5. Social Development

Bivol mentioned that the combined efforts of many sciences revealed a close interdependence between the human health, the conduct of the people, the quality of their environment, the type of their professional occupation, the motives and objectives of their lives, the relationships with other people and with the natural elements. Zadorsky stated that the concept of sustainable development includes three aspects: ecological, economic and social. The under-estimation of any of these three components will result in an infringement of stability of development. Russia has recently become a state of the "general ecologization" (Bogolyubov). Moreover the importance of this sphere of human knowledge and the necessity of the environmental education are accepted by everybody including teachers and ministers. The final aim of the environmental education is the formation of a "healthy environment community" that lives in harmony with nature(Knijnikova). 

Keith Brown  examines the transition of the economy of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, from a heavily industrialized region reliant upon coal and steel, to one moving towards development based upon knowledge and culture. A closer look at multimedia and entertainment sectors illustrates the breadth of the diversification that is taking hold.  This thesis suggests the two are inextricably linked and those of us who are practitioners or academics in the field must encourage local communities and community groups to embrace globalization and the resultant niche opportunities for innovative, entrepreneurial solutions for regional, national and international demands. 

Vilinovic, Chrenko, Hudek, Toma and Miklos developed a project to assist the Slovak Republic in enhancing public participation in activities promoting sustainable development at the national, regional and local level. The segment will provide small grants and technical assistance for NGO´s and local communities in order to strengthen their capacity and to assist them in the implementation of small projects related to sustainable development with a particular focus on environmental protection and management, social and community development and building partnership between municipalities, NGO´s, the private sector and other stakeholders of the society. The projects should be linked to the sectors and issues (Dernbach, Huba) recognised by Agenda 21, for example air, soil and water pollution problems, biodiversity issues, energy issues, environmental law related issues, education and awareness raising, rural development or sustainable development (both on national and local level).

Colman proposed some types of economic growth that clearly enhance well being, increase equity and protect the environment. There is vital work to be done in our society: - raising children, caring for those in need, restoring our forests, providing adequate food and shelter for all, enhancing our knowledge and understanding, and strengthening our communities. But we will never shift our attention to the work that is needed if we fail to value our natural resources, our voluntary service, and if we place no value on equity, free time and the health of our communities (McGregor, Pavlova, Soskolne).

Danielyan proposed to  elaborate method basing on the statistical data of other countries (in particular the CIS countries), which would make it possible to evaluate the situation from the same position with implementation of a rather adequate system of parameters.
Section Leader – Karine Danielyan, has summarized results from her section:

Dear colleagues,

I hope most of you have became acquainted with the reports, presented to the “5. Social Development” section.

Dr. G. Arakelyan (Head of International Relations commission of our Association), and I together have organized the Round table in Yerevan and briefly discussed the section’s materials with the specialists - members of Association “For Sustainable Human Development”. I express the common opinion that the reports are utterly interesting and cover the broad spectra of problems from “the general theory of development” up to specific examples of local Agenda-21 (for states, cities), or separate well worked programs on environmental education and Eco-House. Below is performed my vision of the forthcoming discussion on the section (taking into account the results of conducted Round table also). The themes for discussion I think will be as follows:

1. In one of performed reports was given the well-known term “Sustainable development suggests a discourse about the prospects for ecology and equity in post-industrial societies” (Sacsh, 1998). Many people, especially economists, share this opinion. In practice most of managers in poor (or impoverished, as my country) countries express it in a utilitarian form: “From the beginning we have to achieve at any price the well-being of developed countries, and then we shall think about ecology and sustainable development”.

By my opinion it is in principle wrong to think, that transition to sustainable development is possible only in post-industrial society. The natural resources of planet are limited, humanity passed all permissible limits of global resources usage long ago; and Summit in Rio-92 noted the insustainability of the modern western models of production and especially consumption systems.

I suppose that at any level of economical development (in case, of course, when the living wage and hygiene and sanitary conditions are secured) reorientation towards sustainable development and fulfilment of its basic principles are possible. At the same time the primary task for post-industrial super- developed or super-consuming society must be the decline in resources use rate.

Mahatma Handy wrote that Great Britain for its welfare has used the resources of the half of Planet. How many planets needs a country like India for its welfare?

