2000 Winners
Summary of 2000 Short-Listed Best Practices
AFRICA

Luanda-Sul Self-financed Urban Infrastructure Program, ANGOLA [619]
Luanda Sul is a trend-setting model for innovative practice. It is based on a self-sustaining urban infrastructure program aimed to valorize public assets through careful land-use management and planning. In close partnership with Government agencies, the private sector and community-based organisations, the population living in temporary settlements and the people displaced by the war are being resettled.

The program was initiated in 1995 through a self-financing process to improve the living conditions of the city and to meet the immense unmet needs of a low-income and displaced community. The improvements in the Luanda Sul included the construction of 70km of pipes providing drinking water, 23km of drainage, 12 km of power lines, 2,210 houses and adequate shelter for 16,702 people.

The program operates from an Achievement and Management Fund. The resources are mobilised through; (i) the sale of concessions (or land tenure rights) derived from the allocation of public land for private development; (ii) taxes and tariffs perceived on the exchange of goods and services; and (iii) investments made by the private sector. The Government, by issuing guarantees for private investments, provided the basis for the self-financing of the programme.

The technical and human resources come from a team of skilled urban and infrastructure experts. The process involved the identification of suitable land for urban development, the acquisition of the land from landowners by the state, the legislation of the status of the land according to a land-use plan and the mobilisation of capital investment of the private sector. The program involved an initial investment of US$30 million and a subsequent investment of US$14 million. The infrastructure development includes community facilities, schools, commercial establishments, an industrial estate and a hospital.

The program so far has:
• Resettled 2,700 families displaced by the war;
• Managed to fully service 8 million sq. m with 121 km of power lines, 70 km of piped water and 3 sewerage treatment plants;
• US$96 million has been generated and invested, mostly in social services;
• 4,000 jobs have been created;
• The settlers have secure land tenure and the project is now part of the World Bank’s Luanda Master Plan;
• The community participated in the design and planning of the program and is given first option to buy land;
• The project meets internationally accepted standards and is guaranteed by the Government;
• There are plans to replicate the program in Benguela Province.

Program for the Protection of the Environment, BENIN [499]
Cotonou is the economic capital of Benin in West Africa. Before the initiative began in 1993, there was no garbage collection or waste disposal at Sainte-Rita municipality in Cotonou, a city of 1 million inhabitants. The program involves waste and urban management and ensures that there are good sanitary conditions in the community of Sainte-Rita through the sustainable management of household and medical waste that have also improved revenue-generating activities.

Sainte-Rita is one of the 24 municipalities of Cotonou and consists of more than 40,000 inhabitants with a surface area of 3 square kilometers of which half is liable to flooding. But due to the lack of decentralization of Benin, this municipality does not have a juridical status that can enable it to decide on its own actions and priorities. The central administration tends to care more for the center of the city to the detriment of peripheral areas.

The community participates in the program as subscribers. The money paid is used to finance the initiative and 35 permanent jobs were created. The waste is transported to a garbage treatment site and organic waste is recycled for agricultural use in other areas. To strengthen people’s solidarity in the project, a Community Bank was opened and 602 people received credit. The program is a partnership between the community and their leaders, the local authority, Government Ministries of the Environment, of Health and local NGOs and community associations.

The TAC has observed that:
• The program is currently fully institutionalized and an NGO has a contract with the community, which defines the role of each of the parties;
• The community contributed towards the establishment of the initiative and works together with the other parties to plan and make decisions on the program;
• The Program Committee is made up of all the stakeholders and meets regularly to evaluate progress and to identify follow–up activities. The Community also holds monthly meetings;
• The community is willing to pay for the service – an indicator of satisfaction with the service provided;
• Other NGOs wanting to replicate the program in their respective communities have been sending interns to learn from the Sainte-Rita Cotonou initiative;
• 75% of the population in the community subscribe to the collection and disposal of garbage;
• The collection of garbage is 100% self-financed;
• Garbage is collected and sorted out daily;
• 145 jobs have been created with the initiative and 35 permanent jobs established with the Community Bank;
• A recycling center was created in reducing the cost of transporting garbage;
• The program has become economically and environmentally sustainable.

Maweni Squatter Resettling Programme- Voi, KENYA [006]
The Maweni squatter resettlement program was started by the Residents Committee of the Maweni Group (now a Housing Cooperative). Maweni Village with approximately over 6000 inhabitants is in the Municipality of Voi, 160 Kilometers from the Coastal Town of Mombasa.

Maweni has a high population density and the inhabitants are mainly people who migrated from the rural areas. The program is a partnership between the Ministry of Lands and Settlements, the Municipality of Voi, Kenya Wildlife Service and Maweni Community. The program is a housing and poverty eradication program. At the time of its formation, the group had the overall objective of acquiring land so that the people being resettled could have individual title deeds/ or tenure to the pieces of land.

The development group identified suitable land to facilitate the provision of low cost housing to the informal settlers. This involved organizing the squatters in groups. Land was then acquired from the Government. The Land was then planned, surveyed, demarcated and title deeds issued to the members of the cooperative group. Building standards were also set for the buildings.

To date Part Development Plans (PDPs) and Cadastal Surveys have been prepared by District Physical Planning Officer and Voi Municipality with support from the community, is working to ensure that more squatters do not come to the area and that the squatters do not squat elsewhere.

The TAC has recognized the following achievements of the practice:
• A sustainable housing loan scheme;
• I ncome generation activities for members creating direct employment and raising incomes;
• Provided decent housing for the squatters using a self-help approach;
• The practice has provided security of tenure to low and poor people from the squatter settlement;
• Improved living conditions by providing portable water appropriate sanitary conditions, roads, drainage, and waste disposal and management facilities;
• The program operates on a cost recovery basis and is affordable to all beneficiaries;
• The program is participatory and is sustainable. (15 members are fully employed by the project and 70% of the finances comes from member’s contributions and internally generated funds;
• Both men and women are active participating members of the program.

City Garbage Recyclers: Maringo Estate, Nairobi. KENYA [117]
The City Garbage Recyclers is an indigenous Self help group which was formed in 1995 by the residents of Maringo Estate – a low Income Settlement with 3000 inhabitants in Nairobi the Capital City of Kenya, to address the problem of poorly disposed waste in the area.

The waste had become a serious threat to health and environment. City Garbage Recyclers is a Government registered and recognized entity and its aim is to mobilize the residents in the low income settlement of Maringo in domestic waste management and build the capacity for the Community for Environmental Conservation through waste recycling.

The Programme collects hundreds of tons of domestic waste from households and manually separates it into organic and inorganic categories. The Organic waste decomposes to make organic fertilizers that is sold to local farmers. The inorganic waste is sold as raw materials for recycling including polyethylene bags, plastic containers etc and as energy saving briquettes, that are used as an alternative fuel to wood.

The Programme has benefited over 3000 people and has created employment opportunities, contributed to the conservation of trees used to make charcoal and improved the physical environment of the settlement by managing waste. The project has greatly improved the living environment.

CGR is a highly participatory undertaking with residents involved in waste management and making a livelihood from the process. CGR also trains other NGOs in waste management, conducts awareness and clean-up campaigns and has become a recognized leader in the recycling and re-use of waste.

Members and participants in the Programme are also given loans for their own income generation activities.

The TAC considers this practice exemplary for the following reasons:
• It’s participatory process involving all the major stakeholders in its elaboration and its execution;
• The practice has had a significant impact both on the quality of life of the participants via income generation as well as on the quality of life of a large segment of the city’s residents due to the important impact it has on the disposing of waste, providing an affordable and alternative source of fuel and reducing dependence on charcoal;
• The income the participants of the practice generate for themselves, it clearly demonstrates how ‘garbage is gold’ and has inspired many other NGOs and CBOs to begin similar recycling initiatives.

