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The Humanitarian Sustainability Initiative 21st Century This Summary describes the mission, strategies and plans for an international humanitarian crisis intervention for poor and impoverished places. The project involves humanitarian, human rights and sustainable initiatives. We hope that members of the professional groups throughout the nation will assist with this initiative. INTRODUCTION It has been devastating to watch news of tragic human-made and natural catastrophes unfolding in the United States and various other parts of the world, such as the oil spill affecting the Gulf States of the United States and the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. All too often, these types of events affect poor people and impoverished communities disproportionately. While we witness human hands, ingenuity, machinery attempt to address very complex calamities, most people acknowledge that short term crisis intervention and long-term planning are vital to prepare for large scale environmental disasters whenever possible and to rebuild regions after the initial devastation. The Humanitarian Sustainability Initiative provides a venue for humanitarian forces, industry, and decision-makers to collaborate, plan, and unveil solution packages for poor and impoverished communities facing such catastrophes. These solution packages include the collective and coordinated work of Humanitarian Interventions, Human Rights Advocacy, and sustainable Initiatives. Indeed, the collaborative efforts of this 3-Tier Approach may serve to mediate entrenched political and social conflicts, renew important stakeholder ties, and meet struggling economies with sustainable ideas at their points of need. MISSION The mission of The Humanitarian Sustainability Initiative is to assemble members of school-based technology programs, green industry and technology experts, community, non-governmental, and governmental teams facilitating sustainable projects, along with charitable and other funding streams. We are inviting the participation of humanitarian forces and human rights advocates, industry leaders and a variety of decision-makers who have strong interest in human welfare and its sustainability particularly through sustainable education and technology, and green industry/jobs for struggling economies. Our purpose is to unveil solution packages for poor and impoverished communities facing catastrophes. We have established An Advisory Team to oversee the development and professionalization of this initiative. The 6- to 8-person advisory team is composed of men and women with backgrounds in education, technology, green industry and job creation, not-for-profit and community organizations, government, and media. These professionals have expressed a genuine interest in sustainable education, technology, and industry/jobs for struggling economies domestically and internationally. We seek cooperative alliances with members of professional groups who align with these priorities. STRATEGIES - The strategy of The Humanitarian Sustainability Initiative involves a 3-Tier Approach comprised principally of Humanitarian Interventions, Human Rights Advocacy, and Sustainable Initiatives. We have several objectives. First, we aim to acknowledge the ongoing on the ground efforts for survival and sustainability of communities facing catastrophes, and the individuals, groups, organizations, and governments supporting them. Second, we aim to recognize the creative and tech-savvy environmental projects being developed in community-, industry-, and school-based programs within the United States and abroad. These projects engage youth, communities, government, large and small nongovernmental organizations, educational institutions, and corporate industry leaders in strategic alliances with positive, practical results. Third, we aim to recognize exemplary environmental projects that include poor people as contributors of solutions and that meet practical needs in impoverished communities like job creation. Fourth, we aim to bring together green innovators, funders, and decision makers from community-based organizations, government offices, and industries of all types to focus attention and resources on communities in need of affordable, effective, multipurpose sustainable solutions. Primary areas of concern include health care and health maintenance, communications, education, energy and housing, agriculture and food production, sanitation, and transportation that are affordable, practical, and sustainable for struggling economies. PLANS - Participants in The Humanitarian Sustainability Initiative will include non-government organizations and various types of decision-makers, teams of youth from middle and high schools, colleges, and universities in the United States and abroad; educators and experts; and community and industry leaders who have developed and implemented exemplary sustainable projects in the field. The foundation of this initiative will rest on the theme of building survival possibilities and sustainability plans that have a strong possibility of resolving and/or preventing public health crises. Humanitarian Crises - Focus of The Humanitarian Sustainability Initiative will be to unveil sustainable intervention and humanitarian based solution packages that have a strong possibility of resolving and/or preventing public health crises like starvation, disease and malnutrition, poverty and chronic joblessness, homelessness, violence, and perpetual economic crisis. Human Rights Advocacy – The long-term work to address civil, cultural, economic, environmental, political, and social rights involves the participation of all members of societies, and strongly committed experts who can help to lead the way. The Humanitarian Sustainability Initiative will engage the participation of organizations like the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR), Amnesty International, and Human Rights Advocates (HRA), among others. Stakeholders – Other groups of prime importance to the success of The Humanitarian Sustainability Initiative include grassroots organizations, student and faculty educators, and industry experts. These participants and others can function as speakers and panel and poster presenters to discuss the social and political terrain of the principal locations being addressed, as well as the scope of the humanitarian crisis, and to identify types of support needed for long-term planning and development. Teams – Student, Community, and Industry teams will showcase sustainable technology projects in the areas of health care and health maintenance, communications, education, energy and housing, agriculture and food production, sanitation, and transportation that are affordable, practical, and sustainable for struggling economies. Exemplary Projects – we aim to acknowledgement and award community, youth, and industry teams that develop and showcase exemplary sustainable projects geared to work in economically depressed rural regions like Appalachia, states like California, cities like Detroit and Greensboro, nations like Chile and Haiti, and sovereign territories like Navajo Country. These locales represent poor and/or impoverished communities or significant populations with struggling economies. Funders - We will give special emphasis to locate funders, invite their participation in The Humanitarian Sustainability Initiative, and list them as resources. Organizers aim to invite the participation of funders of all types such as corporations, government grant programs, not-for-profit organizations, grassroots enterprises, charitable foundations, and individual humanitarians, organizers to participate at all levels. Teams are encouraged to contact funders for the development and on-going support of their sustainable projects and prototypes in poor and/or impoverished locations. Solution Packages – Primary Objectives of The Humanitarian Sustainability Initiative include that all participate in solution packages that include important contacts and stakeholder relationships in the areas of advocacy and legislation, human and environmental rights, investigative and research capabilities in targeted communities, corporate and industry expertise, new and creative alliances for sustainable skill building, project development, and ongoing funding. Professionals – We seek cooperative alliances with members of professional groups and associations to help educate, treat, and support national and international communities in crises in the following ways. 1. Share information on The Humanitarian Sustainability Initiative within your spheres of influence, domains of interest, and known funding sourc 2. Participate by giving presentations at regional and national, international conferences on communities in crisis and possible solutions 3. Collaborate with humanitarian, human rights, and sustainable technology experts to form a team that supports activities and programs on the ground in struggling communities The following are some of the areas within distressed communities needing your on-going support and professional expertise: Death and Dying Human Rights and Empowerment Violence and Abuse (Rape, Domestic Violence) Trauma and Stress Public Health Inter-group, Inter-cultural, and International Conflict Resolution Special Populations: women, children, elderly, men and masculinity, etc Pediatric, Child, and Adolescent populations Education Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Sex and Sexuality Clinical and Personality Issues Bio-Psychological impact of Crises Rehabilitation Behavior Analysis Community and Social research Substance Abuse Counseling and Therapy Religion and Faith initiatives Environmental, Population, and Conservation issues, projects and research Media Sports