We need to follow the most resources-economy path, we owe to transfer prestigiousness accent from material welfare towards spiritual development.

I think the touched upon problem will be one of the basic themes of our discussion.

2. From the mentioned subject there originate a number of questions in the field of progress indication.

Ought the SD indicators and indexes to be same for all countries, or they must to be classified for different groups of countries (for example industrial, middle-industrial countries, countries in transition, developing and the least developed countries)? For example, such approach has been used by UNDP while developing the population poverty Index (2 variants – for developed and developing countries). UNEP also ranges the ecological problems and priorities by countries (GEO report) - for example, as the basic ecological priority for the least developed countries is recorded food security.

In the field of SD indication the following question seems to me more interesting. Practically all methods of index calculation include economical assessment of ecological processes (damage assessment, other). By my opinion such approach can be acceptable and practical for local problems, but on the global level it is needed quite new philosophy, as, in principle, it is impossible to evaluate the loss of biological species or the lake eco-system, etc.

We have developed the method which enables to avoid the transformation of ecological indicators into economic ones (the report is placed in the section on indicators).

It is interesting to know the section participants’ opinion on this subject.

3. The same basic problems (the rate of unification or approach ranging) exist in the field of transition to SD also. Estimating the Rio+5 process UNDP noted, that the main omission of the passed years is the lack of ecological and poverty eradication programs integration – as really “poverty is the major pollutant”. At present WB started such integrated programs in a number of countries, among others in Armenia. In the reports there is noted some positive experience in this field. It is advisable to discuss this problem on a broader scale.

4. In environmental field the non-repayable assistance of developed countries is of technical and information nature. At the same time the economics of developing countries and countries in transition is unable to realise any substantial environmental investments. Accordingly, not existing “old” neither obtained “new” knowledge is taking root.

As a rule, cleaner technologies are not passed, since they are the ownership of the private business-sector, and the last one practice philanthropy of such kind extremely seldom. As a result there are no real changes in our countries in this field.

Some authors of our section suggest to found International Centre of Practical and Industrial Safety for Countries in transition. By my opinion this idea is undoubtedly worthy of attention. The proposed activity is one of UNIDO mandate, but it seems it is really insufficient.

5. Few participants touched the basic (by my opinion) theme of contemporaneity: “Globalisation and Sustainable Development”. But this subject deserves deep accent, particularly in the light of the last demonstrations in Seattle, Davoce, Washington, and the results of NCSDs International Forum (New- York, UN, April 17-29, 2000) and Global Millennium Forum (UN, May, 22-26, 2000) discussions.

6. In some reports is discussing the role of education and human resources development and legislation in the field of SD as well. It would be very useful to exchange the experience in this field.

7. Democracy and human rights are the very important aspects of SD. In this field the some participants of the section gave attention to the problem of gender inequality (particularly, to the violence during the war).

It is of interest to know the views of the participants on the following questions:

- To what extent serious is the gender inequality problem in different countries?

- Whether does economic growth provide the transition to the gender equality invariably?

- What are the impact of traditions and ethnic mentality on this phenomenon and the most optimal ways for problem solution?

8. A number of reports is devoted to the environmental education. Under discussion are the tasks, ways and tendency of total ecologization of education and youth involvement into the sphere of SD formation in the frames of state and non-formal education.

The exchange of views in this field will be very useful.

This problem is very interesting to me also, as I am the author of the university’s textbook “Sustainable Human Development Concept: Theory and Practice”, other, and I am reading the lectures at the universities and schools, through radio and TV also.

9. There is broad discussion around the very important subject – conservation and development of ethnic and cultural diversity. This problem is harmonious with the problem of bio- and landscape diversity. It is underlined the ecological compatibility of the indigenous people mode of living, the necessity of global “perception of the Earth as a veritable being of Geia analogous to a mother to us all”.

I completely agree to the outspoken point of view, that diversity of cultures (urban among others), but not cosmopolitanism, is the basis for social sustainability. But at the same time the culture of Moderateness and transition from anthropocentrism to the ecocentrism (or biospheracentrism) must be common for all planet cultures.

In discussions is underlying the role of the family in sustainable consumption models forming, and the necessity of protection and preservation the family institution.

I believe these thesis both are of great importance for small nations, as the modern pressure of uniform mass-culture (or rather pseudoculture) is a serious threat for them. In Armenia we realize it, as it is already three thousand years we survive thanks to the family, conserved language and culture.

