Mini Forum 3: ART Initiative and ICT

The Global Platform held by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) in May 2012 declared that “the choice before us as Governments, social movements, communities and individuals is to put disaster risk reduction at the forefront of our efforts to protect communities and preserve our way of life for generations to come”.

In light of this mandate, the South-South Citizenry Based Development Academy (SS CBDA) has launched a platform to bridge the gap between global intentions and local efforts in the areas of disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and ecosystem restoration and management. The SS CBDA is an unconventional educational tool. Through using it, diverse sectors learn and exchange practical tools and experiences from the field and enhance South-South cooperation.

The second initiative showcased on the mini forum will be Articulating Territorial and Thematic Networks for Human Development. The ‘Art Initiative’ gives particular importance to South-South partnerships at the sub-national and local levels. Sub-national and local cooperations contribute to improve the transferring of knowledge, technologies and innovations. This fosters the formulation, systematization and dissemination of such cooperations as successful local development practices. Proven to be cost-effective and efficient, intra-territory partnerships and have called for an active dialogue favoring the identification, transformation and strengthening of instruments leading to the sustainability of local development and governance processes. Partners are keen to this type of exchanges as they are guided by principles of solidarity, equity, efficiency, mutual interest, sustainability and co-responsibility.

By presenting the success stories of both SSCBDA and the ART Initiative, the mini forum will give voice to local practices, where the real changes in the lives of people take place. Community to Community learning and intra-territory dialogues are basic component of the SSCBDA and the ART initiatives. The mini forum will highlight the benefits derived by SSCBD learners in areas such as water management, sustainable livelihood, law enactment, community resilience, farmers’ adaptation to climate, bio-fuel, low-impact energy consumption, flood management, etc. Likewise, ART’s success stories on sustainability of local development and governance processes will be showcased. These practices need to be scaled up and across to bring about a profound transformation in peoples’ lives, especially in difficult times.