The Community Commons: A Dialogue on Local Approaches to the MDGs

Introduction

Communities are a vital driving force for sustainable development. It has become increasingly clear over the past two decades, and particularly since the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), that communities are playing a central role in advancing sustainable development. There is, as a result, growing recognition that for development to be successful it must be undertaken within a collaborative framework that recognizes its close relationship with – and dependence upon – sustainable community livelihoods.

Despite the enormous contributions that civil society, and particular communities, have made to sustainable development, local and grassroots groups remain the least well positioned to integrate their experiences and knowledge into international policy processes. The Community Commons works to rectify this imbalance by bringing local voices and perspectives to the global Millennium Review Summit process through a dedicated dialogue both among successful community initiatives and between community representatives and global policy-makers.

At the heart of the Community Commons, a physical dialogue space facilitates group discussions, presentations, cultural events, and interaction with global leaders and the media. The dialogue sessions taking place in the Commons will include targeted discussions on key themes of direct relevance to the five-year review of progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), drawing on the wide experience and insights of community representatives from around the globe.

Ultimately, the Community Commons will serve as a forum for community voices and perspectives to be incorporated into the Millennium Review Summit process, particularly through participation in the preparatory Civil Society Hearings, 23-24 June. The Community Commons will show that communities - often working in partnership with local governments, local and national NGOs, and international organizations - are fundamental to achieving the Millennium Development Goals and have unique and essential contributions to make towards this global effort.

Overarching themes for the Community Commons will be:

1. Integration: The Community Commons will explore how local best practice can inform the work of diverse communities from around the world.

2. Capacity Development: The Community Commons will focus on the capacity gaps facing communities as they work to scale up their efforts to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development.

3. Partnerships: The Community Commons will create a physical space for the exploration of partnership opportunities between communities, NGOs, businesses, donors, and governments.

Objectives

Specific objectives of the Community Commons are:

1. Share Knowledge

- To enable knowledge sharing and learning amongst community representatives, particularly on key factors that have enabled local success.
- To build upon and amplify ongoing work to bring forth community perspectives.

2. Inform Policy

- To enable community representatives to dialogue with development professionals, government officials, and donors on how they can partner to support locally-driven community development.
- To deliver community recommendations to the Civil Society hearings of the Millennium Review Summit (23-24 June).
- To ensure the Millennium Review Summit (and follow-up) gives due attention to the key role played by communities in advocacy and implementation.

3. Celebrate Success

- To celebrate and enhance awareness of the key role of communities in delivering the MDGs and the broader development agenda.
- To highlight how local community action is benefiting the global community and inspire others to take action.

4. Capacity Development

- To develop an action plan that supports broad-based learning between communities and also the capacity development of communities and their partners.
- To articulate recommendations on how policy makers could develop their own capacity to support locally-driven community development innovation.