Howe Sound Sustainable Development Forum

What’s the connection between affordable housing, a healthy marine environment, and decent work for all in the Howe Sound region? Join us at the Howe Sound Sustainable Development Forum as we connect the dots and promote local leadership through the power of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Hosted by the BC Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC) and the Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative (HSBRI),  the Howe Sound Sustainable Development Forum will take place on Friday, September 28 from 10 am to 3pm at the Great Hall, Gleneagles Clubhouse, West Vancouver. The forum brings together local government and civil society stakeholders to discuss the state of sustainable development in the Howe Sound region in the lead up to this year’s municipal elections. The forum will draw on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to frame the conversation and will explore local leadership on this global vision which Canada and all other United Nations countries have signed up to. Forum attendees will include local election candidates and engaged citizens who will review and discuss the Howe Sound’s progress on the social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainable development.

The forum will be an opportunity for rich dialogue and collaboration among some of the most innovative and socially engaged organizations in the Howe Sound  region. The meeting agenda will include:

• A brief introduction to the SDGs as a way of looking at sustainable development in the Howe Sound.
• A review of regional development strategies and their connection to the SDGs and progress on sustainable development.
• Identification of key SDG related sustainable development issues in the region from the perspective of the community organizations and networks working on these issues.
• Discussion of how the Howe Sound could show local leadership on the SDGs and the role of local government in doing so.

The Howe Sound Sustainable Development Forum is one of over 15 events taking place around the province which asks British Columbians “How are we showing leadership on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals?” The Sustainable Development Goals (adopted by the United Nations in the fall of 2015) are designed to guide global efforts to address problems such as poverty, hunger, injustice, environmental destruction and climate change.

A key aspect of the SDGs is that for the first time they are universal. This means that SDG Goal 1 is about ending poverty in all its forms everywhere, whether it is in the slums of Nigeria or on the streets of Gibsons and Squamish, and SDG Goal 14 is about protecting marine ecosystems whether it’s the coral reefs of the tropics or the fish stocks of the Howe Sound.

As a member of the Howe Sound’s sustainable development community we would very much appreciate your participation in the Sustainable Development Forum as an important community discussion in the lead up to this year’s municipal elections. A reminder that the Forum is happening at the Great Hall of the Gleneagles Clubhouse in West Vancouver on Friday, September 28 from 10am-3pm. Please RSVP using the link below and lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Please RSVP at the following link: 

If you have any questions – or are interested in sponsoring the event, or know someone else who would be interested in sponsoring the event – please contact the organizers with the information below. We look forward to seeing you on September 28th.  

The BCCIC & HSBRI Teams

BCCIC Contact: Dan Harris – dan@bccic.ca – www.bccic.ca

HSBRI Contact: Ruth Simons – howesoundbri@gmail.com – www.Howesoundbri.org

If you would like to learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals and what’s going on in BC and Canada please review the following reports and websites:

• Sustainable Development Goals: All you need to know – http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/jan/19/sustainable-development-goals-united-nations
• The Invisible Mosaic: BC and the Sustainable Development Goals – https://www.bccic.ca/the-invisible-mosaic-bc-and-the-sustainable-development-goals/

Global Goals Website – http://www.globalgoals.org