Hatooa Mose Mosali Rural Based Cooperative Society, Lesotho [965]
Hatooa Mose Mosali is a rural based Cooperative Society founded by Women in 1978 in Lenea Village in Mamthe in the Kingdom of Lesotho in Southern Africa. The women realised that their household incomes were declining because of the reduced remittances from the migrant miners working in the mines in South Africa.

The Group has 30 members and is managed by a management Committee and sub-committees. These sub-committees are each in charge of an
activity undertaken by the group. The activities are Education, Credit and Control and Training. Membership to the Cooperative is open to all; members have to pay an annual subscription fee.

The main activities of the group are:
1. hand-made productive activities ( knitting, candle making, sewing, etc);
2. pre-schooling – with trained teachers paid by the group;
3. nutrition classes by trained nutritionists and cooperative officers from the Ministry of Agriculture;
4. the group has a crafts training workshop;
5. a retail shop;
6. a grinding mill with a trained operator and mechanic paid by the Women’s Cooperative;
7. the group is in the process of acquiring four ploughing tractors and associated equipment to enhance the agricultural production potential of the members and the community.

The TAC considers this programme a best Practice because:
• It has impact in more than one village: six other villages are benefiting (the mill serves seven villages);
• It greatly enhances women’s productivity (the nursery school and mill give women more time for productive activities);
• Tangible impact in terms of increased economic activities and income earning capacities;
• The programme is responding to the villages felt needs;
• The programme is integrated and is working in partnership with relevant agencies. It is also sustainable in terms of self-financing.

Shambob Brick Producers Co-operative Society (Kassala), SUDAN [382]
The initiative aims to improve the standard of living of poor brick producers and their families in Eastern Sudan through the generation of secure employment and income. This is happening in a context where brick production traditionally is in the hands of middle-class businessmen who reap most of the profits and pay little to the workers.

An important element of the initiative is therefore the support given to a group of workers from the same village to manage their own enterprise. Each of the 115 workers has inserted US$ 20 each in the venture and formed a cooperative.

Other key aspects of the initiative are the improvement of brick quality and increased energy efficiency (and related environmental benefits) to the commercial viability of brick making.

The replacement of wood fuel by residues such as coal and bagasse (a residue of sugar production) has had positive impact that has environmental advantages in saving the trees.

Production and sales have increased which has resulted in a 100% increase in the income of the cooperative members.

Women in the village have also been enabled to make an income from this initiative through transporting water. A community center has also been built as a result of income from this project. The cooperative system has proved successful and is being implemented by other villages.

The TAC considers this practice exemplary for the following reasons:

- The methods and technology used and the inclusions of applied research and development;
- The impact on poverty reduction and the establishment of a self-help system;
- The focus on local enterprise development;
- The impact on the environment;
- The use of a gender sensitive approach and the involvement of women in income generating activities.

ARAB STATES
Program for Credit to Small Production and Vocational Enterprises, Jordan [123]
The Housing and Development Corporation’s mandate in Jordan includes developing regions with sub-standard services in the Kingdom and contributing to the solution of housing problems.

The corporation established a Program for Credit for Production and Vocational Enterprises, which operates through local centers established by the corporation. The philosophy behind these centers is based on self-management i.e. resources generated from self-financing projects and activities by the community.

To realize this objective a scheme of small credit or loans (JD100-1500) was developed to be paid back in monthly installments for up to three years. The loans are used for improving income-generating activities of the borrowers through the establishment of new enterprises or expanding existing ones. Women were given priority in the granting of loans with emphasis on sustainable professional and vocational activities. One of the conditions is that the beneficiary contributes at least 15% of the capital and presents a feasible venture. The feasibility studies are made through a joint effort between the applicant or owner of the enterprise and the staff of the program.

The program focused its attention on food enterprises and arts and crafts including traditional village embroidery.

The TAC recognized in this practice:
• Its contribution to providing access to credit for enterprise development;
• Its contribution to promoting gender equity and equality;
• The tangible impact achieved in terms of jobs created and the improvement of living and working conditions;
• The participatory nature of the programme and the enabling support provided by the public sector to micro-enterprise development.

Rehabilitation of Hebron Old City, PALESTINE [955]
The Hebron Rehabilitation Committee (HRC) was formed to reactivate life in Hebron old city with 2000 inhabitants and preserve its cultural heritage and identity.

HRC projects are funded by the Palestinian National Authority, Arab Fund for Economical and Social Development, Saudi Development Fund, Spanish Government, Swedish Government & Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH).

HRC goals and achievements have required scientific planning, renovating old buildings while being used by inhabitants, encouraging contractors to work in very difficult conditions and solving ownership problems.

400 apartments have been renovated in 4 years, main parts of the area have been rebuilt and commercial life reactivated.

Inhabitants and local organizations have joined together to achieve this, and encourage people to live in the old city by offering privileges such as free renovated houses, free health insurance, income tax exemption, free water and electricity. This work is unique considering the political situation in Hebron. The population of the old city has increased from 400 to 2000 in the same period. 300 jobs and more than 200 indirect job opportunities have also been created.

Reasons for consideration:
• The practice demonstrates an effective approach to conflict management and planning;
• The practice has had tangible impact in terms of housing construction and rehabilitation as well as job creation and the re-activation of commercial activity;
• The practice has culminated to the preservation of a historical site and cultural heritage and has reversed the trend of abandonment of the old city.

ASIA


The Comprehensive Revitalization of the Fu and Nan Rivers and the Improvement of the Urban Environment, Chengdu, CHINA [104]
In 1990 Chengdu, with a metropolitan population of 10 million and located in the poorer western region, was one of the most severely polluted cities in China. Surrounded on four sides by two rivers (Fu and Nan), industrial effluent, raw sewage and the intensive use of freshwater deteriorated the rivers’ waters and silted the rivers causing annual floods during the rainy season and dryness during the dry season. Slum and squatter settlements proliferated on the banks of both rivers, exacerbating the social, economic and environmental problems of the city. In 1993, further to a petition by school children to the Mayor, Chengdu started the Fu and Nan Rivers comprehensive revitalization plan.

The primary objective of the plan was to harness the river, prevent future flooding, restore the ecological balance and flow of the rivers and improve water quality. To achieve this objective, however, several other objectives had to be pursued in tandem. These included: (i) finding alternative housing solutions for the 100,000 inhabitants of the slum and squatter settlements bordering the rivers; (ii) relocating, retrofitting or closing down over 1000 enterprises and factories to reduce or eliminate industrial effluent and emissions; (iii) implementing a comprehensive waste water collection and treatment system; (iv) adopting the necessary policies that would enable all of the above to be implemented in a transparent and accountable manner.

Owing to the quantity of capital investment required and the number of people and communities affected, the Municipal Government of Chengdu adopted a strategy of partnership and participation. This resulted in a massive rise in environmental awareness and the mobilisation of central and provincial governments, domestic and foreign investors and the general public. A gearing ratio of one part central government finance to two parts local government finance to three parts private sector investment was established.

Over 30,000 households previously inhabiting the slums on both banks of the two rivers have been re-housed in new, fully equipped housing estates. The vacated land has been used to create a continuous green space replete with parks, gardens, recreational and cultural facilities. The two rivers have been de-silted, widened and their ecological flow restored, reducing flood vulnerability to a 200 year risk. A series of concomitant projects dealt with solid waste, sewage collection and treatment, industrial effluent, road infrastructure, transport and communications, and parks and gardens.

Chengdu today is a clean and green modern city boasting a buoyant and much more diversified economy. The natural flow of the rivers has been largely restored and the lessons learned in participatory planning and partnership are being transferred in an unique setup whereby staff involved in the project have been seconded to surrounding towns and districts. Chengdu’s efforts were recognised in March 2000 by winning ICLEI’s Local Initiatives Award in the category of fresh-water management.