I think when discussing this problem it is advisable to draw attention to the following question:

- Do the modern mass-media serve for generation of mentality corresponding to the SD principles and ideology, particularly to the culture of Moderateness and to the idea of conservation of ethnic, cultural, bio- and landscape diversity.

I completely agree to the outspoken view, that diversity of cultures (urban among others), but not cosmopolitanism, is the basis for social sustainability. But at the same time the culture of Moderateness and transition from anthropocentrism to the ecocentrism (or

10. Somewhat separate is the report “The Theory of Development as a Method of Cognition”. I think it needs an all-inclusive, laborious analysis.

We would be glad to get responses concerning the specific projects - Agenda-21, Eco-House and other.

Thank you for collaboration.

 

De Feis explored the four diverse interests of the "four-legged stool": needs of people, optimal resource utilization, economy, and environment, and the opportunities to bring management, big business and the economic sector back into the "sustainable development fold."  

Djanaeva found  that the current socio-ecological crisis (SEC) was a crisis of interrelations between society and natural environment, but not of the interrelating parties separately. Besides SEC is considered as a historical normal state of the development of the system "Society-Natural environment". Using the ecological approach helps to identify the roots of the challenge. 

A significant proportion of Ireland's population resides in urban areas and therefore the issue of urban environmental quality is of great importance (Dunne and Convery). Although a number of recent policy initiatives have focused at improving the socio-economic conditions of urban areas, many urban environmental problems are still intensifying. Such problems include waste management, aspects of air quality, noise and water pollution, traffic congestion, the loss of open space, and the degradation of the urban landscape. In 1996, the EPA report, State of the Environment in Ireland, recommended that a comprehensive set of environmental and sustainability indicators are developed for Ireland to guide sustainable development and to measure environmental quality and the effectiveness of government policies. Among those suggested for priority was the theme of the urban environment. The Policy Agreement for a Government of Renewal (1994) states the Government's commitment to work towards a new set of indicators of sustainable development, taking account of environmental and social factors, and to be used alongside measures of economic activity such as GDP.  

Dzhamanbaev found that building the capacity of the poor to develop their own strategies for overcoming poverty and supporting these very strategies enables us to ensure sustainability of poor people’s own initiatives. Moving towards institutional sustainability is important for ensuring that financial services are available on a long-term basis for the poor. This should not, however, compromise the need to ensure the sustainability and development of the poor people’s activities themselves. The Human Element is a key determinant for growth and sustainability(LaBianca).  

Lange researched answers to the question: What will it take to engage individuals and communities in significant changes that constitute a sustainable society? The primary purpose of this qualitative educational research study, carried out in Canada, was to determine the entry points and learning processes that are most effective in engaging middle class adults in actions that contribute to a sustainable society.

 Lange has shown that achieving sustainable development may be linked with policies emphasizing community, the value of information, originality in ideas, and the arts (Guidotti, Karopa).  

KON discussed the impacts of the recent economic globalization on the Brazilian economy have revealed a diversified tendency in spatial development, when regional economic indicators are observed. This is due to the specificities of each region, as regards their sector structure, the availability of human resources, the agglomeration economies and the degree of technological innovation undertaken by local enterprises. 

Krasnyansky bring solutions to the problems of ecology and technological safety that become more and more important for mankind. The majority of countries of East Europe, South America, Asia and Africa have not enough finances either for environment protection (keeping air and water clean) or for utilization of the accumulated industrial and domestic wastes, or for preventing fires and explosions in industry, woods, etc. The industrial wastes in these countries (stored in dumps and settling tanks)can be of interest. In the Ukraine there had been accumulated not less than 25 billion tons of such wastes, and the estimates are that they are 2 - 3 trillion tons in the whole world. On the one side such wastes are the source of ecological disaster and on the other side they contain billions of tons of ready residual raw materials: coal, oil products, wood, iron, non-ferrous metals, rare metals, etc.

 Lagutov Vladimir Victorovich from Russia developed a new concept is aimed at the stabilization of the environment under conditions of limited resources and authority degradation. The main idea behind the realization of this goal is the dislocation of the most active social part of the local population in the key areas of river basins. 

