1. BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS, PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY

Being the hallmark of the ‘Progress’ agenda, is a unique and innovative program, the objective of which is to foster cooperation and build bridges between the stakeholders, which is critical for the successful implementation of plans and policies. Collaboration and partnership is one of the greatest needs of the present time for mobilizing support at all levels of the society for achieving the goals of sustainability. By forging of new partnerships - between governments, the private sector, academic and scientific communities, local communities, NGOs, industrial and the corporate sector, the media and all the stakeholders, is an important key for achieving a genuine culture of ‘Progress’ and sustainable development.

The program emphasizes on community participation and capacity building, factors critical to local ownership and lasting sustainability. This leads to community upliftment and being focused at the grassroot levels to alleviation of poverty. Through ambitious partnership projects, Foundation for ‘Progress’ extends support and cooperation to the relevant stakeholders in the field of health, education, environment, women development and other social areas interlinked to self-reliance, community development and poverty alleviation. The sponsoring of the Special Ward, at Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, Rawalpindi, the in-process Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases Institute and other educational projects are important milestones under this program.

Partnerships

'Building Partnerships, Promoting Sustainability', is the hallmark of the ‘Progress' agenda, the aim of which is to foster cooperation and build bridges between the government, the private sector and the civic society, which is critical to the successful implementation of all plans and policies.

In this era of globalization and specialization confronting the growing and complex agenda of issues from poverty and public health to narcotics and terrorism can no longer be contained or managed by a single organization, community or a nation and no one agency or program has all the answers. And in an age when movements of people, capital and ideas are breaking down borders, development challenges are not just local, but global.

Today nearly all developed and developing countries are promoting partnerships and stakeholder participation has become part of the current policy model. Such partnerships, extending to all relevant players in society, will be even more important in arguing for, and acting to deliver changes in the ways of our mindset and practicality.

This collaboration and partnership is one of the greatest needs of the present time, to mobilize support at all levels for achieving the goals of sustainability. By forging of new partnerships -between governments, the private sector, academic and scientific communities, local communities, NGOs, industrial and the corporate sector, the media and all the stakeholders is the key to achieve a genuine culture of sustainability.

People understand the power of partnerships as a vehicle for concrete action. It makes sense to pool the resources, ideas and imaginations of all sectors of the society. It brings all the stakeholders together at a neutral forum to forge shared solutions.

Being a good partner means be must continually reexamine how we do business and resist efforts to rely on one-size-fits-all solutions. We must reach out to communities, businesses, and organizations and to the local, provincial and the federal governments.

The government, private sector and civil society playa crucial role if we are to succeed. New partnerships need to be formed; partnerships where all parties are out to find the best possible solutions.

The Government Sector has a very important role ensuring that the laws and rules are accounted for, with reduced role in day-to-day implementation and other operational activities. It has a broader role of bringing people together, guiding them plan and mange decisions -a more effective manager. These steps can help the governments to better serve its citizens and in its efforts to achieve the national development goals.

The private sector has a dominant role in the development process. Business has replaced government as the central engine of investment and development, particularly in the developing world. The present and next generation of policy makers must find ways to channel, private capital flows, to ensure investment for sustainable development, keeping in view the ultimate objectives of poverty alleviation.

Civil society organizations play key role in designing, funding, implementing and monitoring development assistance. They bring valuable expertise to the global development network -and make people-to-people ties that strengthen development at the grassroots. The civic engagement has increased substantially during the last few years, particularly in the poverty reduction strategy initiatives and this engagement can improve development impact by empowering citizens to participate in their country's development.

With this background Foundation for has embarked upon an innovative and ambitious program of extending support and cooperation to the relevant stakeholders in the fields of health, education, environment, women development and other social areas interlinked to self-reliance, community development and poverty alleviation. The sponsoring of the special ward, at Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, Rawalpindi, the in-process tuberculosis and chest diseases institute and other educational projects are important milestones under this program.

Sustainable Development

Sustainable development means building our communities so that we can all live comfortably without consuming all of our resources. We make an impact on our environment through how we live our lives. Another way to say this is that we all leave an ecological footprint. Imagine yourself in a garden. If you were to run around the garden wearing heavy boots, you would probably do a lot of damage to the fruits and vegetables growing there. If you were to walk carefully through the garden in bare feet, you would be able to eat just as many fruits and vegetables as the person wearing heavy boots, but you would also be leaving a lot more for yourself and others to eat the next day. It is the same thing with our resources. Living in a sustainable way means leaving more of things we all need to share, like water, energy, clean air and forests, for future generations.

Sustainable development is not just about conserving our resources: it is about changing our culture to make conservation a way of life. The earth has a natural balance, and over consumption of its resources, whether it is polluting or diverting water, or over-using land for building or agriculture or mining, or clear cutting of forests, or over-fishing the ocean, or burning too many fossil fuels throws that balance off and makes it difficult for the earth to renew itself. Living sustainably means only consuming as much as we need, while making sure to never consume so much that it cannot be replaced. Changing habits in daily or community life, in government or in business is often referred to as “greening practices”. The term “green” is used to refer to anything that is built for or working towards a sustainable, environmentally-friendly fuure.

Most people would like to live in a sustainable community, but they cannot afford to do so because current business models encourage activities that do not take into account future problems. Sustainable development creates long-term economic stability, but does not create short-term profits. Governments, businesses, and consumers all need to change their habits for sustainable development to be the norm, not the exception. By co-operating in sustainable development, we can all look forward to a green future.