SHORT FILM EXPLAINING AGENDA 21

WHAT IS THE "JOHANNESBURG PLAN"?

You can read the Johannesburg Plan here. [PDF] It mentions Local Agenda 21 and ICLEI and that the US State Department is committed to implementing it.

Understanding the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation [Link]

In September 2002, representatives of 191 governments gathered in Johannesburg for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).

The aim was to examine progress on the outcomes of the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) - sometimes referred to as the Rio Earth Summit - and to 'reinvigorate' global commitment to sustainable development. The result was a 54-page agreement called the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation which sets out new commitments and priorities for action on sustainable development in areas as diverse as poverty eradication, health, trade, education, science and technology, regional concerns, natural resources, and the institutional arrangements.

The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation is divided in to eleven chapters, each with its own specific focus. This means that while themes such as health, poverty and globalisation have a chapter of their own, the themes are also echoed in other parts of the agreement. This 'cross-cutting' or web-like structure of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation reflects the fact that sustainable development requires a holistic view of development and the involvement of all relevant stakeholders in its implementation.

The 11 Chapters of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation are as follows:

1. Introduction, outlining the principles of sustainable development;
2. Poverty eradication;
3. Changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production;
4. Protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development (water; oceans; vulnerability; disaster management; climate change; agriculture; desertification; biodiversity; mountains; tourism; forests; mining);
5. Sustainable development in a globalizing world. Characteristics; opportunities and challenges of globalization;
6. Health and sustainable development. HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and other epidemics; health services; environmental health;
7. Sustainable development in Small Island Developing States;
8. Sustainable development for Africa;
9. Other Regional Initiatives ( Latin America and the Caribbean ; Asia and the Pacific; West Asia ; Economic Commission for Europe);
10. Means of implementation (trade; finance; debt; technology transfer; role of the scientific community; education; capacity building; and information for decision making); and
11. Institutional framework for sustainable development (United Nations, regional and national level arrangements; and participation of major groups or stakeholders).

HOW to RECOGNIZE AGENDA 21

Grant Monies:
- Grants issued in conjunction with government 'sustainability initiatives' contain stipulations or implementation practices that are the primary doorway for Agenda 21/sustainable development to enter your community. These stipulations often require no growth boundaries, income integration through low-income housing demands, reduced vehicle usage, healthy cities, livability principles and other forms of social engineering.
- Other grants issued by non-profit groups such as the Packard, Pew or Carnegie Foundations, frequently promote Agenda 21. Often this happens when HUD or some other federal agency funds the foundation with the money they in turn offer as a sustainability-related grant.

Non-governmental organizations:
- Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) including ICLEI, the Nature Conservancy, American Farmland Trust and the American Planning Association have close ties to HUD-EPA-DOT sustainability initiatives and promote Agenda 21 through their regional and community work, conservation easements and funding.

Federal agencies:
- Federal agency Acts including the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and Endangered Species Act have so expanded, that individual's rights are losing way to unfounded and often exaggerated endangerment findings. The solutions to their findings invariably require fines, taxes, property rights infringements or the outright transfer of private lands to the government.
- Preservation programs, National Parks, Historic Places and Byways, Heritage Sites and Legacy Forest programs have exceeded prudent land and species' protection and are now confiscating massive quantities of the U.S. land mass in alignment with Agenda 21 principles.

The planning process:
- Consensus meetings are conducted in ways that elicit responses that support the planner's goals rather than genuine community desires.
- Visioning sessions may be over-conducted to the point that the vision belongs to the facilitator and only appears to be that of the community.
- Stakeholder meetings can produce misleading results when the stakeholders do not represent the average community member. Frequently the "stakeholders" have a financial or ideological interest in implementing the plan.
- Zoning regulations originating with the American Planning Association (and others,) contains language that establishes the legal framework to implement Agenda 21 in communities.HUD, other federal agencies and firms such as Siemens funded thedevelopment of the APA's Growing Smart Legislative Guidebook, 2nd ed. These supporters all have a stake in Agenda 21's implementation.
- Conservation easements often contain undiscussed clauses that severely restrict property owners' rights, reduce property values and favor the land trust for future contract changes.

Regionalism:
- Regional councils replace much of the local officials' authority with unelected boardmembers.
- As the regional council matures, local rule diminishes, leaving citizens with more distant and reduced representation.
- Once a region is formed, the ability to oppose sustainable development is limited.
- Generally, when the regional council accepts grant monies, all tethered communities are bound by the grant stipulations.
- Regional planning often includes tax base sharing which promotes wealth transfer by forcing community members to pay for services in other locations.
- Regional planning often includes "no growth boundaries" that force housing into urban and inner ring suburban areas. This reduces homebuyers' choices and artificially inflates the value of some properties, while reducing it for others.

OBAMA'S RURAL COUNCIL