Empowerment and Sustainable Development

The 18^th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development began on May 3^rd and will end on May 14. At its 11^th session (2003), the CSD decided that its work would be organized in 7 two-year cycles, with each cycle focusing on selected thematic clusters of issues. My participation was primarily with the Youth Caucus, which gathered young delegates from around the world to contribute to and learn from the Commission. This year, the main areas of discussion are transport, chemicals, waste management, mining and the 10 Year Framework of Programmesfor sustainable consumption and production. The concepts of capacity building and the empowerment of individuals have also been prominent in discussions at the Commission this year.

Government delegates and civil society representatives have repeatedly stressed that at the heart of development is the ability to devise strategies that respond to the needs of local populations. One representative said that if we are to bring our solutions to developing countries, we must also bring our problems. Every country faces problems unique to their circumstances. Plans for development should be devised in consultation and collaboration with the people who understand the nature of the issues and are directly affected by them.

Development work is carried out to contribute to the well-being of a population in need of assistance. This, however, does not imply that the population in question is incapable or does not have the ability to improve its situation.  In a discussion about empowerment, a delegate from Tanzania said that in her country, spirituality is part of the culture. Often, when development projects are created by individuals unfamiliar with Tanzanian traditions, they do not celebrate this part of life. She runs an NGO that works with 3000 women in Ghana to raise awareness about issues affecting women, such as genital mutilation. This is done through the use of drama and the arts.  The reason it is successful, she says, is because they work with healers and spiritual leaders and thus gain the trust and acceptance of the community.

The concept of capacity building is an important element in sustainable development. The recognition that every individual has the potential to become an instrument of change in his or her community is one that can be easily forgotten. Lack of resources and opportunities can be misinterpreted as lack of knowledge and capacity.  The Bahá’í international Community, in its statement to the Commission (CSD18) titled “Rethinking Prosperity: Forging Alternatives to a Culture of Consumerism” says:

“It is not enough to conceive of sustainable consumption and production in terms of creating opportunities for those living in poverty to meet their basic needs. Rather, with the understanding that each individual has a contribution to make to the construction of a more just and peaceful social order, these processes must be arranged in a way that permits each to play his or her rightful role as productive member of society.”

This is an issue unavoidably connected to the theme of consumption and production. The unfair distribution of goods has lead to a culture where the majority of the world’s population lives in poverty while a small number consume most of the earth’s resources.  In order for organic change to take place, we need a transformation in the very structure of society so that will reflect the interconnectedness and the interdependence of the world’s peoples. Although it may seem idealistic,  at the simplest level, it implies that every individual is endowed with the potential to contribute to the advancement of society and must be given the opportunity to do so.

For the remainder of this session of the Commission, countries will continue to discuss ways to orient development aims and strategies towards the needs of local populations in order to deal more effectively with poverty, the food crisis, and climate change, amongst other things. It is becoming clear that efforts should be made to build the capacity of individuals and to implement decisions and policies that respect the right of every person to contribute to the progress of his or her community.

Development efforts are most fruitful when they grow organically with the available resources of a community. Although much of what is being discussed is still only at the level of theory and discourse, it is nevertheless generating new thinking and ideas that will in turn affect development efforts at the grassroots level. It is heartening to see that many countries express their concerns regarding development and the state of the world and agree, at least in discussions, that in order to deal with them, they must work together.