The Sustainability Institute is a non-profit trust, founded in 1999. An international living and learning centre focussing on studies and experience in ecology, community and spirit, we work in partnership with the School of Public Management and Planning, University of Stellenbosch in the following areas of  education (Masters and PhD degrees in Sustainable Development Planning and Sustainable Agriculture), Early Childhood Development, Community Development Practice and Management, project facilitation to establish Sustainable Neighbourhood Developments in various localities,policy research in the sustainable development sector. The Institute is located in the Lynedoch EcoVillage, a place where we have provided development facilitation to create a space for sustainable living and learning.

A day like no other - my visit to Kibera, Nairobi

Nairobi

I recently had the fortunate experience of being invited to Kenya as part of a United Nations University Education for Sustainable Development Programme where a number of Africa wide Masters programmes are being established. The Sustainability Institute is participating in the cluster considering sustainable urbanisation. As part of the broader workshop programme, the hosts, Kenyatta University, arranged that we visit a number of NGO projects that would potentially serve as learning sights for the Kenya based students. This took us to Kibera, one of the largest slums in Africa. Walking through the narrow streets of Kibera, one could not help but notice the sense of permanence in the structures. For a great many citizens of Nairobi, this is home. Visiting the NGO groups, focussing on real day to day issues of sanitation, solid waste, job creation and improved ecologically based education, it was clear that focus on the small, at the community level was having a real impact on the community. While the interventions were facing the challenges that many face in such communities (of vested interests and an absent state) leadership was being taken, predominantly by young and energised individuals.

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Green Economy for Gauteng

Mark Swilling & Gauteng MEC for Economic Development Firoz Cachalia debating the options

On 1 March 2010 at a venue at the University of Johannesburg, the Gauteng City Region Observatory (GCRO) (www.gcro.ac.za) hosted a seminar to discuss two policy documents recently adopted by the Gauteng Government, namely the Gauteng Industrial Policy and the Developmental Green Economy Strategy for Gauteng. Firoz Cachalia, the MEC for the Department of Economic Development (DED) who has been the political head of this policy process, opened the seminar by arguing that the Gauteng Government believes that is necessary to reconcile sustainability and industrial growth. The Industrial Policy was presented by the authors of the policy -  the Corporate Strategy and Industrial Development unit at University of the Witwatersrand. The Green Economy strategy was presented by Mark Swilling on behalf of the Sustainability Institute team that drafted the document under the leadership of Frank Spencer. Significantly, there is considerable overlap between the two documents. The Industrial Policy proposes a medium-tech light industry future for Gauteng which means moving away from a dependence on energy intensive mining and heavy industry sectors. The Green Economy strategy proposes a range of interventions in transport, water, energy, waste and human settlement planning that will result in the decoupling of growth rates from rates of resource consumption. The Gauteng Economic Development Agency has been mandated to implement a strategy for building a renewable energy industry in Gauteng.

Link to Engineering News story:  http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/gauteng-outlines-green-economy-plan-2010-05-28

Full speech by MEC Cachalia: http://www.info.gov.za/speeches/2010/10052816151001.htm

Internship applications for 2010 now open!

An exciting opportunity to join the Sustainability Institute team in August and September this year as an intern for interested students passionate about sustainable development and seeking an opportunity for a hands-on experience in a unique, South African setting. This flexible programme can be designed to suit each intern’s interests and availability, and is currently open for applications. The Sustainability Institute is looking for enthusiastic, flexible and dynamic young people to work with their team through this internship programme. Click here for more details.