The SAC Method

Forming Sustainable Action Coalition Groups to Promote an Integrated Sustainable Development Model

 

Preliminary Vision Statement: The major role of a Sustainable Action Coalition group (SAC) is to facilitate a better integration of human, financial and technological knowledge networks.

 Basic tasks in further organizing SAC Development Group:

1. Plan and set date for next meeting which will thread together the results of any smaller meetings of the group between this meeting and the next one.
2. Select leadership group and develop process for updating larger groups of core groups actions.
3. Develop vision, mission and values statements
4. Discuss how group would and should relate to larger “New World NGO Network“
5. Definition of the Group’s work and various scenarios for moving forward including development of bylaws and registration as a membership derived NGO.

Vision Mission and Values Statements: Engage in a discussion of using Assets Based Community Development approach as a model – including the below components:

• Vision Mapping – Towards making the local SAC into a convergence point where people’s visions can be supported.
• Resource Mapping – Discussion of various resources sustainable resources, approaches and technologies to facilitate the realization of our dreams.
• Network Mapping -  Map out the complementary way that our networks can be used to effectively empower us.

Breakout Groups: Break out groups continue the process started by the larger group meetings. These groups are assigned specific tasks to carry out to help keep the momentum going. They meet between the larger gathers of the SAC and report to the SAC. Group leads can be selected by the SAC leader who is elected by the members of the SAC or by the group itself. A core values statement for the group is the foundational first step in the further development and refinement of this group and its purpose. Once the values statement is complete the group could consider moving forward on additional organizational steps including defining of mission, vision and goals, formation of bylaws, incorporation and nonprofit status, selection of directors/officiers etc.

1. Plan and set date for smaller breakout meetings to further develop pathway forward discussion into concrete statements and documents to further organize the group.
2. Cultivate discussion and then develop pathway to engage larger group with some of the ideas we developed for further discussion on the SAC discussion group. This includes further developing organizational documentation for distribution to SAC group and to the larger community.
3. Develop a preliminary vision statement which will form the basis of further work action oriented work by the break out groups.

Formation of Core Leadership Team: Discuss organizational and development and determine the best path forward for establishing core leadership team. This will include the selection of a core membership team. The group will be responsible for planning and facilitating future meetings and also for coordinating promotional and organizational efforts.

1. Form core group for further organizing SAC
2. Develop roles and responsibilities for Leadership group
3. Coordinate the work of the core group with the larger group. As part of this democratic or participatory process we eventually need to know about the needs of these people and a way to evaluate those needs.
   1. Why the people went to the, their expectations and also their vision of what BASAC or a similar named group might be
   2. What practical actions towards sustainability it might involve itself in.

Definition and Exploration of what it Means to be an Action Tank: To become an action tank we need to explore what are the real “sustainability” needs and vision/s of the region are and then reflect and agree on what “vehicle/s” (including names and resources) and structure/s is/are best suited for making things happen and which also really have real teeth/impact. This includes defining exactly what is meant by the specific SAC Action Tank and various options in terms of how we might move forward on a practical level to promote sustainability not simply in terms of talking about but rather developing a plan and a funding vehicle to initial a sustainable project that might involve the development of a demo center as a practical expression of our action tank model:

• Could this include co-housing but also include several commercial projects to fund not only the residents of the proposed sustainability EcoCenter but expansion to the focus area, other surrounding communities and then other regions both internal and external to the host country of the SAC and in this way dovetail with OVF’s mission?
• Discuss how this might offer ways that people in the group and in group member’s extended networks could invest in hands-on sustainable development as a way to redirect resources towards activities that are more consistent with individual as well as the larger values and ideals of the network?
• Could this include outreach other groups both locally and internationally for allied groups such as CoR and the Global Ecovillage Network?
• What makes the SAC concept compelling? And based on that concept of what makes us compelling how can we then effectively reach out to the media, other civil society groups  as well as government and leading socially and ecologically conscious businesses, etc?