Have you ever had ideas about how services in your residential area could be improved? Wished that you had the funding to start a local recycling programme? Wanted to clean-up a park nearby so that your kids could play safely? Been worried about the number of traffic accidents on a nearby junction? Lamented the inefficiency of bus services, or poor drainage across the road?

With the commitment of local authorities to Local Agenda 21 (LA21), your partnership and your participation in local initiatives is encouraged. Whether you an individual interested in local goings-on, or part of a resident's association, non-governmental organisation (NGO), community-based organisation (CBO), professional body, private business, religious or special interest group, you can join your local authority in playing an active, practical part in the quest for sustainable development.

What is LA21?

Local Action Within A Global Initiative

LA21 is part of Agenda 21, a global action plan that aims at making development socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. In the widely quoted words of the Brundtland Commission, sustainable development is "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs". This is achieved through a more holistic view of development that integrates a concern for the social and environmental impacts of actions, in the quest for economic gain.

The Earth Summit held in Rio ten years ago marked an international recognition of the need to pay attention to the way the environment is managed. As nations made a commitment to implement a global action plan (Agenda 21), a process began that requires the involvement not just of governments, but of groups and individuals at the smallest level.

The implementation of Agenda 21 was not to be left to governments alone. Part of the Agenda 21 initiative is in fact, to strengthen the role of groups such as women, children, NGOs, CBOs, and local authorities. The role of workers and their trade unions, businesses and industries, and the scientific and technological communities, are also incorporated as part of the holistic approach.

LA21 is the local authority part of Agenda 21. This emphasises the role of local authorities in soliciting partnership and participation of the community as they work out Action Plans. Beyond token actions to placate and inform the wider community of their actions, local authorities are encouraged to delegate power and to allow for citizen control of programmes.

The Malaysian experience thus far

The first few years after the Earth Summit were relatively quiet. Recognising this, the Environmental Protection Society of Malaysia (EPSM) organised two conferences on Local Communities and the Environment in 1997 and 1998. In addition, a series of focused, capacity-building seminars based on specific chapters of the Agenda 21 blueprint were held, aimed at raising awareness and finding practical ways in which Agenda 21 could be implemented.

According to N. Nithiyananthan, president of EPSM, rather than just adopting a "top-down" approach such as lobbying for legislative change, effective environmental initiatives can be developed through influencing communities at the local level. This was the focus of the programmes organised, present at which were a wide range of representatives from government agencies, civil society, the private sector, and local authorities.

Other sustainable development programmes launched so far include "Agenda 21 Selangor", a study commissioned by the State Government of Selangor in 1998 aimed at producing strategies for Selangor. The Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute (SERI) has also worked on developing indicators to assess Penang's economic progress, ecological sustainability, social justice, cultural vibrancy and popular participation.

The Ministry of Health, with support by the World Health Organisation (WHO), took on a "Healthy Cities" project for Johor Bahru and Kuching in 1994. Kuching and Kota Kinabalu have been focus points for sustainable urban development projects funded by the Danish Cooperation for Environment and Development (DANCED) beginning 1999. The Safe City Initiative by Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) in 1998, and The Urban Governance Initiative (TUGI) by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) were also undertaken.

Piloting Local Agenda 21

In 1999, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) along with the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, partnered to launch a pilot programme involving four local authorities. The Municipal Councils of Miri, Petaling Jaya and Kuantan, as well as the Kerian District Council were selected as "pilot sites" that would go through implementation steps. This variety in choice allowed a wide spectrum of experiences to beorecorded. At the end of this two-year project, a manual was designed, to serve as a future guide for implementation in other local authorities.

What actually happened? First of all, Project Management Units at each local authority were established. Their activities included identification of potential partners, building up information on local sustainability issues, conducting training workshops for key implementors, and holding awareness programmes for potential partner groups.

LA21 Committees were also formed in each of the local authorities, functioning as a link between local authorities and other stakeholders. It is through these committees that stakeholder participation takes place. Through Special Work Groups, analysis is conducted and plans drafted on specific issues, for the approval of the Committee, who then review and oversee the implementation of these proposals. Because these Groups are formed on specific areas of concern, they remain relevant and attuned to the needs of the local authority.

