Communities

Su map

Khartoum, Sudan's Compassionate Goals:

Spreading culture of tolerance
Interfaith dialogue
Grassroots relation between the Middle East and West
Combating terrorism

All seventeen Sustainable Development Goals are part of the Charter for Compassion Communities/Cities initiatives. However, we are concentrating on Goal #9, Building a Resilient Infrastructure, Goal #11, Making Cities Resilient and Sustainable and Goal #12, Sustainable Consumption and Production. Refer to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for more information.

Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

Investments in infrastructure – transport, irrigation, energy and information and communication technology – are crucial to achieving sustainable development and empowering communities in many countries. It has long been recognized that growth in productivity and incomes, and improvements in health and education outcomes require investment in infrastructure.

Inclusive and sustainable industrial development is the primary source of income generation, allows for rapid and sustained increases in living standards for all people, and provides the technological solutions to environmentally sound industrialization.

Technological progress is the foundation of efforts to achieve environmental objectives, such as increased resource and energy-efficiency. Without technology and innovation, industrialization will not happen, and without industrialization, development will not happen.

Facts and Figures

Basic infrastructure like roads, information and communication technologies, sanitation, electrical power and water remains scarce in many developing countries

About 2.6 billion people in the developing world are facing difficulties in accessing electricity full time

2.5 billion people worldwide lack access to basic sanitation and almost 800 million people lack access to water, many hundreds of millions of them in Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia

1-1.5 billion people do not have access to reliable phone services

Quality infrastructure is positively related to the achievement of social, economic and political goals

Inadequate infrastructure leads to a lack of access to markets, jobs, information and training, creating a major barrier to doing business

Undeveloped infrastructures limits access to health care and education

For many African countries, particularly the lower-income countries, the existent constraints regarding infrastructure affect firm productivity by around 40 per cent

Manufacturing is an important employer, accounting for around 470 million jobs worldwide in 2009 – or around 16 per cent of the world’s workforce of 2.9 billion. In 2013, it is estimated that there were more than half a billion jobs in manufacturing

Industrialization’s job multiplication effect has a positive impact on society. Every one job in manufacturing creates 2.2 jobs in other sectors

Small and medium-sized enterprises that engage in industrial processing and manufacturing are the most critical for the early stages of industrialization and are typically the largest job creators. They make up over 90 per cent of business worldwide and account for between 50-60 per cent of employment

In countries where data are available, the number of people employed in renewable energy sectors is presently around 2.3 million. Given the present gaps in information, this is no doubt a very conservative figure. Because of strong rising interest in energy alternatives, the possible total employment for renewables by 2030 is 20 million jobs

Least developed countries have immense potential for industrialization in food and beverages (agro-industry), and textiles and garments, with good prospects for sustained employment generation and higher productivity

Middle-income countries can benefit from entering the basic and fabricated metals industries, which offer a range of products facing rapidly growing international demand

In developing countries, barely 30 per cent of agricultural production undergoes industrial processing. In high-income countries, 98 per cent is processed. This suggests that there are great opportunities for developing countries in agribusiness

Goal 9 Targets

Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all

Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries

Increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises, in particular in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets

By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities

Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending

Facilitate sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in developing countries through enhanced financial, technological and technical support to African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States 18
Support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries, including by ensuring a conducive policy environment for, inter alia, industrial diversification and value addition to commodities

Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020

Related References

UN Development Programme

UN Environment Programme

UN Habitat

UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

UN Industrial Development Organization

International Telecommunication Union

UNIDO’s 50th anniversary

UN Office for Project Services

Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

The United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, took place in Quito, Ecuador from 17-20 October 2016, and was the first UN global summit on urbanization since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Habitat III offered a unique opportunity to discuss the important challenges of how cities, towns, and village can be planned and managed, in order to fulfill their role as drivers of sustainable development, and how they can shape the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

In Quito, world leaders adopted the New Urban Agenda which set global standards of achievement in sustainable urban development, rethinking the way we build, manage, and live in cities through drawing together cooperation with committed partners, relevant stakeholders, and urban actors at all levels of government as well as the civil society and private sector.

Cities are hubs for ideas, commerce, culture, science, productivity, social development and much more. At their best, cities have enabled people to advance socially and economically.

However, many challenges exist to maintaining cities in a way that continues to create jobs and prosperity while not straining land and resources. Common urban challenges include congestion, lack of funds to provide basic services, a shortage of adequate housing and declining infrastructure.