Kunming Modern Demonstration Busline, CHINA [196]
Kunming Urban Development & Public Transportation Initiative, CHINA [099]
The “Kunming Urban Development and Public Transportation Initiative” is anchored in the city partnership between Kunming and Zurich, which was established in 1982. The initiative originated in the early 1990’s - a period, when Kunming with a metropolitan population of 3.4 million was experiencing exponential economic and urban growth as a consequence of the preferential status it had received from China’s open door policy.

The initiative aimed at achieving a more sustainability-oriented development, and the implementation of an efficient and modern public transportation policy. Main constituents were from the beginning the top political and administrative leaders in Kunming and Zurich.

The initiative has been ongoing for eight years. During this period, it has shifted its strategic focus from a working modus based on product-oriented technical assistance supplemented by high-level discussions on urban and transportation planning in phase I (1993-1996), to a more management-oriented approach, involving technical staff from Kunming’s administration and moving the initiative closer to the “users” in phase II (1996-1999).

The initiative was instrumental to the inauguration of one of the first separate bus-lanes in China. It further led to an improved traffic management in the inner city and the consensus to preserve certain old town areas in Kunming. At regional level – the Greater Kunming Area – new planning entity was approved to address sustainable urban development. A GIS-based planning and monitoring tool has been devised to support planning at this level. At the institutional level, the initiative has raised the awareness of the political leaders of sustainability issues and a policy dialogue with national level ministries is contributing to the dissemination of new planning approaches.

Sustainable Shenyang Project, CHINA [534]
Shenyang, with a population of 10 million, is one of the oldest and largest heavy industry centers in China. Rapid economic and industrial development and population growth resulted in Shenyang being classified on the list of the 10 most polluted cities in the world. Initiated in 1997, the objectives of the Sustainable Shenyang Project (SSP) are: (i) to improve the quality of life of the people; (ii) to promote balanced economic and social development by strengthening the capacity of local institutions to make better use of the city’s environmental resources; (iii) reduce environmental degradation and risk; and (iv) to institutionalize a multi-stakeholder decision-making process. With technical assistance provided by UNDP, UNCHS, UNEP and CICETE (Chinese International Center for Economic and Technical Exchange), the SSP has prepared and implemented since 1997 a series of integrated action plans and “bankable” capital investment projects in support of environmentally sustainable urban and industrial development.

On the institutional front, SSP has influenced the decision-making mechanism of high-level leaders by changing traditional attitudes and decision-making on environmental and development issues. The project has increased awareness of sustainable development issues within and among civil society and has mobilized broad-based participation of key stakeholders in identifying problems, formulating objectives and adopting strategies. This process culminated in the decision taken in 1999, in common accord with and between central, provincial and local authorities and industry, to close down Shenyang’s copper smelting plant, one of the largest employers but also the single largest remaining source of air, water and ground pollution including Sulphur dioxide, lead and arsenic.

In terms of quality of life, the SSP process has been the catalyst for environmental protection and urban development involving large scale investments in air and water quality control, transport, housing, utilities, emissions control, waste disposal and urban greening. In a nationwide benchmarking exercise in 1998, involving 41 major cities, Shenyang rose from 22nd position to 12th position in terms of comprehensive environmental management. In 1996 Shenyang was taken off the list of the 10 most polluted cities of the world. In 2000, Shenyang was recognised for its efforts as a finalist of the Local Initiatives Awards of ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) in two different categories – urban governance and fresh water management.

In economic terms, the project, which will end in 2000, has resulted in a much improved investment environment attracting several hundred millions of US dollars in domestic and foreign investments, loans and joint ventures. These investments cover such areas as road, rail and air transport, communications, environmental infrastructure, real estate development and tertiary services.
The SSP provides concrete evidence that a systematic approach to environmental planning and management in accordance with the principles of the Habitat Agenda and Agenda 21 is capable of producing win-win situations where economic, social and environmental objectives can be integrated and pursued to the benefit of the people, the environment and the economy.

Cost-Effective and Appropriate Sanitation Systems: Sulabh International Social Service Organization INDIA [286]
The practice of open-air defecation and use of bucket latrines is prevalent in India resulting in health hazards for the scavengers as well as their being classified as “untouchables” by society. The two sanitation technologies generally introduced – septic tanks and sewerage – are not affordable by most and are difficult to maintain. They also do not solve problems of the paucity of public latrines.

Sulabh International (NGO) initiated a cost-effective sanitation system in 1970. It converts dry/bucket privies to sanitary toilets, supplies toilets to houses where no latrines existed, provides well designed and maintained community facilities, trains and rehabilitates scavengers to find other jobs and generates bio-gas from public toilets for energy generation. Sulabh International has also forged close co-ordination and partnership between the government, local authorities and the communities involved.

The major problems faced included: (i) reluctance from health engineers to accept the technology developed by Sulabh; (ii) the lack of awareness by the common people of the link between health and sanitation. An appropriate design of pourflush waterseal toilets with twin pits for on site disposal of human waste was developed and tested to the satisfaction of health inspectors. Similarly an appropriate social marketing and delivery system ensuring community participation and involvement of women backed by education and awareness building campaigns was implemented.

Results to date include 1 million toilets and 4000 “pay & use” community toilets serving more than 11 million people daily, liberating 40,000 scavengers. 240 towns have been made scavenger free. Due to this success, state and local governments have started to implement the sanitation program all over the country. Finding that affordable and sustainable technology is available and that institutional capacity has been built to train scavengers, the Government of India has passed legislation to ban scavenging in the country. The program is being replicated in South Africa, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Tanzania and Kenya.

The TAC recognized the following aspects of the project:
• The impact on health, sanitation as well as on a socially excluded group;
• The high level of replicability of the technologies employed and the great number of transfers that the practice has already been involved in;
• The partnership between various sectors of society including NGO, Central and local governments as well as the participation of the community in implementation and in improving their living conditions.

Social and Financial Empowerment of Poor Women in India [290]
In 1977, floods and other natural disasters had terrible effects on the poorest of the Chennai, especially women. The Working Women Forum (WWF) an NGO was founded in 1978 to respond to the need of heavily indebted women, whose labor was cheap and disposable as they were not organized. Low cost and accessible credit was identified for effective relief from poverty, hunger, indebtedness and strengthening their productive role.

Initially, WWF acted as an intermediary between national banks and its members to facilitate their access to credit. Frustrated with the formal banking system which did not address their needs, 2500 members of WWF, with the help of external donors, created the Working Women’s Cooperative Society (WWCS) in 1981. The most important challenge was to identify and train a cadre of catalysts within each neighborhood. It was also difficult to convince men that the program should focus only on women. By 1982-83, however, group leaders managed to take control and the program rapidly grew into a mass social movement. As it evolved into an emancipation movement for poor women, various partners joined the initiative including the Government of India and UNFPA. Out of an initial seed capital of Rs. 50,000, WWF has grown into the largest credit cooperative network with a recovery rate of 97% and a cumulative disbursement of 396 million Rupees. (Equivalent of US$ 8.8 million.

Many members have moved from trading and vending occupations to skilled and manufacturing business. 76 per sent have been relieved from indebtedness, 92 per cent are now able to have two meals a day while 80 per cent have improved their housing. By raising awareness on health issues WWF has also created a voice and a demand for improved delivery of health services. WWF/ICNW (Credit institution of WWF) is 80% operationally self-sufficient and 75% financially self-sufficient.

The TAC recognized that this practice:
• Demonstrates the need to and the benefits of empowering women;
• Shows that a grass-roots strategy can lead to both sustainable processes of development as well as policy change;
• The practice has enabled poor women to become leaders and trainers and to help others escape from indebtedness and poverty and to gain meaningful productive lives.