The Belarusian people badly need adequate information concerning the real consequences of the Chernobyl accident(Mikalai). They are often unaware of what is to be done to improve the state of environment, their living standards, and how to deal with various problems that life presents. The problem of survival and human rights are on the agenda of the Belarusian society at the turn of the centuries. 

Ng discussed public spending, especially on research and environmental protection, is likely well below optimal due to the long-term and global public-good nature and the overestimation of the costs of raising public revenue. This overestimation arises from 1. Economists' emphasis on the excess burden of taxation, ignoring that this is largely offset by the negative excess burden on the spending side; 2. The failure to take account of the environmental disruption effects of most production and consumption (which make taxes largely corrective than distortive), relative-income effects (which bias in favor of private consumption), and burden-free taxes on goods with diamond effects; 3. The failure to recognize the fact that, in non-poor countries, higher private consumption does not increase happiness at the social level, making the happiness cost of public spending virtually zero. Both reported happiness and indicators of quality of life have little positive association with economic growth but increase with scientific and technological breakthroughs at the global level.  

A. Nikitin and S. Nikitina discussed Ethnoculture as the basis of harmonic interrelations between human beings and environment.

 Md. Hasibur Rahman proposed that natural resources management, stakeholder participation and sustainable development are interrelated. 

Sharov discussed the ecological education is vital for inhabitants of the Chelyabisnk region to preserve the greatest values - their health and life. 

Yemelin tells us of the life in Russia and the EcoHouse project. Less than three years later the house is humming. A good proportion of the residents are engaged in different environmental and social activities, including two with full-time and two with part-time jobs in the house. The stair-wells are in good condition, two-thirds of the roof is literally blooming, organic waste is composted in the basement – which has been rebuilt and rat-proofed, and which also houses experimental cultivation of Witloof endives. Heating bills have been nearly halved. A community meeting room has been renovated and decorated, and is heavily booked for meetings of all kinds, including a kind of «resident’s surgery» at which people can seek professional help with their problems.

The history of humanity has always been that of an increasingly more complex interrelationship between its members. Clans to tribes, to nations, to empires,  and to today's economic and political alliances. Societies have become global and communications have made us all 'neighbours'. Massive migrations within and among countries have contributed to increasing contacts between human beings of different origins, religions, ideologies, and moral-value systems. The Global Community is becoming pluralistic. Recognition and respect  of this pluralism is a necessity for the survival of mankind.

The Global Community recognizes that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Freedom is both a principle and a value. It is because human beings are free that they are subject of law and are creators and holders of rights. Freedom and human rights are therefore basic to each other. 

Fundamental freedoms are far from being enjoyed by all but it is our common future, it is part of our Vision statement for year 2024. Human freedom is a value to be attained.

Equality is a value, an ideal for people who live a hard day-to-day life of economic inequalities such as unemployment, and social inequalities caused by the privileges enjoyed by some people and the exploitation of others, and inequality of educational and health opportunities. Freedom and equality are both indispensable.

Equality and freedom are therefore accepted and enshrined as universal values by which The Global Community organization will governed its affairs. As universal values they are concerned with our ability to decide, to choose values and to participate in the making of laws, and they dependent on the recognition of other people. These values forbid any form of discrimination on the grounds of race, nationality, sex, religion, age or mother tongue.

By accepting both values of freedom and equality we can achieve justice. One can be answerable for one's actions in a 'just' way only if judgements are given in the framework of democratically established laws and courts. 

Social justice is another universal value to which The Global Community aspires and accepts as a universal value. Social justice consists in sharing wealth with a view to greater equality and the equal recognition of each individual's merits.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights resides in the fact that it gives equal emphasis to cultural rights, economic and social rights, and civil and political rights.  The Global Community organization asks how meaningful is the right to life or to participation in political life, if poverty, destitution and epidemics prevent individuals from enjoying freedom of movement, freedom to vote, to marry and so on?  We found evident that economic and social rights are the essential prerequisite for the effectiveness and exercise of all rights recognized for human beings. This was the reason for organizing the World Congress: to find the best ways to sustain us all. The developing countries are having a harder time than others to achieve the exercise of these rights on a lasting basis, with the problems of economic globalization presenting new challenges. We must therefore beware of enforcing economic rights alone to the detriment of individual civil rights and the rights of all individuals to decide their own fate and the future of their country, their political rights.