The challenges cities face can be overcome in ways that allow them to continue to thrive and grow, while improving resource use and reducing pollution and poverty. The future we want includes cities of opportunities for all, with access to basic services, energy, housing, transportation and more.

Facts and Figures

Half of humanity – 3.5 billion people – lives in cities today

By 2030, almost 60 per cent of the world’s population will live in urban areas

95 per cent of urban expansion in the next decades will take place in developing world

828 million people live in slums today and the number keeps rising

The world’s cities occupy just 3 per cent of the Earth’s land, but account for 60-80 per cent of energy consumption and 75 per cent of carbon emissions

Rapid urbanization is exerting pressure on fresh water supplies, sewage, the living environment, and public health

But the high density of cities can bring efficiency gains and technological innovation while reducing resource and energy consumption

Goal 11 Targets

By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums

By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons

By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries

Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage

By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations

By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management

By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities

Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning

By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels

Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials

Related Resources

UN-HABITAT

UN Environment Programme : Cities – investing in energy and resource efficiency

UN Environment Programme Climate Neutral Network

UN Environment Programme : Cities and Climate Change

UN Population Fund: Urbanization

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Sustainable consumption and production is about promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all. Its implementation helps to achieve overall development plans, reduce future economic, environmental and social costs, strengthen economic competitiveness and reduce poverty.

Sustainable consumption and production aims at “doing more and better with less,” increasing net welfare gains from economic activities by reducing resource use, degradation and pollution along the whole lifecycle, while increasing quality of life. It involves different stakeholders, including business, consumers, policy makers, researchers, scientists, retailers, media, and development cooperation agencies, among others.

It also requires a systemic approach and cooperation among actors operating in the supply chain, from producer to final consumer. It involves engaging consumers through awareness-raising and education on sustainable consumption and lifestyles, providing consumers with adequate information through standards and labels and engaging in sustainable public procurement, among others.

Facts and Figures

Each year, an estimated one third of all food produced – equivalent to 1.3 billion tonnes worth around $1 trillion – ends up rotting in the bins of consumers and retailers, or spoiling due to poor transportation and harvesting practices
If people worldwide switched to energy efficient lightbulbs the world would save US$120 billion annually
Should the global population reach 9.6 billion by 2050, the equivalent of almost three planets could be required to provide the natural resources needed to sustain current lifestyles

Water

Less than 3 per cent of the world’s water is fresh (drinkable), of which 2.5 per cent is frozen in the Antarctica, Arctic and glaciers. Humanity must therefore rely on 0.5 per cent for all of man’s ecosystem’s and fresh water needs.
Man is polluting water faster than nature can recycle and purify water in rivers and lakes.
More than 1 billion people still do not have access to fresh water.
Excessive use of water contributes to the global water stress.
Water is free from nature but the infrastructure needed to deliver it is expensive.

Energy

Despite technological advances that have promoted energy efficiency gains, energy use in OECD countries will continue to grow another 35 per cent by 2020. Commercial and residential energy use is the second most rapidly growing area of global energy use after transport.
In 2002 the motor vehicle stock in OECD countries was 550 million vehicles (75 per cent of which were personal cars). A 32 per cent increase in vehicle ownership is expected by 2020. At the same time, motor vehicle kilometres are projected to increase by 40 per cent and global air travel is projected to triple in the same period.
Households consume 29 per cent of global energy and consequently contribute to 21 per cent of resultant CO2 emissions.
One-fifth of the world’s final energy consumption in 2013 was from renewables.

Food

While substantial environmental impacts from food occur in the production phase (agriculture, food processing), households influence these impacts through their dietary choices and habits. This consequently affects the environment through food-related energy consumption and waste generation.
1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year while almost 1 billion people go undernourished and another 1 billion hungry.
Overconsumption of food is detrimental to our health and the environment.
2 billion people globally are overweight or obese.
Land degradation, declining soil fertility, unsustainable water use, overfishing and marine environment degradation are all lessening the ability of the natural resource base to supply food.
The food sector accounts for around 30 per cent of the world’s total energy consumption and accounts for around 22 per cent of total Greenhouse Gas emissions.