An Integrated Hotel Solid Waste Management System in Bali. INDONESIA [665]
Bali is the most important tourist destination in Indonesia. The amount of garbage produced in Southern Bali exceeds 240 tons per day. The local government does not provide waste management services for business producing more than 2 cubic meters of waste per day. In partnership with hotels and waste haulers, Wisnu Foundation (NGO) initiated a programme in 1994 to use waste as a resource, contribute to more sustainable tourism development and improve the working and health conditions of scavengers.

Proper waste management requires a comprehensive system from consumption to disposal. The hotels in Bali were initially reluctant to participate in the programme. Garbage was taken care of by haulers and hotels were not concerned with how it was disposed of. Several incentives were used to mobilise the hotels including: (i) a no risk policy whereby hotels would not receive bad publicity if they did not comply; (ii) integration of solid waste management with the hotels’ environmental management programmes; and (iii) recognition of the hotels’ efforts through the Eco-Hotel Rating Program. The rating system is designed to promote the green image of the hotels involved, attract the attention of environmentally concerned travel agencies and consumers and to provide a competitive advantage.

The program provides an alternative model for hotel solid waste management that has been replicated in Hua Hin, Thailand and is being planned in Siem Reap, Kampuchea. Information about hotel waste generation and recycling rates is analyzed to study trends, set targets and achieve waste minimization. The people working in the hotels, those working with the material recovery facility, the haulers and the community have learned to work together to improve the living environment, to re-use and recycle waste and to minimise waste production. Members of the community, students and visitors learn about the program through site visits.

The practice has achieved the following results:
• Improved environmental management – it has been able to achieve the targeted recycling rates of 75% in 1999;
• Implementation of the Polluter Pays Principle. Hotels participate in the program voluntarily and pay a fair price for waste management;
• Creation of employment opportunities and demonstration of a working model for educational purposes and for replication focusing on hotels as big producers of waste;
• Regularization of the employment situation of garbage scavengers who previously did not enjoy formal employment or recognition.

Women’s Empowerment Program NEPAL [514]
Seventy percent of Nepali families are below poverty line. Male dominated cultural traditions discourage female education, restrict their legal rights and participation in decision-making, and permit women little control over their lives. Females are often malnourished or in poor health. Only 20% of them are literate. Women’s Empowerment Program (WEP) founded on the principle that dependency is not empowering. It works to empower women through an innovative program integrating literacy, micro-finance and micro-enterprise training, and an understanding of legal rights and advocacy.

WEP however offers no seed money, matching grants or subsidized interest rates. Women must own the program by creating their own group policies, paying fees, buying books, providing facilities and supplies, and finding literacy volunteers. WEP assumes that the poor will pay for the services they need. It requires all members to be literate, understand the banking process and know how to form and operate a business. As a result, women in-kind contributions are estimated at $260,000 so far.

240 NGOs work as partners for implementation. WEP also encourages financial independence and for every ten WEP group they work with, the NGO receives less than $5 for administration. As a result, in-kind contributions from supporting NGOs are estimated at $100,000 to date. The program uses an approach based on Appreciative Planning and Action (APA) that was developed in Nepal and encourages women to build on their strengths and has been key to overcoming obstacles. This approach teaches an organization to learn and implement a major program in a transparent and accountable manner, to adopt low-cost methods to promote literacy and economic participation in order to reduce dependence on external funding, In summary, the program instills a sense of self-reliance.

Overall, the program shows that women can teach themselves the skills they need to improve their lives, to save money and start small businesses. Programs based on this model can engage millions of women everywhere at costs they can afford. The no handout policy inspires motivation, pride and commitment in a program integrating literacy, economic and legal components. Simplified books developed by partner NGOs enable newly literate women to teach each other basic skills. Within a few months they start putting them to use in ways to ensure skill retention.

The TAC underlines the following achievements: (i) The program’s challenge was to develop a large-scale, sustainable, and empowering program in an aid-dependent country; (ii) Through WEP interventions, women learn to read and write enabling them to develop and maintain income-producing enterprises, create literacy and village-based savings-and-loans associations creating a national micro-finance system; (iii) The women also learn their legal rights and how to advocate for social change. The Program reaches 123,000 women in nearly 7,000 economic groups in Southern Nepal. The program is in the process of replicating the approach elsewhere in Nepal.

Bantay Puerto Program – “Puerto Princesa Watch” PHILIPPINES [112]
Puerto Princesa City has 129,577 people with a land area of 2,381 sq. kms. Its incumbent Mayor, Hon. Edward S. Hagedorn, first assumed office in July 1992. The City was then a microcosm of environmental drift. Illegal logging, slash-and-burn farming, blasting of cyanide, and trawl fishing were rampant. The forests were depleted. Marine life was almost dying. Worst, the city’s coffers were near-empty, having only about P26,000.00 (USD1,000) for special projects. Nevertheless, the Mayor pursued the start of this major environment initiative in August 1992. It has the following components: Forest Protection (Bantay-Gubat, or Forest Watch), Marine Resources Protection (Bantay-Dagat, or Baywatch), and Forest Rehabilitation. He deputized and mobilized citizen volunteers.

Using his own money, the Mayor procured radio handsets, motorcycles, and pump boats. NGOs rendered technical and legal assistance. The village officials, including indigenous peoples, became the city’s “eyes and ears” in spotting all forms of violations against the environment. To augment the resources of the Program, the Mayor tapped the city’s calamity fund by mandating the city council to declare a state of calamity in the city - the first and only mayor in the Philippines, and perhaps in the world, to consider environmental degradation as a human-made calamity. By doing so, however, he risked being brought to court, because at that time, only the President of the Philippines could declare a state of calamity. True enough, his political opponents sued him for abuse of authority. The Philippine cities, through their League, raised a howl and advocated that the power to declare a state of calamity be shared with the local government units. This bore fruit when the Philippine Congress passed Republic Act 8185. This empowered not only Puerto Princesa, but also all the local governments. Today, Puerto Princesa City’s forest cover has increased to more than 2000 hectares, and continues to protect and preserve more than 7,200 hectares of coastal waters. The program, has influenced the State to reshape national policies in favor of local governments. The program, showcases how social mobilization and a strong political will can help protect the environment, shape the future of a city and influence national policy.

The TAC singled out the following consideration:
• The importance of dedicated leadership that can provide to city development and environmental protection;
• The effect the programme has had on national level policies and legislation in support of decentralization and the empowerment of local authorities;
• The significant impact that has been achieved in a relatively short time.

Socialized and Incremental Housing Initiative, PHILIPPINES [378]
The Island of Negro in the 80’s was a simmering social volcano. Poverty level was high at around 60%, with disadvantaged families having no access to housing support. The project was started in 1993 to alleviate poverty through job and income generation and to improve capacities of community workers on the use of alternative housing construction technology using earth-based materials. It has served 2,630 households directly and about 15,780 individuals indirectly. It has constructed 650 socialized housing units and helped out 445 disadvantaged families through incremental housing scheme. Such a scheme allowed families to avail of credit assistance for home improvements. In partnership with the European Union, the local government unit of San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, various non-government organizations, and the private sector, the project constructed a post-harvest complex for some 1,500 upland agrarian reform beneficiaries that includes a warehouse, mechanical dryer, and multi-purpose center. It facilitated the formation and strengthening of workers’ cooperatives with about 305 members. These members, as well as the housing beneficiaries, were trained to engage in the production of micro concrete roof tiles and compressed earth-block products, and in the construction of housing units. This created employment in the community and facilitated the placement of some 3,000 workers for domestic and overseas jobs. The project, not only gave its beneficiaries good shelter but a more promising future as well.

The initiative has gained national and international recognition for mass application and replicability. The project has been replicated at Cavite and Vigan and other parts of the country.