The universality of human rights recognizes the right of all individuals to participate in the cultural life of their community and of other country, to receive education and training, and to be informed. In this World Congress, you were asked  to list values that were the most important, very important, important, not so important, and values that should be let go in order to sustain all life on Earth. We are aware that traditional customs and standards could burden the sustainability of all life on Earth. They could burden Earth society or any society forever, and holds individuals in a straitjacket. We cannot accept that. No one can! There are choices to be made and you must make them. Cultures can develop and can go on developing. Even religious beliefs may evolve. We are living now and we are able to create these changes. We are at least as bright , most certainly brighter, than the people who were living thousand of years ago.  As far as The Global Community is concerned, cultural and religious differences cannot be a reason or an excuse or a pretext for not respecting human rights. Quite the contrary, all kinds of cultures may promote human rights and especially cultural rights. They are different in their achievements, but they are equal in dignity where they are expressions of freedom. At any time or in any given place, men, women and children use their culture to invent new ways of making human rights a living reality. Diversity enriches us if it respects the dignity of each individual, and if it takes account of human rights as a whole.

6. Earth Charter

As explained by Vilela, an Earth Charter Commission was formed in 1997 to oversee the project and the drafting of the Charter. The Secretariat for the Commission is at the Earth Council in Costa Rica. In March, 1997, at the conclusion of the Rio+5 Forum in Rio de Janeiro, the Earth Charter Commission issued the Benchmark Draft Earth Charter. The Commission also called for ongoing international consultations on the text of the document. Between 1997 and 1999 over forty national Earth Charter committees were formed, and numerous Earth Charter conferences were held. Comments and recommendations from all regions of the world were forwarded to the Earth Council and the Drafting Committee. Guided by these contributions to the consultation process, the text of the Charter has been extensively revised. In April, 1999, the Earth Charter Commission issued Benchmark Draft II. The consultation process continued throughout 1999 in order to provide individuals and groups with a further opportunity to make contributions to the drafting process. As a result of the worldwide consultation process, the Earth Charter Commission issued a final version of the Earth Charter after their meeting on March 12 – 14, 2000 at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The Earth Charter Commission plans to review responses to the document in two or four years and consider possible amendments.

Bivol explains that the revolution in communications and transportation made the world smaller and the people closer to each other in their needs and preferences, consumption patterns and lifestyles. This circumstance makes the existence of an Earth Charter rather promising as regards to its possible impact on man’s mentality and behaviour. However, the revolution in social life and education made for a huge diversity of personalities and tastes, hobbies and standards of life, methods of earning and entertainment. The combined efforts of many sciences revealed a close interdependence between the human health, the conduct of the people, the quality of their environment, the type of their professional occupation, the motives and objectives of their lives, the relationships with other people and with the natural elements. The Earth Charter shall make good use of this interdependence and, at the same time, avoid huge enumeration of degradation factors and their consequences.

7. Aboriginal peoples

8. Human Rights

Mikalai mentioned that solving environmental problems and those of sustainable development, we should keep in mind that they are closely connected with the generally acknowledged human rights. Hardly there can be any effective and progressive development without a broad public access to decision- making.  The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is certainly a good start in findings universal values. Universal and fundamental human rights are universal values. There are more universal values to be found. Human rights and democracy are closely intertwined. Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is one of the characteristics of a democracy. 

In health we add that an  adequate level  of health care is a universal value as well as a human right. We expect adequate health services to be accessible, affordable, compassionate and socially acceptable. The Global Community  is required to participate in the development of health policies and services.

The Global Community is committed to participate in the discussion of all issues related to human rights and in finding universal values other than  human rights.

Human rights represent an ideal and a supreme goal which can give meaning to life in society. Throughout the history of humanity, the rights of human beings have been defined and enshrined with reference to the values of the dignity of each individual and of freedom, equality and justice. These values are universal. The Global Community has accepted and enshrined them into its own ways of behaving and dealing with all peoples. Cultures and societies differ so much that their expression takes varying forms, but diversity does not affect the foundation of inalienable values constituted by human rights. Each individual is recognized as a representative of humankind. Human dignity resides in each of us and this dignity must be recognized and respected by all.

