The third
day of DPI/NGO opened with a round table on “Sustainable Development
Governance: Issues from Local to Global”. The focus was on the role of citizen
participation and much of the discussion spoke directly to the experience of
civil society organisations and NGOs.
Thierno
Kane from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa explored the link between
democracy and good governance in the context of his home country of Senegal. He posed the following question:
When all avenues of participation are closed, and the government does not
listen, what then? Elections may take place but democracy is far more than
elections. There needs to be the space within societies for people to come
together, engage with decision makers and make demands on an on-going basis.
He argued
that we have to re-think the definition of sustainable societies. Sustainable
societies are not just environmentally sustainable, but also politically and
socially stable. This was a theme that appeared repeatedly throughout the
discussions. Sustainable societies are open societies. Being an open society
means that there is space to debate and negotiate at all levels of the
political process.
The most
important message for CSOs was to be prepared. Mr Kane referred to a proverb:
“Sharpen your knife and wait for the dawn”. This is not a violent message but a
message of awareness and preparedness. In the words of Mr Kane: “The knife is
your voting card. Go and register to vote – be ready”.
Konrad Otto-Zimmerman
from Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) presented on the different
levels of decision making from the local to the national to the international
arena, analysing the space for engagement at each level. He emphasised the
potential for advocacy at local level due to the structure of local authorities
– these structures are far more open to influence and can be very important
spaces for CSOs and NGOs.
For
countries with little tradition or history of civil society organisations, Mr
Otto-Zimmerman stressed the importance of civic engagement in all its forms.
Whether it is stamp collecting, or singing in a choir, such activities form a
primary network of civic engagement.
This means that when an issue arises, there is a network to go to for
help. This is the root of all civil society.
It is
much harder to influence at national and global level because the structures
are more closed. Dealing with issues at international level is also extremely
difficult because often the issues transcend territories. He suggested that
this was one of most significant obstacles we face in tackling climate change.
The problem is not confined to national boarders and so questions of
responsibility arise. As Mr Otto-Zimmerman put it, “Nation States are not designed
to deal with non-territorial issues”. Equally, they are unable to deal with the
complexity of the global common good.
Farah
Cherif d’Ouezzan from the Thaqafat (‘cultures’) Association in Morocco addressed the conference on the
subject of promoting citizenship through volunteerism. Her organisation works
to promote citizenship through volunteerism to young people (the majority of
the Moroccan population) who have become increasingly mistrusting of decision
making processes and of civil society. The experience of Thaqafat Association
is that volunteerism does promote responsible and responsive citizens –
contributing to the networks and spaces required for the sustainable society as
defined by Thierno Kane and Konrad Otto-Zimmermann.
Geri Lau
from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies gave
other examples of how supporting civil society leads to sustainability. She
described the development approach of the Red Cross which is often present in
communities long before a disaster even occurs, and remains long after. Through
capacity building, communities are enabled to achieve their full potential.
Taking her experiences and applying it to a definition of sustainability, she
concluded that CARE is critical: Credibility, Accountability, Responsibility,
Empowerment. Governments alone do not being about sustainable development.
Communities are necessary partners.
John
Matuszak from the USA State Department had the task of responding to the
presentations, sharing his own personal views and not as a government representative. He led the USA delegation at the UN Sustainable
Development Conference in May, and is also on the bureau for Rio+20. He echoed the views of the
previous speakers in emphasising the critical role of civil society if we want
to achieve sustainability in all its forms. He agreed with Mr. Kane: Elections
are not enough. Mechanisms must be in place to keep both elected
representatives and bureaucrats to account. He also stressed the importance of addressing
connected issues – education, youth, and employment – as part of the
sustainability agenda. Sustainable development is not just about the environment
but about healthy societies more generally. With this in mind, Rio+20 needs to be a new conference
that responds to societies and communities – not just States.
He urged
civil society to take the initiative over the coming months. Hold meetings,
educate your communities about Rio+20, invite your local decision makers, and above all,
don’t just ask what they are doing but tell them what you want! We live in
interesting times which present a great number of challenges but also many
opportunities.
Read more
about DPI/NGO:
Read more about Rio+20