Integral Approach ‘Needed For Development’
European Union (EU) Natural Resources and Governance Team Leader Ingrid Swinnen has highlighted the need for an integral approach to sustainable development.
She made the comment during her official address at the Community Based Organisation (CBO) awards ceremony at the Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises & Development (FRIEND) headquarters in Tuvu, Lautoka on Friday night. “A recommendation that we share is that the several good practices that are inherent to this project on a wider scale and may I add that having an integrated approach to sustainable development cannot be overly emphasised,” Ms Swinnen said.
The event marked the end of the EU-funded project “Grassroots Voices for Good Governance.”
“I have great pleasure in participating in this event. This is all about strengthening community governance and empowering community-based organisations so that they can effectively participate in decision making and create platform dialogue,” Ms Swinnen said.
She said the awards ceremony gave them a chance to look back at their project’s overall objective. The CBOs were previously given grants and the winners were selected from the 70 that underwent training with the University of the South Pacific (USP).
“We in the EU and its member states are pleased to support the creation of spaces that amplify community voices and in particular reach the most vulnerable and marginalised,” Ms Swinnen said. “The FRIEND grassroots governance project is an example of a project that we have supported where key community issues can be raised and members including women and youth are able to effectively participate.” Another finding was that the CBO had established a solid CBO structure with an understanding