9. Quality of Life

Colman has researched and developed an indicator to include the quality of life. Natural resources are explicitly valued; unpaid household work and voluntary work are measured; and costs are distinguished from benefits. The GPI subtracts rather than adds the costs of crime, pollution and accidents. The index goes up if we have more free time, greater equality, and a cleaner environment. It therefore more accurately reflects actual changes in our quality of life. 

Lange proposed a value to redefine the quality of life from a consumptive, acquisitive mode to a mode of non-consumptive relatedness. This mode challenges the frantic pace, exhaustion and burn-out many people feel. It enables people to restore organic connections to time, space, body and human relations and to engage in non-consumptive forms of fulfillment. Most importantly, it can reduces the depletion of natural resources for endless material goods and exploitation of human and natural communities for profits.

Ira mentioned that well-being - including stress, life satisfaction, and personal happiness is an important dimension in assessing the way of living in different places.

Abramia explained that the Georgian Parliament regulates major legal relations in the area of environmental protection on the entire territory of Georgia and is guided by the following key principles: · "polluter pays" principle
· "biodiversity conservation principle"
· "recycling principle"
· "restitution principle"
· "environmental impact assessment principle"
and the "information availability principle" - information on the condition of the environment shall be open and available to public. 

Hao explained that China has now established an environmental protection management system which is supervised legislatively by the National People’s Congress, implemented by the people’s government at various levels, managed in unified way by administrative departments in in charge of environmental protection and supervised by various relevant departments in accordance with the laws. There are a set of management system such as Annual check system, technical supervision system, centralized management by specialized department, monitoring networks etc.

Well-being is a concept central to this explanation of the Kerala phenomena(Alexander).  Our operational definition within this analysis (securely within the dictionary definition exclusive of income) is a the package of closely associated measures of human behaviours: infant mortality rate, life expectancy, educational attainment, and total fertility rate. This definition is also framed by our understanding of human behaviour as a part of human sustainability.

McGregor has researched and developed a new concept of quality of life that is indeed multi-dimensional, complex and very subjective. For instance, someone who has changed their consumption habits to better ensure that their choices will make a better quality of life for themselves, the environment and future generations, may be seen by others as having a lower or inferior quality of life since they have removed themselves from the materialistic mainstream characteristic of our consumer society. Someone may feel that an absence of violence and abuse in their life leads to a higher quality of living even though they have fewer tangible resources, money, or shelter; peace of mind and freedom from abuse has increased the quality of their daily life relative to what it was like before. Family-life professionals have a role to play in helping families help individual members identify, clarify and select values that may improve their quality of life. There are four universal quality of life values which lead to "human betterment" or the improvement of the human condition. In addition to the value of species survival (human and other living organisms), they include: adequate resources, justice and equality, freedom, and peace or balance of power. Since quality of life is at the core of our professional mission, it must be better understood, especially in relation to well-being. 

10. Global Ethics

McGregor has extended the idea of sustainability to be a moral and ethical state, as well as an economic and environmental state, wherein sustainable consumption patterns respect the universal values of peace, security, justice and equity within the human relationships that exist in the global village. Put more simply, not only should consumers be concerned with the impact of their decisions on the environment but also on the lives and well-being of other people. Since one of the key functions of families as a social institution is to engage in production (selling their labour in return for wages) and consumption (using those wages to buy goods and services), the roundtable would examine the role of families as they impact sustainable consumption and development. To embrace a moral and ethical perspective, the family's function of production and consumption has to be discussed in relation to its other key functions , especially (a) socialization of children into adult, roles and (b) social control of family members so they are responsible contributing members of society. 

Barsky, Diepeveen, Wilson and  Hanna proposed new ideas based upon material from a variety of perspectives, including conflict resolution theory, social work theory, and sustainable development theory. When all people are provided an opportunity to give voice in public discussions, sustainable development decisions will include a more complete range of perspectives, ideas, and solutions. People will be more committed to the processes, more trusting, and more likely to contribute. Past lip service to participatory decision making must give way to meaningful involvement. With a truly broad base of people being mobilized in a collaborative effort, a shared vision of the future is surely within reach. 

Grishin and Tokmakova discussed the following issues of public participation in environmental impact assessment: (a) goals and principles; (b) practical acpects; (c) legal, administrative and institutional frameworks; and (d) methods for arranging public participation in EIA. More practical experience dealing with public participation in environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context has been gathered since the entering into force the Convention in September 1997. Practical aspects of public participation in EIA in a transboundary context were discussed.