The TAC recommends this initiative to the Jury for the following reasons:
• The initiative established effective partnerships between NGOs, Local Authorities and International Organizations;
• There is a high level of empowerment of the community allowing them to become independent home owners, regularizing their citizenship, and strengthening their economic base;
• This practice has already shown its capacity for transfer within the country.

EUROPE
Sustainable Urban Renewal in Vienna, AUSTRIA [1996/181]
Vienna’s urban and architectural structure still reflects its 2000 years of history. The main goal of the urban renewal initiative started in 1984 was a tenant-oriented approach to renewal of the city. The initiative focused on: (i) “soft urban renewal” with the inclusion of social criteria such as avoiding segregation, forced change of ownership, and affordable revitalised housing; (ii) renewal of inhabited buildings with emphasis on distribution of responsibilities between owners and tenants, tenant’s participation, tenant-oriented modernisation schemes, and substitute housing solutions; (iii) the use of targeted subsidies to facilitate the process and to avoid the gentrification of renewed housing; and (iv) a “block” or area approach to ensure maximum cohesiveness, minimum disruption and as a participatory approach finding solutions and resolving conflicts.

In the case of block improvements scheme involving whole blocks of buildings with different owners has enabled the City to combine improvements of flats and of buildings with other improvements to the living environment. This include the merging of green space, traffic taming, preservation of small businesses and the provision of social services. Landlords, shop owners and inhabitants of the houses are all involved in developing the block improvement project.

As a result of this project, over 5000 owners applied for public assistance, 3000 residential houses with 128,000 apartments were approved for renovation, 2000 buildings with 84,000 renovated apartments have been completed and the number of ‘substandard’ dwellings was reduced from 320,000 (39% of total stock) to less than 200,000 (23%) in 10 years.

The sustainability of this initiative is ensured by the support of the local authority, tenants and the existence of the well-established financing schemes. The value of the initiative is judged by the fact that from the very beginning, other towns from the region requested Vienna to provide consultations on the topics related to urban renewal. Another result of the initiative has been the implementation of a series of projects to improve the living environment including public transport, air quality control, waste management, eco-procurement, urban organic farming and many other initiatives.

The TAC was particularly impressed with:
• The impact of the project resulting in the massive city renewal and the preservation of the city’s architectural heritage;
• Inclusion of the social element in the renewal project (tenant-oriented housing renewal);
• Project’s sustainability supported by the existence of the institutional and financial basis;
• The catalyzing effect the initiative has had in enabling the City of Vienna and other social actors to implement a host of initiatives, the combined of which are both tangible and visible in making Vienna a green, clean and socially inclusive city.

Street Children in Bitola, Macedonia [959]
When you pass Bitola at night, along the main road, you can see a number of lights that twinkle like stars from the bridge. In daylight, you discover the poorest part of the town that is inhabited by the Roma population, which is only 15 minutes walking distance from the centre. This is the place where the project “Street Children” was started by a Macedonian NGO.

Based on the social and economic situation of children and their families 20 ‘street children’ were selected of the primary school age to participate in the project. Most of the children’s parents were unemployed, they lived in places where several members of the family slept in one room without adequate sanitary conditions. Most of them had never attended school could not read or write.

The NGO organised a fully equipped Day Care Centre to teach the children to read and write, introduce basic literature, mathematics and science. Social and cultural activities include art classes, excursions, cinema, theatre, and social events such as birthdays to boost the children’s self-esteem and confidence. Medical check-ups and food are provided as well as clothing. The project focuses on the elimination of begging among children. Children’s parents are involved in various activities. As a result of the project the children are re-integrated into mainstream society - the influence of the street is vastly reduced as witnessed by fewer incidents with the police. All the children have learnt to read and write and are equipped with basic social skills.

The sustainability of the project is ensured by the moral support of the children’s parents and Roma community to the project, local authority support (e.g. provision of the free of charge place for the ‘Day Center’) and support from various local and national institutions. The project implementers also gained valuable experience due to the regional scope of their activities and the established partnership with various institutions, all in the process of replicating the initiative (there is a considerable Roma population in Macedonia). The key to present and future success of this initiative is the motto of the NGO “To have an idea, to respect the child’s personality and rights”.

TAC proposed this submission taking into account:
• The impact on the children in terms of providing them with the opportunity overcome their disadvantaged conditions and to realise their potential as equal members of society;
• Established partnerships with the local authority, children’s parents, several other institutions and finally (most important) with the children which allowed to gain their trust and participation;
• Sustainability of the initiative’s results manifested by the children’s increased education and social skills, increased acceptance of the non-Roma members of the community to Roma children in the town (which did not exist before the project started).

Strategy of the Town Development of Banska Stiavnica, SLOVAKIA [067]
Banska Stiavica is the only town from Slovakia listed on the UNESCO List of Cultural and Natural Heritage (1993) due to its complex array of architectural and historical monuments. This recognition has given an impulse to the development of a town strategy that provides a support system for the protection and restoration of buildings, monuments, landscape and settlement structures with diverse historic, cultural and architectural values. The strategy also aims to provide access by all inhabitants to basic infrastructure and services: clean drinking water supply, transportation and communication, energy supply, health, education and public safety. The initiative encourages the re-use of non-utilized buildings in the town center with the aim to revitalize them.

The town strategy was completed in 1998. As a result of its implementation, 3 houses listed as cultural monuments were renewed, 7 km of electricity lines were reconstructed, 128 pieces of historical lighting installed, illumination of monuments was implemented, streets and pavements were re-cobbled with original natural local stone. In addition, infrastructure was improved involving: 3 600 meters of gas pipeline; retro-fitting all boilers in residential areas from fuel to gas, and the restoration of houses.

Sustainability is ensured by the strong commitment of the local authority and its decision to implement the development plan. It is also supported by the local inhabitants and institutions that are actively involved in strategy development and implementation.

In recommending this initiative the TAC took into account:
• The inclusion of the cultural heritage needs in the development and revitalization of the town which has a great impact on the town’s appearance and its attractiveness;
• Involvement of the inhabitants, school children (environmental education) and other institutions (e.g. placement of educational institutions in historical buildings and vested with part of the responsibility to the restoration of the building) in preparing and implementing the plan;
• The replicable nature of the development plan prepared for the town.

Urban Rehabilitation of San Luis-Alameda de Hercules, Sevilla, SPAIN [328]
This initiative is carried out in the Seville with a population of 700,000 in the south of Spain. Three neighborhoods of the Historical Center of Seville participated in this initiative. In 1994, in spite of the great cultural value of this area, important problems were identified: physical urban degradation, lack of public spaces and green areas, loss of population, scarcity of economic activity, lack of capacity of the people living there and isolation of the neighborhoods from the rest of the city.

In the framework of this initiative, three main kinds of activities were developed. First, actions for urban rehabilitation, including water supply and drainage, re-urbanization of 50 streets, the creation of new streets and redesigning new public spaces. Secondly, social and economical activities were promoted and special training programs were launched, as well as social support and health services provided for targeted populations (in particular, women, elderly and young people). Finally, the empowerment of the peoples participation through the establishment of the Urban Social Council which integrated 64 citizens entities (this council meets in plenary, at least once every six months to define and direct the project).

Five years later, in these three neighborhoods the historical value of this area has been significantly improved. More than 50 new small and mid-size companies and more than 200 new jobs were created.

The TAC considers the following considerations especially positive:
• The integrated vision of the revitalization process of the three neighborhoods, including physical, socio-economical and participatory actions;
• The impact of their activities, and the new possibilities opened for the population;
• The empowerment of the people, and the new social and health support systems created for targeted groups;
• The joint use of both, urban and social actions to improve the quality of life of degraded areas of the cities.