What sort of programmes?

Some of the Local Agenda 21 initiatives included the Damansara Jaya Residents and Owners Association (DJROA) Community Recycle Centre. Established under the auspices of the Majlis Perbandaran Petaling Jaya (MPPJ), it functions as a buy-back centre for recyclables brought in by residents of the area. Alam Flora provided advisory services and some material support for its implementation. Within the pilot phase in the four local authorities, gotong-royong (e.g. to clean-up beaches and rivers), workshops on kitchen and garden waste composting, a flea market for re-selling reading materials, Family Day programmes, "Best Neighbourhood" competitions, sports events, and civic awareness campaigns, were other programmes that have been implemented.

Negotiating potholes

The ideals of partnership and participation have obvious benefits. However, implementation procedures bear on the achievement of such ideals. There is a danger that consultative processes may amount to nothing more than free-for-all expressions of dissatisfaction by stakeholder groups, or similarly, that dialogues initiated by local authorities be no more than token expressions to gain buy-in for plans already underway.

With this in mind, there is a need for all groups to be transparent in their feedback, and to extend some trust that such processes can achieve greater good. This is particularly crucial when past failures, a culture of distrust, or previous inabilities to agree on matters have already coloured the mindsets of people involved in dialogues.

While the experiences of the pilot projects have been recorded for the benefit of local authorities in the next phase, this cannot guarantee that the momentum, the "spirit" of Agenda 21, will continue on for effective results. Not only is commitment required from local authorities to take the roll-out of LA21 seriously, stakeholder groups need also to begin actively considering what form their own engagement with LA21 takes.

Will stakeholders remain chair-warmers in seminars, volunteer only sporadic feedback, commit to short-term projects, or extend long-term commitment to issues in their locality? What will constitute effective partnership, and how can the resources of stakeholder groups be maximized?

Local authorities will also have to demonstrate their preparedness to accept constructive criticism, to empower citizens to take control of projects, and to allow room for alternative ideas and plans to take root. Will stakeholder groups be given space to be key drivers of local initiatives, or will they only be given a backseat role? Will energy for complaints be viewed with distaste, or channeled into transformative actions?

Will the "community vision" that marks the first step of any LA21 Action Plan, remain as placards on walls, or succeed in garnering commitment by disparate groups? And does having a LA21 framework in place ensure that the community is consulted actively on all important matters concerning their locality, or will they be considered relevant only for certain sorts of issues?

There is also a danger that LA21 will be no more than a series of programmes that provide some space for community involvement, but do not contribute to (global) Agenda 21 objectives. Having some activity may provide the illusion that actions towards sustainable development are underway, without real effects.

Bearing this in mind, local authorities needs to keep Agenda 21, the global blueprint, in mind when executing their own Local Agenda 21. Only when the latter are set in the context of the former, will we be one step closer in preventing and reversing the damaging trends humanity has demonstrated in the management of the environment.

Local Agenda 21 promises more space for organisations and individuals to play an active part in the sustainable development movement. This is a challenge that needs cooperation and commitment. It requires a questioning of ourselves, of our everyday behaviours, and of our automatic practices. It requires building capacity in organisations, and the creation of partnerships (perhaps between once-antagonistic groups) that lead to valid results. Only then can the urgency of our rapidly degenerating habitat be addressed and this is a question of survival for humanity, not just of public relations, international goodwill, or eased consciences.

What will be the Local Agenda 21 for your local authority, and how will you be a part of it?

Acknowledgements Much thanks to Mr. N. Nithiyananthan and Datin R.S. McCoy for sharing their perspectives, with any errors remaining the writers own. Reference materials include 'Local Agenda 21 Malaysia: Training Manual', and 'Local Agenda 21 Malaysia: An Implementation Guide and Case Studies' produced by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, 2002.

Hannah Young is a pseudonym for a Suaram volunteer who has a background in sociology.