 Hyvarinen contributed to the debate about the EU's role in the international climate negotiations. 

KAANICHE explained that sustainable development constitutes an evolutionary and very complex process making use of several disciplines and different data: economic, social and ecological. 

Mehandjiev and  Mehandjieva proposed  a contemporary clear and practically applicable definition of the notion "sustainable development" can be build, in accordance with the principle and approaches of the Bulgarian Association of Environmentalists and Ecologists - ABEECOL.

 During the last years, private companies as well as public agencies have been realized that consultation of stakeholder groups is an indispensable step for achievement of results and improvement of impacts (Nauheimer). Consequently, companies like The Body Shop, IBM, or Shell have developed their own tools to ensure that management decisions can be significantly influenced by customers, shareholders, employees, suppliers, the public opinion and other important groups. 

Rich explores the relationship between the features of collaborative environmental management and the conditions necessary for achieving sustainability.

When communities, nations, or international bodies make decisions affecting sustainable development, there are many voices to be heard (Barsky,  Diepeveen, Wilson and  Hanna). Typical bodies involved in public discussions of environmentalists, developers, business people, taxpayers, scientists, community planners, governmental officials, and non-governmental organizations. 

13. Eradication of poverty

  Constraints to poor people’s accessing and benefiting from credit among the 19 microfinance schemes in Kyrgyzstan, only 3 of them (FINCA, UNDP Poverty Alleviation Project, and the completed Pilot Demonstration Project - World Bank) reach the poor(Dzhamanbaev).

Dzhamanbaev explained that in developing poverty alleviation interventions, the need for detailed poverty analyses within target areas cannot be underrated. Employing participatory approaches in identifying needs, solutions and designing specific mechanisms for poverty alleviation reduces the risk of programme failure. Building the capacity of the poor to develop their own strategies for overcoming poverty and supporting these strategies enables us to ensure sustainability of poor people’s own initiatives. 

Madeleine dit qu'il est tentant d'affirmer sans risque aucun d'etre dementi que quelque soit l'angle sous lequel on veut aborder ce concept de nos jours, pour l'Afrique et pour les africains, la notion semble paradoxale dans la mesure ou elle conjugue deux idees contradictoires: d'un cote, celle du developpement, et de l'autre, celle de durabilite.

Poverty exists everywhere, and in  it takes dramatic forms in developing countries where governments have a hard time in coping with the basic needs and demands of their populations (Dufour). The distribution of wealth around the world demands more compassionate approaches to bridging the continuously widening gap between the rich and the poor. Understanding the economic and social development of a balance world is a priority of The Global Community organization. The eradication of poverty in the world is a priority and our responsibility. 

The interaction of poor health, poverty and environmental deterioration has been measured and was found  to have a direct relationship with the stage of economic and social development of a country. 

Policies to combat poverty should not damage the environment. Environmental policies should not create poverty. This requires: 

1. The diversification of production activities thereby reducing pressure on natural resources

2. A major change in consumer habits so as to be compatible with the natural environment

3. The development of technologies aimed at specific environmental and social conditions; 'clean' technologies that have less impact on the environment

Several developing countries are ruled by socio-economic and political structures that are oppressive and it is the inherently vulnerable  and dependent groups that are at a higher risk of neglect and abuse. There has to be an organized NGO sector and active human-rights groups in such societies in order to protect and defend the oppressed people.

14. Wars, armed conflicts, and violence

  Condemned by individual governments and the United Nations as the most widely reviled abuse of women's human rights , military sexual atrocities against women continue unabated at the dawn of the third millennium(Eaton).  

Wars begin in our minds, and it is therefore in our minds that the event of peace must be constructed(Dufour). We may desire peace and abhor war and also be moved by the suffering it causes but this is not enough. We must realize that knowledge of and respect for human rights and other universal values found in this World Congress can lead each member of The Global Community towards the universal peace to which we all aspire.