Oliver Park: Live it! A Citizen Participation Experience, Zaragoza, SPAIN [352]
Oliver Park is situated in a western district of Zaragoza. The Zaragoza district is the main public area of a degraded neighbourhood with more than 12,000 people. In 1993, the municipality created Oliver Park, after people requested the need for a park for a long time. The park has been designed and equipped with all the necessary facilities. However, the park quickly deteriorated.

The neighbourhood decided to reclaim its park and the park was redesigned, this time, with the active participation of the population. The program was prepared to include the people’s expectations. The citizens organised a Neighbourhood Association, and the park became a central point in the life of the community. The Association, supported by the Municipality (the environmental education local office) prepared a plan of activities to revitalise the park. To do this, a co-ordinating group for the plan was created. Oliver Park became a place for environmental education and public participation, a center for the community and a resource for the inhabitant’s empowerment. The community got involved in the improvement of the park. The Action Plan was designed by the community and most of the members of the community participated in a poetry exhibition and a poetry reading which was organised as a first event (Oliver Park, live it!).

Five years later (in 1999), the impact of the plan carried out by the neighbours could be described as follows: (i) Oliver Park is the only native plant garden in Zaragoza. In this respect, the horticulture technical college was created there and young people at risk have become its students; (ii) about 4,000 people (35% of the population) take part in activities every year reinforcing their social relationship and a sense of community; (iii) the plan offers a special program of environmental education for children. Special multicultural activities are carried out, involving minority ethnic groups who live in the neighbourhood; (iv) 11 small kitchen gardens are kept by senior citizens; (v) many of the designated areas of the Oliver Park are permanently re-designed to fit to the needs of community and now it is the best maintained park of the city. This participatory experience also had an impact on the community and is considered as a model experience that has been incorporated into the Regional Catalogue of good urban practices and into the Spanish White Book of Environmental Education.

The TAC proposes this participatory experience taking into account the following considerations:
• The role of the community for improving the urban, and the sense of belonging which has been engendered;
• The participatory approach which has led to putting in place transfer and responsibility from the City Council to the community associations;
• The contribution of the initiative to social inclusion, addressing the needs and aspirations of youth at risk and the elderly;
• The sustainable nature of the Park Co-ordinating group, which is contributing to improve the environmental quality of the community as well as raising environmental awareness and participation.

Spanish Greenways Program: Ecological Re-use of Disused Railways Lines, SPAIN [354]
The aim of the Greenways Program is to use former railway lines as bike and footpaths, as well as, for persons with reduced mobility. This program started in 1993 and to date, 850 kilometres of Greenways have been refitted for new users and uses. This program covers the entire national territory of Spain. A special group, under the leadership of the Spanish Railways Foundation was created. Many partners including local authorities, NGOs, regional governments and citizens associations are involved. The partners are responsible for management, maintenance and promotion of the Greenways according to mutually agreed ideas and responsibilities.

The process of developing the Greenways programme stimulates the active participation of all concerned groups. Environmentalist associations, cyclists and sports associations, disabled groups, agricultural co-operatives, railway fans associations, elderly groups, and scientific researchers have benefited from the initiative. Once the new eco-tourism activity started it became one of the most efficient sectors to generate employment. All the Spanish regions and more than 180 municipalities are involved in this program. The Spanish Parliament expressed their unanimous support to this program.

Results of this program show positive and tangible impact as follows:
• Renewal of natural and cultural heritage which had been abandoned;
• Socio-economic support for depressed areas, especially rural and isolated ones;
• Establishment of local employment creation programs linked to eco-tourism;
• Creation of spaces for a peaceful civic coexistence and tolerance and a place for daily meeting places;
• The introduction of environmental education and awareness program;
• With the year 2000 publication of the Greenways Guide, many remote and unknown areas have been widely publicised.

In conclusion, the Greenways Program is a tool to re-vitalise rural and isolated spaces, as well as a new infrastructure for promoting the integration of different communities.

TAC singled out the following considerations:
• It is a broad program which integrates all regions and provides remote and poor areas with new economic opportunities;
• The program promotes partnership involving different institutions and many citizens associations;
• The program is revitalising isolated areas, provides several services within these areas and generates employment;
• This program promotes the creation of the European Greenways Association, which is addressing similar issues at the European level.

Tourism and Coastal Zone Management in Turkey: The Ciral Practice [490]
A large number of government initiatives in the tourism sector starting in 1982 resulted in a rapid expansion of tourism facilities along Mediterranean coast of Turkey. The pressure caused by massive construction projects, frequent changes in policies, the lack of co-ordination among central agencies and inadequate legislation led to severe negative social and environmental impacts. Ciral, a small village on the coast surrounded by the high mountains of the Olympos National Park was spared such a fate owing to its remoteness. However, by the 1990s, it’s fragile natural (marine turtle nesting beach) and cultural (Olympos archaeological ruins) heritage was being put at risk by the construction of medium-sized hotels, illegal constructions and use of the coastal eco-system by the local inhabitants.

Owing to its unique qualities Ciral was chosen as a demonstration area for eco-tourism and organic agriculture. The Ciral practice constitutes the most important component of the “Ciral and Belek Coastal Management” initiative. The overall objective is to promote sustainable development and the conservation of bio-diversity and of natural resources in selected coastal areas of Turkey. The specific objective for Ciral is to promote environmentally and socially sound development. The results of the project include: (i) completion of the development plan for the area (March 2000); (ii) courses on eco-tourism and organic agriculture; (iii) initiation of an environmental education programme in primary schools; (iv) introduction of new sea turtle nesting areas comprising of beach cleaning during the marine turtle nesting season, screening lights in the restaurants and avoiding the lights after 11 p.m., putting chairs and umbrellas beyond the 35 meters line, closing the beach to vehicles; establishment of an environmental protection plan for the town.

The sustainability of the project is ensured by the establishment of a local co-operative that produces and distributes organic products and the revenues from eco-tourism. In social and cultural terms, the inhabitants of the town, have taken over the ownership of the project and are very active in managing their own environment.

The TAC took into account:
• The strong participation of the local community in the initiative and their ownership of the process;
• The important role of women in the initiative enabling them to become relevant actors in the management of the area;
• The first time an NGO was empowered to prepare a development plan creating a breakthrough and a precedence for the participation of NGOs in Turkey;
• The impact is considerable in terms of marine turtle nesting sites and the involvement of the community in the management of its cultural and natural heritage.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Municipal Environmental Management “A Commitment for Everyone” ARGENTINA [704]
The city of Rafaela, Argentina, has been working since October 1996 in the development and implementation of a Strategic Plan. The Plan is predicated on broad-based participation and consensus of all citizens and social actors. The Strategic Plan seeks to transform Rafaela into a good place to live and to invest. In its formulation stage, it was the conviction of the local authority to anticipate social and economic changes caused by globalisation. This in turn convinced the local authority of the need to reinforce and build upon local cultural identity, to coordinate more effectively programmes and projects and to ensure continuity.

The vision that was formulated by all social groups was to turn Rafaela into a regional productive center, open to the world, that could ensure a balanced urban development with a high level of environmental quality and good living conditions for everybody. Rafaela has 80,000 inhabitants and 450 old industrial firms dealing with dairy processing, refrigeration, tanning and metallurgy. The urban environment was highly polluted and social conditions appalling. The negotiations amongst social actors ended with the approval of 110 projects to be implemented by the different institutions and organisations of the city. An Environmental Urban Policy bill and regulations were passed. A Forum with 135 institutions was established, providing for broad-based participation and partnerships, chief ingredients for sustainability.

