ATTENTION U.S. NGOS:
JOIN THE DISCUSSION...
WHAT WILL BE U.S. CIVIL SOCIETY'S STRATEGY FOR WSSD AND BEYOND?
CitNet, as part of the US Citizens Preparatory Committee(USCPC), has set up a listserver to allow for strategic discussion among US NGOs about issues and plans surrounding the WSSD. Specifically, we hope to focus on media attention as an opportunity to promote sustainability within the US and highlight for the public the disconnect between US civil society opinion and official US government positions.
This is a list of your NGO peers - no government or business people
will be on the list (with a few exceptions for those known for their
previous
support/activism in the NGO community and close affinity with civil
society).
To join this discussion on sustainable development strategy and help shape US civil society's direction and response for the Summit, go to http://citnet.org/uscpc/uscpc-discuss.aspx , where you can REQUEST TO BE SUBSCRIBED to the list.
Below you will find an excerpt from the list's initial message to give you an idea of what initial discussion on the list will involve.
- Gary Pupurs
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[Excerpted from initial USCPC-Discuss message:]
Dear US NGO colleagues and friends,
The Johannesburg Summit will take place in less than ten weeks. Yet
the
media has yet to pay meaningful attention to this historic event.
Reflecting ten years of global action and inaction in realizing the
vision
and commitments of sustainable development expressed at the Earth Summit
in
Rio in 1992, the World Summit on Sustainable Development will be an
indicator of our governments leadership in moving this ahead or dragging
their feet.
With the Fourth Preparatory Meeting in Bali now over, the clock is
ticking
away. While many thought the Action Program paper would be done and
that
Johannesburg would be more of a ceremony signing by heads of state,
the
Johannesburg meeting now presents world leaders with a dramatic challenge
to show their leadership by not simply signing a finished document but
engaging in the critical decision-making needed to finalize global agreements.
I hope you will share your ideas about the current WSSD process and
especially your specific thoughts about organizing a strategy meeting
for
US NGOs here in Washington on the upcoming World Summit for Sustainable
Development in Johannesburg.
As you probably know by now, the meeting in Bali was a great disappointment
to those of us who care about sustainable development. Many of us were
especially disappointed with the performance of the US delegation there,
who gave the impression they were mostly concerned with avoiding any
serious statements of commitment to implement the original Agenda 21
objectives. These concerns were raised in a press conference organized
by
US NGOs on Wednesday, June 5 in front of the Conference Center in Nusa
Dua,
Bali. (The collective US NGO statement can be found at http://citnet.org/files/USNGOStatement-6Jun02.aspx.)
The statement basically asserts that US NGOs have a responsibility
to their
country and the rest of the world in calling on our government to show
real
leadership in promoting sustainability, both within the US and around
the
world. Many of us are concerned that our government is NOT showing such
leadership, being more concerned with promoting the interests of big
business than its citizens and residents of America's communities.
We are planning to organize a meeting here in Washington at the end
of the
month (sometime within June 27-30 -- date and location will be determined
this coming week) to discuss these ideas and concerns, with the hope
of
developing a clear message and campaign focusing on the need for greater
US
leadership on sustainability.
PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS STATEMENT AND ABOUT A COMMON US NGO STRATEGY TO PROMOTE A STRONGER US COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY IN JOHANNESBURG. (To do so, subscribe to the list at http://citnet.org/uscpc/uscpc-discuss.aspx .)
- Jeffrey Barber, National Coordinator
Citizens Network for Sustainable Development
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