15. Earth Management

De Feis explained that balancing equity amongst the needs of people, optimal resource utilization, the economy, and the environment is at the heart of sustainable development. Djanaeva proposed that each level of the Social Ecological Crisis(SEC) roots has its own structure, interrelations, or hierarchy, subordination as well as with the basic ecological relations.(Vilinovic,  Chrenko, Hudek,  Toma and  Miklos ).   Raghbendra Jha and K.V. Bhanu Murthy argue that the notion of sustainability as used in the extant literature is incomplete because of two reasons: (i) a neglect of the spatial dimensions of sustainability and (ii) the absence of a link between sustainability on the one hand and change in behavior and property rights on the other. They concentrate only on the problem of consumption reduction. It advocates a complex strategy for attaining the reductions in consumption necessary for attaining sustainability. It advocates the use of group taxes on producers as well as consumers. Second, the tax revenues so collected are earmarked for spending for the purpose of the environment. The resulting lowering of the discount rate and behavioral changes would lead to a drop in the rate of increase of prices of natural resources and, therefore, to a postponement of their consumption. All these involve the design of an intermediate run policy that treats environmental goods as merit goods as a prelude to their (ultimately) being treated as common resources. Md. Hasibur Rahman explained that air pollution must be considered as the most vulnerable environmental health hazards. It is important to take immediate initiative to protect air pollution on the basis of latest scientific information and technology available. 

The democratic functioning of The Global Community organization, or Earth Community, or Earth Society (three names for the same organization), implies the possibility of a global dialogue among all its members, between people of all beliefs and opinions. Democracy is a way of living together and an expression of respect for other people; it is now rooted in The Global Community. The typical fundamental freedoms of a democracy (freedom of expression, thought, assembly, and association) are themselves part of human rights. These freedoms were present during the World Congress as we have dialogue and debate on the rights of different people and their accompanying obligations and responsibilities as human beings. These freedoms can exist everywhere.

Democracy is a political system based on the participation of the people. It foresees the separation of powers among the judiciary, the legislative and the executive authorities, as well as free and regular elections.

The organization promotes efficient forms of management and participation. The political rights of The Global Community define the conditions under which citizens exercise their responsibilities. For our organization to be  democratic, we must organized our political and social life with the greatest respect of all peoples.

16. Cooperation between developing and developed countries

During the past three decades, the size and composition of external capital flows to developing countries have gone through major changes.

Since the beginning of 1990 we have witnessed a rapid expansion of private capital inflows due mainly to the rapid liberalization of markets and privatization of economic activity in developing countries. The private sector has become the principal borrower.

Large amounts of capitals from foreign direct investment are now making their ways to developing countries. They are a supplementary investment to private capital inflows.

The success of the integration of developing countries into the international trading system depends largely on the effective management of their exchange rates.

 Huba described the situation in Slovakia, as well as in other post-communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe. In Slovakia, which is more or less representative as a typical Central and Eastern European country in transition, the principles of sustainable development are still rarely applied.  The impacts of the recent economic globalization on the Brazilian economy have revealed a diversified tendency when the regional productivity indexes are observed(Kon).  World globalization process caused significant changes in advanced and also in less developed economies in recent years that include: a) increasing internationalization of economic activities; b) the reorganization of dominant firms: c) the increasing integration of manufacturing and service production; d) the growing use of microelectronics technology; e) the growing demand in industry for a high skilled workforce, but many routine jobs being displaced by technical change; f) the increasing complexity and volatility of consumption; and a changing role for state intervention.

  The problems of ecology and technological safety become more and more important for mankind (Krasnyanski). But the majority of countries of East Europe, South America, Asia and Africa have not enough finances either for environment protection (keeping air and water clean) or for utilization of the accumulated industrial and domestic wastes, or for preventing fires and explosions in industry, woods, etc. 

  Wegosky and his organization suggested that  a special activity to compensate the destroying affects of Urban Civilization upon nature. In our views the mankind can achieve the balance only by creating nature-reviving dynamic that is to compensate the destroying urban dynamic. 

During the past three decades, the size and composition of external capital flows to developing countries have gone through major changes. Since the beginning of 1990 we have witnessed a rapid expansion of private capital inflows due mainly to the rapid liberalization of markets and privatization of economic activity in developing countries. The private sector has become the principal borrower. Large amounts of capitals from foreign direct investment are now making their ways to developing countries. They are a supplementary investment to private capital inflows. The success of the integration of developing countries into the international trading system depends largely on the effective management of their exchange rates.