Links

British Columbia Centre for Co-operative Studies, University of Victoria

The British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies (BCICS) is a catalyst for research, learning, and teaching about co-operative thought and practice. The Institute, founded in January 2000, is based at the University of Victoria. BCICS collaborates locally, nationally, and internationally with other post-secondary institutions, the co-operative sector, governments, individuals, and communities interested in co-operative development.

Canadian Social Economy Hub - Centre Canadien d'Economie Sociale

The Canadian Social Economy Hub (CSEHub), hosted by the BC Centre for Co-operative Studies, acts as a facilitator promoting collaboration among six regional research centres across Canada, and creating opportunities and exchanges with international networks. CSEHub reaches out to practitioners, to researchers and to civil society, through the regional research centres and their community partners. It undertakes research as needed in order to understand and promote the Social Economy tradition within Canada and as a subject of academic enquiry within universities

Canadian International Development Agency - Agence Canadiedne de development Inernational (CIDA - ACDI)

The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is Canada’s lead agency for development assistance. CIDA supports sustainable development, poverty reduction initiatives and the providision of humanitarian assistance in order to promote a more secure, equitable and prosperous world. CIDA’s priorities are poverty reduction, democratic governance, private sector development, health, basic education, equality between women and men, and environmental sustainability.

Office of Community-Based Research, University of Victoria

The Office of Community-Based Research at UVic (OCBR-UVic) is a community–university partnership which supports community engagement and research to create vibrant, sustainable and inclusive communities. The office is about democratizing knowledge, supporting community-driven research initiatives, and supporting students and faculty who are doing or who wish to do community-based research.

Participatory Sustainable Waste Management Project

The overall purpose of the project is to increase effectiveness, safety and income generation of informal and organized waste recycling in the four municipalities of Santo André, Diadema, São Paulo and Ribeirão Pires. This is achieved through capacity building, strengthened organizational structures, increased awareness and adding value to the transformation of recyclables. In the long term, the project aims to improve the urban environment of the metropolitan area of São Paulo.

Practical Action

Practical Action is an international nongovernmental organization that provides avenues for resource-poor communities to improve their livelihoods and raise themselves out of poverty. The organization is based on Dr E Fritz Schumacher’s idiom that “small is beautiful”, a philosophy that is applied through community-based projects, which seek sustainable and appropriate technological solutions to poverty reduction and environmental conservation. Practical Action helps people in marginalized areas to develop the skills and technologies that are appropriate to their needs and wants; technologies that will “help them build a better future”. The organization focuses on: reducing vulnerability; improving livelihoods through production, processing and marketing; increasing people’s access to basic services such as clean water; and, responding to new technologies.

As part of programme activities, Practical Action focus on the management of urban waste. Their work is falls into 4 categories: 1) Working towards improving service provision in slum, peri urban and low income areas; 2) Encouraging income and employment creation from waste related activities and promoting decent, safer work for the poor; 3) Directly supporting the development of better technologies, knowledge, innovation and communication for all the actors in waste management; 4) Influencing national and global policies in waste management in favour of poor men and women. For more information on their waste management initiatives, click here.

Risorse, Economia e Ambiente

CBRL work on participatory sustainable waste management is featured on the on-line blog of the Italian association ASPO-Italia.

Ressurgência - Rede Arraial Sustentável (in Portuguese)

Sponsored by the Petrobas Programme, Ressurgencia aims to develop a model of co-management to the reserve Extrativista Marinha de Arraial do Cabo, based on access and sustainable use of their resources, as well as the sharing of responsibilities and decision-making power between its multiple users.

United We Can

This recycling depot, located in Vancouver's eastside of Downtown, contributes to a healthier community. The bottle depot has been open since 1995 and serves thousands of inner city residents, and the more recently introduced collection service has broadened their scope. The "crossroads and lanes community clean-up campaign" is working to clean up public urban space, while broader community initiatives help to link these activities to city residents and organisations with diverse interests.

Urban Binning Unit: Binners Cart Project

The UBU project aims to provide members of Vancouver's binning community with a useful tool to assist in the collection and transport of refundable beverage containers. Binners who acquire a UBU cart are introduced to local businesses wishing to donate their refundable containers. The goal is to foster mutually beneficial and self-sustaining relationships that endeavour to improve both the environment and local communities as a whole.