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Commit, encourage and volunteer” was the motto of the UN DPI-NGO conference: Sustainable Societies; Responsive Citizens in which 7 PERL partners participated. This sixty-fourth annual Department of Public Information/Non-Governmental Organization (DPI/NGO) Conference was held on the 3rd-5th September 2011 in Bonn, Germany following two days of global and regional UNEP consultations with ngo representatives.
The conference which focused on the role of civil society in creating and maintaining sustainable communities and developing responsive citizens concluded with a call to action and a declaration providing input into the Rio2012 Earth Summit preparations.
Some 1,300 participants from civil society organizations took part in four round table discussions, and more than 30 workshops and side events, sharing their experiences on the ground and presenting ideas on how to advance sustainable development around the world. The discussions covered a wide range of topics, including the role that volunteerism could play in building sustainable communities; the role of education in fostering change and training a new generation of activists; and the importance of changing consumer behaviour.
At the conference PERL hosted a well-attended workshop together with the CSD-Women’s Major Group entitled: “Moving Towards Sustainable Living through Education, Gender Equity and Sustainable Economic Initiatives”. In addition, PERL director, Victoria W. Thoresen had presentations at several panels and workshops.