Goal 12 Targets

Implement the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries

By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources

By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses

By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment

By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse

Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle

Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities

By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature

Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production

Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products

Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected communities

Related References

The 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production

UN Environment Programme – Resource efficiency

Source: United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Governments, businesses and civil society together with the United Nations have started to mobilize efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Agenda by 2030. Universal, inclusive and indivisible, the Agenda calls for action by all countries to improve the lives of people everywhere. The Charter for Compassion has added the 17 Sustainable Development Goals to our own agenda of working with facilitating city and community initiatives and within the context of our partner sectors. As you visit the landing page of each of our partner sectors, click on the visible Sustainable Development Goals that are on display in the right-hand margin of the section. Click on the goal to learn more about it: facts and figures, goals and related references.

In 2015, countries adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In 2016, the Paris Agreement on climate change entered into force, addressing the need to limit the rise of global temperatures. Explore this site to find out more about the efforts of the UN and its partners to build a better world with no one left behind.

On 1 January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force. Over the next fifteen years, with these new Goals that universally apply to all, countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.

The SDGs, also known as Global Goals, build on the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and aim to go further to end all forms of poverty. The new Goals are unique in that they call for action by all countries, poor, rich and middle-income to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and addresses a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection.

While the SDGs are not legally binding, governments are expected to take ownership and establish national frameworks for the achievement of the 17 Goals. Countries have the primary responsibility for follow-up and review of the progress made in implementing the Goals, which will require quality, accessible and timely data collection. Regional follow-up and review will be based on national-level analyses and contribute to follow-up and review at the global level.

Sustainable Development

● Sustainable development has been defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

● Sustainable development calls for concerted efforts towards building an inclusive, sustainable and resilient future for people and planet.

● For sustainable development to be achieved, it is crucial to harmonize three core elements: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. These elements are interconnected and all are crucial for the well-being of individuals and societies.

● Eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions is an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. To this end, there must be promotion of sustainable, inclusive and equitable economic growth, creating greater opportunities for all, reducing inequalities, raising basic standards of living, fostering equitable social development and inclusion, and promoting integrated and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems.

Legality of the Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are not legally binding.

Nevertheless, countries are expected to take ownership and establish a national framework for achieving the 17 Goals.

Implementation and success will rely on countries’ own sustainable development policies, plans and programmes.

Countries have the primary responsibility for follow-up and review, at the national, regional and global levels, with regard to the progress made in implementing the Goals and targets over the next 15 years.

Actions at the national level to monitor progress will require quality, accessible and timely data collection and regional follow-up and review.

Development Goals and Climate Change

• Climate change is already impacting public health, food and water security, migration, peace and security. Climate change, left unchecked, will roll back the development gains we have made over the last decades and will make further gains impossible.

• Investments in sustainable development will help address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building climate resilience.

• Conversely, action on climate change will drive sustainable development.

• Tackling climate change and fostering sustainable development are two mutually reinforcing sides of the same coin; sustainable development cannot be achieved without climate action. Conversely, many of the SDGs are addressing the core drivers of climate change.

Cadereyta Jimenez aims to...

Identify and transform every action into an attitude of service that eliminates the lack of interest in others
Discover this value in both small and large actions, helping us to identify our human quality
By means of compassion, obtain other virtues such as generosity, solidarity, simplicity and understanding
Always favor all people regardless of their condition
Achieve a personal transformation

Goals & Objectives:

Goals:

Make every event an opportunity to develop compassionate action towards our neighbors
Intertwine compassionate actions in all areas that unite us as a society.

Objectives:

To inform the community in general about the possibilities of doing compassionate acts for others in order to achieve personal transformation and therefore a more compassionate entity.

https://cadereyta.gob.mx/

Posted Thursday, May 4, 2017 5:51 pm

By Chris Mays

BRATTLEBORO — Kindness and empathy just became a bigger priority here.

"The voters overwhelmingly — by 83 percent to 17 percent — said yes to wanting Brattleboro to be a Compassionate Community," Town Manager Peter Elwell said of the March 7 vote.

The Select Board on Tuesday passed a "Resolution for Compassion Brattleboro" and approved of signing a Charter for Compassion, as part of what Elwell described as an international movement that involves communities around the globe being a designated Compassionate Community or Compassionate City. More information can be found at charterforcompassion.org.

At first look of the website, Elwell worried what kind of commitment the town would be making.

"It looked like it might be a very significant investment of time and money as well to follow all of the formal structure that's laid out on that website," he said. "But it seems to me that it's among the lightest lifts imaginable, among the easiest things for us to do; to commit ourselves to treating each person who comes before us with respect and making decisions with full and fair consideration for the impact to everyone in our community, even the less well-represented or the less well-off."

