The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a useful framework for communities to make progress on issues that matter to them. Many cities and communities are already working to localize the SDGs, and others are exploring ways to do so. This webinar explores promising approaches for Canadian communities to advance the SDGs.
There was a question in the chat that we didn't have a chance to address during the webinar about suggestions for how rural areas can get started. This is an important question given that nearly 20% of Canada's population is based in rural areas. We asked around and here's what we heard:
The 10 ways to get started that are outlined in the 10 Guide are equally relevant in rural areas as in urban ones.
Two particular ideas may be especially useful for rural settings: researching what others have done and connecting with a mentor community. When researching other examples, try narrowing the search down to other places in a rural setting. For example, the rural municipality of Asker, Norway, developed a Voluntary Local Review earlier this year, and Shimokawa, Japan, a small town with a population of just over 3,000 people conducted their VLR in 2018 and has since attracted much international attention for their approach to engaging the community in a deep and meaningful way. Rural communities in Canada might consider reaching out to others in Canada or abroad, such as Asker and Shimokawa, to learn from them and see whether they might be open to offering mentorship.
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