International Association for Public Participation

= IAP2 wants to expand the definition of sustainability to encompass all the characteristics that make decision making processes and the resulting decisions sustainable.

URL = http://iap2.org/

Description

"Sustainable decision making has long been an underlying principle of public participation. IAP2’s emphasis on inclusionary processes is predicated on the belief that better decisions are made when community and social implications of that decision are fully factored into the decision making process. When the IAP2 Core Values were reviewed and revitalized in 2005, sustainable decision making was explicitly added as part of our values going forward.

The 2009 IAP2 conference will provide the opportunity to discuss the multiple facets of sustainability. In a kind of double entendre, we want to explore the state of the art both in terms of how to make decisions that reflect sustainability principles, as well as, how to make decisions that are themselves “sustainable.” We believe these two facets feed into each other, but as the world’s premier organization focused on public participation in public decisions, IAP2 believes that the sustainability of the decision itself is in need of closer examination." (http://iap2.org/displayconvention.cfm)

Principles

Core Values for the Practice of Public Participation

"As an international leader in public participation, IAP2 has developed the "IAP2 Core Values for Public Participation" for use in the development and implementation of public participation processes. These core values were developed over a two year period with broad international input to identify those aspects of public participation which cross national, cultural, and religious boundaries. The purpose of these core values is to help make better decisions which reflect the interests and concerns of potentially affected people and entities.

• Public participation is based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process.

• Public participation includes the promise that the public's contribution will influence the decision.

• Public participation promotes sustainable decisions by recognizing and communicating the needs and interests of all participants, including decision makers.

• Public participation seeks out and facilitates the involvement of those potentially affected by or interested in a decision.

• Public participation seeks input from participants in designing how they participate.

• Public participation provides participants with the information they need to participate in a meaningful way.

• Public participation communicates to participants how their input affected the decision."

(http://www.iap2.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=4)