Local Agenda 21

Objectives

• market the concept and principles of sustainable development at a household level

• capacitate the local residents about the principles of the Local Agenda 21, through interactive workshops, outings and practical examples

• promote communication and interaction between different structures and groupings

The project was piloted as a partnership between the City of Cape Town and QPC. Five workshops were held in the first half of the year, with two focusing on Cultural Interaction and on Transport, Housing and Safety around the house. These were followed by outings relevant to the workshop content. During the second workshop, households were informed of ways of improving their house and environment - for example, by reporting any littering to the Waste Wise Hotline. There was also input on how to use electricity wisely and on sustainable work options.

Other workshop topics included Safety and Security, Fire and Life Safety, Disaster Management and The 107 Number. Twenty participants attended the Safety and Security workshop which raised awareness of household safety. The workshop was followed by an outing to the Ottery Fire Station and the Cape Peninsula National Park which illustrated to the participants the difference between local and bush fires.

The Fire and Life Safety workshop included topics like Daily Savings, Financial Self-Management, Community Currencies and Conflict Management. Because money is often a source of conflict, we included a conflict resolution component. Through the workshop, participants became open to the option of community currencies to stimulate local economies. Another outing took place - to the Cape Flats Nature Reserve.

One of the key principles of LA 21 is the building up of partnerships and cross community action. Various NGOs have now agreed to work with the City as partners to implement the project.