The TAC highlighted the following achievements:
• The commitment by local authorities to address social and environmental problems as witnessed by the creation of the Secretariat of Planning and Environment, the Municipal Forum and the adoption of local regulations;
• The integration of environmental action plans with the overall local development plan. This was achieved by translating the citizen’s needs and priorities for better living conditions into consensus-based environmental action plans and objectives for economic development to boost the competitiveness of local enterprises;
• The implementation of an integrated solid waste management plan, the development of an Environmental Education Program and an Action Plan for urban drainage;
• The development of a strategic land-use plan to provide opportunities for real estate development as well as the provision of green public spaces.

Porto Alegre Participatory Budgeting, BRAZIL [309]
The Porto Alegre Participatory Budgeting initiative is an innovative management procedure that incorporates the population in the decision making and budgeting and planning process. Public resource allocation in the city has become a democratic process. This in turn means that all the decisions that are the responsibility of the municipal government on public works and services are decided by the citizens of the city. Through the formation of citizens’ commissions to follow-up on the projects, participatory budgeting also becomes an efficient mechanism to monitor the use of public funds and the implementation of public works. This system has the additional effect of bringing a great level of transparency to city planning and management, avoiding the misuse of public funds.

The benefits produced since its inception 11 years ago include: (i) a high degree of consensus for public funds to be used to respond to the most needy communities; (ii) the identification of priority works for the city in accordance with the vision that the population has developed for their city; (iii) the inclusion of previously excluded portions of the population in the decision making process which has led to their empowerment, their self esteem and to the widespread exercise of democracy. Additionally, participatory budgeting has decisively contributed to the health of City Hall’s financial situation while allowing for a much more equitable distribution of funds, of urban infrastructure and in the delivery and improvement of basic urban services.

Since 1998, Porto Alegre has embarked on a new initiative called the environmental atlas (See 2000/731 Environmental Atlas of Porto Alegre)

The TAC recommends this practice for the following reasons:

- This experience demonstrates how participatory budgeting can become a key tool for promoting good urban governance including democracy, social inclusion, policy change, environmental awareness and planning;
- The results show significant improvement on all fronts namely social aspects including social exclusion and gender equality as well as economic opportunity, mobility and equality;
- Due to its awareness-building and learning dimensions, lessons learned have enabled the local authority and the general public to change their attitudes and behaviour, enhance civic responsibility and to extend this responsibility to modifying their production and consumption patterns;
- This practice has become a reference for good management and public resource administration and has been adapted to various other municipalities in Brazil and other countries in Latin America.

Housing, Infrastructure and poverty eradication in villages and slum areas of Teresina, Piauí, Brazil [370]
The main purpose of this initiative is to consolidate existing villages and slum areas in Teresina, northern Brazil, into neighborhoods replete with basic urban services so as to promote social-economic development. The results include arresting the further development of slum and squatter settlements; developing public awareness of the process involved; human resources development to make use of the economic potential of the population; and promoting the sustainable use of urban space.

Important indicators of results achieved are: (i) implementation of a suburban renewal plan including infrastructure, community development, education, employment and income generation; (ii) establishment of a co-responsibility model enabling the involvement of civil society organisations and public authorities in the design and implementation of projects; (iii) changes in urban land-use via recovery of degraded areas; (iv) changes in attitudes and behavior of population, the empowerment of community leaders and the promotion of human resources development

The sustainability of the practice is attributable to good urban governance capable of promoting effective partnerships between the community and different levels of government. Emphasis is placed on the capacity of project managers to operate a complex financial set up to make use of different resources and different sources of finance. Two other aspects of the suburban renewal of the villages and slums areas of Teresina should be emphasized: the outreach of interventions and their low cost. The goal of the Municipal Administration is to assist approximately 116,000 inhabitants.

The TAC singled out the following considerations:
• An integrated approach for shanty-town improvement with attention to ecological and social concerns as well as improving the economic situation and quality of life of the residents;
• Community participation within an overall framework of shared responsibility for designing and implementing urban development projects as well as income generation, education, health and other social actions;
• Partnership in construction, management and coordination allowing the municipal government to obtain and leverage government financing at all levels;
• The transparent and efficient management of public funds reducing implementation costs, guaranteeing a combination of funding sources for the implementation of projects in one of the poorest areas of the country.

Bioremediation of Sanitary Landfill in Aurá, Belém, Pará, BRAZIL [374]
Belem, a city of 1.36 million inhabitants is in the amazon region of Brazil. For more than 12 years, the urban solid waste of Belém’s metropolitan region has been disposed off without any control in the landfill of Aurá, with negative environmental impacts on soil, air and water. Socially excluded scavengers live at the landfill area, with their children adopting the same means of survival.

Since 1997, the Municipality of Belem, with financial assistance from national financial institutions, developed the Biorremediação do Aurá to: (i) physically recover the degraded sanitary landfill; and (ii) construct new housing to meet the needs of the metropolitan region of Belém through 2020. The goal is to ensure, through environmental sanitation, the monitoring of domestic, public and special waste, and to control liquid and gaseous effluents. The project provides alternative employment to the scavengers and their families so as to promote social rehabilitation and integration of children. This includes the organization of cooperatives, training and the enrolment of children and adolescents in socio-educational activities. This contributes to the development of their creativity, self-esteem, solidarity, ethical and moral values.

The TAC singled out the following considerations:

• The project incorporates a multidisciplinary approach to the problem of waste management. It uses an innovative approach focusing on long-term, attainable goals in the treatment of garbage produced in the metropolitan region of the city. This approach includes remediating and preserving the original ecological conditions present in the area before uncontrolled disposal of wastes damaged the ecological balance of the area surrounding the city;
• The active involvement of families making their living as garbage scavengers has been essential to their rapid social inclusion and to the improvement of their livelihoods;
• The creation of recycling cooperatives involving the scavengers has increased their income level, their professional qualifications, their health and working conditions resulting in a tangible improvement of their quality of life;
• The elimination of child labor in collecting garbage, along with incorporating these children and youth in formal educational systems supported by complimentary social programs has had a success that is unprecedented in Brazil;
• The education and participation of the entire population in separating their garbage and the use of recycled products has been especially successful with the private business sector of the city.

Training Program in Public Security, Human Rights and Citizenship, BRAZIL [460]
In Brazil there is much police arbitrariness, causing aggravation of exclusion and violence. In Amapá, a former Federal Territory, police behaviour was based on the Armed Forces motto of “defending the frontiers against invaders”. This war-like ideology degenerated into treating the citizen as the enemy. Furthermore, the police force was badly coordinated and often worked at odds with security departments.

The programme was initiated in 1996. It’s objective is to humanize police action by training the police force to become aware of and uphold human rights and the exercise of citizenship. The training includes social psychology, group interaction and self-analyses focusing on changes in behavior and attitudes based on the respect of ethical principles of citizenship, defense and security for the people. It also aims to provide better integration of different departments involved in the public security system.

The programme led to the adoption and implementation of the following policies and initiatives: (i) interactive policing involving civil society in determining priorities for public security; (ii) establishment of an Environmental Battalion responsible for monitoring and preventing environmental degradation and promoting environmental education; (iii) an unified Public Security system integrating all security departments at all levels to coordinate their actions and interventions including coordination between the Chief Justice and the Secretary of the State for Security; (iv) de-commissioning of the Shock Battalion which was used in the past to suppress labor unions and popular manifestations.

The TAC singled out the following considerations:

• The immense significance of the program for Latin America and for a growing number of metropolises around the world with regards to the critical issues of public security, democracy and citizenship;
• Progress made in anchoring police behaviour on the respect of human rights, a strong set of ethical principles and a true sense of service to the public;
• The active participation of and interaction between the police force, non-governmental organizations and universities;
• The commitment of the government to find innovative, long-term solutions to questions regarding public security and the harmonization of approaches between authorities responsible for justice and security.

