannesburg and is a fully sustainable village and organic agriculture training center, created more than ten years ago with the assistance of the Ashoka Social Entrepreneurship Program. It will be offering tours, seminars, and training programs during the Earth Summit Conference and include experts from around the world. <http://www.changemakers.net/studio/99july/jarman.cfm>
Funding concerns:
Mechanisms to finance and fund sustainable rural development projects must be increased. A processes could be established to consider and review such proposals introduced through the FfD process at local and regional levels and to design strategies and plans for implementing new funding mechanisms, along with environmentally friendly taxation policies.