Elwell said the wording in the resolution came out of a meeting he had with two of the organizers behind the effort, Jim and Dora Levinson. The father and daughter are members of the Brattleboro Area Interfaith Initiative. Several other representatives from the group joined them at the meeting.

"We are really full of energy to try and do everything we can on these two threads," Jim Levinson said. "Both helping people in our town facing challenges and as a town helping others wherever they are in need."

Select Board member John Allen wondered how the effort originated.

"What's a little sad about this — and it's not sad — is that we need to have a resolution to be compassionate," he said. "That just kind of blows my mind a little bit."

The movement isn't only about behavior and treatment of others. It's a network of 400 other communities from 50 different countries, Jim Levinson said.

Dora Levinson said there are other things in the larger community happening around compassion.

"Our committee is trying to pull some of these together and we're working to figure out what we want to do to move forward," she said. "We don't need another organization. We don't need another committee. We're trying to figure it out."

She said the committee would keep the board updated.

"Please do keep us posted," said Select Board member David Schoales.

Resident Pete Nickerson asked if there's any discouragement or encouragement for dissent in the charter. Elwell said in his reading of the charter, the town was committing itself to being open to listening to contrary opinions and working through decisions with respect to all parties.

"So there's no right answer and a bunch of wrong answers," he added. "It's a way of reminding ourselves how to treat each other when making public decisions."

At the end of the meeting, the board began to explore "diversifying" the town's group of employees. Brattleboro currently has no African Americans employees, Schoales said.

"So the question in my mind is, what are we going to do about that?" he said. "It's not OK. It's not acceptable to not have diversification. We're a diverse community. It's something that needs to be fixed. It's a deep gap and problem in our country."

Vice Chairwoman Brandie Starr said some might find it challenging to apply for jobs "where they don't already see themselves physically represented."

"Suddenly it becomes weird to that person," she said. "Even though it's not weird, it just keeps perpetuating itself and perpetuating itself until we have a problem."

Allen worried about creating a system based on quotas.

"I think you choose an employee by whoever applies and if an African American applies and they're qualified, I know we would hire them," he said. "So I'm having this hard time with this discussion that we're not diversified."

Elwell said he could report back on processes the town uses for hiring so the board could assess. One option discussed by the board was finding other avenues for alerting the public about new job opportunities.

Select Board Chairwoman Kate O'Connor recalled the town facing similar challenges when looking for a town manager. She said at one point, the board reviewed about 100 resumes and only two women had applied.

"We have a growing African American community here in southern Vermont and they're not included in our town employees, and we have processes in place that we have used and that have not succeeded in drawing qualified or unqualified candidates," Schoales said. "I think we do want to recruit African Americans."

Noting an open position in the fire department and three jobs available with the police department, he called for the town to take "an affirmative action" in encouraging people of color to apply.

"They have to know it's available and we have to reach out to them. It takes an effort," he said, later adding that being complacent on the issue "ignores the historical reality of what's happened to African Americans over the course of our history."

Avis Ellis, a member of the Brattleboro Area Interfaith Initiative and person of color, suggested a new approach or additional approaches may be needed. She pointed to the time, 9:45 p.m., and the agenda item being the very last item under new business. She said she'll come to the next discussion on the topic if it's scheduled closer to the beginning of the meeting. That's planned for June 6.

[SUBHEAD} In other news:

- The board revised its rules of conduct to discourage the chairperson from making motions to vote.

"I'm not in favor of this," Allen said. "I feel the chair is one of us. I feel the chair should be able to make a motion if need be."

Select Board member Tim Wessel disagreed, saying he thought the revision "just puts into writing something that has been in use" before O'Connor was nominated to the chairperson and the way O'Connor has run the first few meetings. In his opinion, the chairperson has more power to guide the direction of the meetings as they set the agenda and pace.

- The Department of Public Works will award the bid for the Bonnyvale Road retaining wall repair to Bernie LaRock & Son, Inc., of Guilford. The company's $118,400 bid was much lower than the other three: $252,900, $245,000 and $190,000.

- A paving contract for Guilford Street was awarded to another Guilford company, Vermont Roadworks LLC, for $35,728.

- The fire department was given approval to award the bid for a pumper/rescue truck to Minuteman Trucks for $535,496. The truck is made by Pierce Manufacturing. By prepaying, the town is set to save 4.9 percent off the regular purchase price.

"We'll get it in about a year from now," said Assistant Fire Chief Len Howard.

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/board-passes-resolution,506389?

SL County CC JR 11