Doctors of Happiness / Doctores da Alegria, BRAZIL [655/1998]
“Doctors of Happiness” is Brazil’s pre-eminent performing arts organization devoted to bringing joy to hospitalized children two days a week, 48 weeks per year. Based on clown theatre, professional artists perform parodies of medical rounds using the healing power of humor. The artists undergo six months of training in hospital protocol and artistic adaptation, followed by reviews to maintain high quality of work. The training enables them to visit special units such as intensive care, burn units, bone marrow transplant and AIDS patients. Working one-on-one with chronically ill children, their parents and health care professionals, these “doctors” help ease the stress of hospitalization by introducing laughter as part of the patient’s life. The secret to their success is that while doctors and nurses focus treating the illness, clown doctors focus on stimulating recovery.

Established in 1991, Doctors of Happiness has received recognition from major medical institutions, doctors, the media, sponsors and the general public. It received the prestigious “Children Award” by the Abrinq Foundation, Brazil’s leading foundation for children’s rights. Doctors of Happiness works in the six major hospitals in São Paulo and five in Rio de Janeiro and since 1998 expanded to South America’s only pediatric cancer hospital, bringing the total number of visits made to children, their doctors and parents to 165,000.

Since 1998, Doctores da Alegria established a Research and Study Center and runs specialized workshops such as “Doctors and Clowns: a Partnership for the Future” to share results with medical professionals and the general public. The workshops have become part of the official curriculum for all resident doctors of the Children’s Institute, South America’s largest pediatric university hospital. These workshops provide resident doctors with the opportunity to reflect on and discuss innovative ideas regarding the treatment of severely injured and chronically ill children. They also expose young doctors to how the clown approaches the hospital universe; with no fear of contact, interaction, listening or communicating with patients.

The TAC recommends this practice to the Jury because of the:
• Innovative and experimental way it reaches out to an all too often socially excluded part of society, the chronically ill, and dramatically improves their quality of life;
• Original types of partnerships established to expand, institutionalize and sustain its work;
• The impact it is having both improving the lives and health of chronically ill children and the working conditions of traditional institutions which treat them.

Program for the Urban Recovery of the North Bank of the Bio Bio River,CHILE [902]
This practice has two goals: (i) to eradicate extreme poverty of over 1,500 families settled on the north bank of the Biobio river in the city of Concepcion; and (ii) to improve the urban development of a city divided by the river. The practice is based on the premise that by introducing new urban management concepts based on partnerships and participation, a sustainable process of urban development will take place. By opening the city to its river and linking the two river-sides, the practice will generate new employment opportunities, create greater opportunity for investments, incorporate disused land into new public space and increase urban land for real estate development.

A group of families settled in the northern sector since the earthquake of 1939. Over time, this constituted a squatter area with 3000 families, with no urban planning, concentrating urban poverty and unsanitary conditions and delinquency. A working commission was established in 1993, which established guidelines for an integrated city development plan. The strategic plan (1995) included changes to city management and administration, a financial plan and a social development strategy. This plan received start-up funds from the central government but is designed to be self-sustaining through the sale of recovered land.

The TAC has highlighted the following considerations:
• The formation of broad-based partnerships between all levels of the central and local governments, the public and private sectors, neighborhood associations and of a regional executive team;
• The plan represents a cohesive and participatory approach to improving the overall development of the city and addressing the needs of the poor;
• The establishment of transparent decision making processes and of a communication strategy to legitimize actions;
• The adoption of land-use regulations to enhance and enable real estate development;
• The social and economic inclusion of about 3000 families, the completion of 283 houses, 693 houses under construction and an additional 1580 houses planned for a second phase;
• The construction of the Lacolen Bridge providing a pedestrian and vehicular linking of the two sides of the river;
• The design of 13 hectares of parks and gardens and the eradication of the derelict factories and illegal dumpsites that polluted the urban environment.

Popular Habitat Program, COSTA RICA [550]
Building houses is not an end but a means to achieve community development. In Costa Rica the housing shortage reached a critical stage following the financial crisis of the eighties which resulted in the emergence of marginal areas and slums in the city of San Jose. Needless to say, this shortage effected the least favored classes of the population, exacerbating their social exclusion.

The families affected by this housing program are actively involved in the programming, execution and administration of the program. The programme started off as a bilateral assistance project to construct new housing for low-income families and to remediate the housing shortage in the city. With the community becoming actively involved in all aspects of the programme, alternative methods of financing were pursued and obtained to scale up and to sustain the project, resulting in the establishment of a revolving fund managed under a trusteeship.

Over 17,000 families have gained access to decent housing through the program, helping to reduce the housing shortage in the city. Owing to its highly participatory nature and to a strong emphasis on community capacity building, over 30,000 of the newly housed people have been trained in various fields related to operations and maintenance, project management and administration. This has enabled them to find employment and increase their income. Community participation and capacity-building has considerably strengthened community spirit and involvement in civic affairs and in improving the overall living environment. Another spin-off of the participatory process is the unique approach each neighborhood has taken in designing its housing projects demonstrating that there can be no single model in responding to housing needs and demand. The needs of the poor vary just as much if not more than other segments of the population and housing solutions will vary according to the conditions, desires and necessities of the individual.

The TAC recommends this practice for the following reasons:
• The practice enjoys a wide national acceptance as its results, both in terms of quantitative and qualitative impact on poverty and social exclusion, are quite visible and positively viewed;
• The strong social component of the programme has made it possible to improve both the housing conditions of poor families and their economic situation through on-the-job training. The skills they have acquired have enhanced their employment possibilities;
• What started off as a bi-lateral assistance project has become a sustainable initiative which has been scaled up significantly with the active involvement and participation of the community.

National Program for Low Energy and Material Consumption for Housing, CUBA [850]
The housing problem in Cuba has been very critical for quite some time. This situation was further exacerbated by the demise of the Soviet Union and of favorable trade terms and foreign assistance. In 1992, the National Institute of Housing established a National Program for Low Energy and Material Consumption for Housing taking into account the possibilities and the objective conditions facing the island. Over 50,000 new homes have since been built using the scarce resources available in a rational and sustainable manner.

Since its inception the program has developed different and creative construction techniques and systems with low energy consumption and resource optimization and substitution. These new techniques have been applied not only in the construction of the new housing but also in reconstruction and rehabilitation of old housing stock.

The participation of different municipalities and neighborhood associations has been key to the success of the program.

The TAC recommends this practice for the following reasons:
• It represents a participatory approach that opens the institutional framework of the state to community organizations and families that the program is designed to help. This participation is at the source of the programme’s success in improving living conditions of entire neighborhoods, families and individuals;
• Innovative approaches and techniques for low energy use in construction have been developed and tested that can be used in other areas of the world to reduce energy consumption in construction;
• The program has been implemented on a large scale with a high degree of local acceptance and participation;
• Community mobilization resulted in the communication of different housing needs of each community, in differentiated solutions and responses and in improved coordination and cooperation between public, governmental and non-governmental organizations;
• Through its tangible impact in housing improvement and its broad-based participatory process changes have been brought about to Cuba’s housing policies in support of more sustainable housing construction and use of construction materials.

Democratization of Municipal Management for Equitable and Sustainable Development, Ecuador [763]
This practice is developed in a subtropical zone of Latin America, forming part of the Cotacahi-Cayapas ecological reserve, one of the greatest bio-diversity areas of the planet. The municipality covers an urban and a rural area (canton) located on the foothills of the Andes Mountains where most of the indigenous population is settled. The canton metropolitan has a population of 35,000 and the city 7,300. It is an emigration zone, with 80% living under the poverty line. The main economic activity is agriculture and stockbreeding, followed by manufacturing and artisan production. Recently, tourism is starting to provide a source of employment.

In 1996, for the first time in Ecuador, an indigenous Mayor was elected. He immediately initiated citizenship involvement in the