The Canadian Environmental Network (RCEN) is an umbrella organization for environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) located across Canada. This non-profit organization was mainly funded by Environment Canada and helped to facilitate networking and communication between environmental organizations, and coordinate ENGO participation in consultations with government. A portion of the funding flowed through to affiliated provincial environmental networks before it was cancelled in 2011. The RCEN also works to educate the public on major issues and policy-making in regards to the environment. [1]
The RCEN is independent and non-partisan, which means it does not take positions on environmental issues, although its members do. It was established in 1977 by six environmental organizations, and today connects more than 700 ENGOs through its eleven regional networks. [2] The Manitoba Eco-Network is an example of one of the provincial umbrella groups in the network that have members from only that province.
The RCEN facilitates and promotes sharing of knowledge, resources and collaborative efforts to influence domestic and international practices, policies, laws and agreements affecting the environment. An annual general meeting is held each year to elect a governing board of directors and national council which represent the network's diverse membership. A Conference on the Environment is also organized to allow staff, members from all the regional networks and the public to meet, plan and discuss environmental issues. This increases public participation in the democratic process and to helps Canadian citizens communicate more effectively with the federal government.
Several national caucus groups allow individual members to work collaboratively on issues. These caucuses also choose delegates to participate in government consultations through a transparent democratic selection process.
The organization's principal mandate is to Protect the Earth and Promote Ecologically Sound Ways of Life by helping its member groups preserve and protect the natural beauty, diversity, habitats, landscapes, regions, forests, ecological integrity, quality of water, quality of air and health of all species and their interdependent relationships.
A non-government organization (NGO) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in humanitarianism or the social sciences; they can also include clubs and associations that provide services to their members and others. Surveys indicate that NGOs have a high degree of public trust, which can make them a useful proxy for the concerns of society and stakeholders. However, NGOs can also be lobby groups for corporations, such as the World Economic Forum.
The North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO) is a federation of housing cooperatives in Canada and the United States, started in 1968. Traditionally, NASCO has been associated with student housing cooperatives, though non-student cooperatives are included in its network. NASCO provides its member cooperatives with operational assistance, encourages the development of new cooperatives, and serves as an advocate for cooperatives to government, universities, and communities. NASCO teaches leadership skills, provides information, and serves as a central link in facilitating the fruition of the cooperative vision for students and youth.
The Initiative for Policy Dialogue (IPD) is a non-profit organization based at Columbia University in the United States.
Global governance refers to institutions that coordinate the behavior of transnational actors, facilitate cooperation, resolve disputes, and alleviate collective action problems. Global governance broadly entails making, monitoring, and enforcing rules. Within global governance, a variety of types of actors – not just states – exercise power. Governance is thus broader than government.
Sierra Club Canada (SCC) is a Canadian environmental organization. It is part of the environmental movement.
The Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) is a composite index, composed of eight interconnected domains that measures stability and change in the wellbeing of Canadians over time. The CIW describes wellbeing as, "The presence of the highest possible quality of life in its full breadth of expression, focused on but not necessarily exclusive to: good living, standards, robust health, a sustainable environment, vital communities, an educated populace, balanced time use, high levels of democratic participation, and access to and participation in leisure and culture". The CIW acts as a companion measure of societal progress to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is based solely upon economic productivity.
Open-source governance is a political philosophy which advocates the application of the philosophies of the open-source and open-content movements to democratic principles to enable any interested citizen to add to the creation of policy, as with a wiki document. Legislation is democratically opened to the general citizenry, employing their collective wisdom to benefit the decision-making process and improve democracy.
The Manitoba Eco-Network is an environmental non-governmental organization (ENGO) and registered charity located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is a regional affiliate of the Canadian Environmental Network, based in Ottawa, Ontario. The Manitoba Eco-Network is a network for approximately 50 ENGOs throughout the province. The stated goal of the Manitoba Eco-Network is to "promote positive environmental action by connecting people and groups in our communities." In practice, it attempts to achieve this goal by providing services to its member groups and the public indirectly through its varied projects.
Environmental policy is the commitment of an organization or government to the laws, regulations, and other policy mechanisms concerning environmental issues. These issues generally include air and water pollution, waste management, ecosystem management, maintenance of biodiversity, the management of natural resources, wildlife and endangered species. For example, concerning environmental policy, the implementation of an eco-energy-oriented policy at a global level to address the issues of global warming and climate changes could be addressed. Policies concerning energy or regulation of toxic substances including pesticides and many types of industrial waste are part of the topic of environmental policy. This policy can be deliberately taken to influence human activities and thereby prevent undesirable effects on the biophysical environment and natural resources, as well as to make sure that changes in the environment do not have unacceptable effects on humans.
An ENGO is a non-governmental organization (NGO) in the field of environmentalism. These organizations operate both locally and internationally which makes them play an important role in dealing with different kinds of environmental issues that are happening in the contemporary world. One of the most distinguishable things between environmental NGOs and environmental movements is that environmental NGOs have constitutions that state the rules of how power gets distributed among the people who are part of them.
A food safety agency or food administration is a kind of agency found in various countries and international organizations with responsibilities related to food, primarily with ensuring the safety of food sold or distributed to the population, and with ensuring that food sellers inform the population of the origins and health qualities and risks associated with food being sold.
Electronic participation (e-participation) is the term referring to ICT-supported participation in processes involving government and citizens. Processes may concern administration, service delivery, decision making and policy making. E-participation is hence closely related to e-government and e-governance participation. The need for the term has emerged as citizen interests and interaction with political service providers have increasingly become digitized due to the rise of e-government.
Public participation, also known as citizen participation or patient and public involvement, is the inclusion of the public in the activities of any organization or project. Public participation is similar to but more inclusive than stakeholder engagement.
The Canadian Intergovernmental Committee on Urban and Regional Research (ICURR), located in Toronto, Ontario was established in 1968 following a Federal-Provincial Conference on Housing and Urban Development for the purpose of exchanging information between policy-makers on urban, rural and regional matters between provincial governments across Canada and at all levels of government. Not all provinces and territories were initially contributing members. In the late 1970s ICURR was formally established through an Order of Council with Ontario and Memorandums of Agreement between ICURR and the participating provinces and territories.
The North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO), is the phytosanitary standard setting organization recognized by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It was created in 1976 as a regional organization of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Previously based in Ottawa, Ontario, it is now headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The Halifax Initiative is a coalition of Canadian non-governmental organizations for public interest work and education on international financial institutions. Canadian non-governmental organizations formed the Halifax Initiative in December 1994 to ensure that demands for fundamental reform of the international financial institutions would be high on the agenda of the upcoming June 1995 Group of 7 meeting in Halifax. The Halifax Initiative is a coalition of development, environment, faith-based, human rights and labour groups.
Collaborative e-democracy is a democratic conception that combines key features of direct democracy, representative democracy, and e-democracy. The concept was first published at two international academic conferences in 2009.
The United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service is a programme of the United Nations mandated to promote and develop constructive relations between the United Nations and civil society organizations. UN-NGLS operates autonomously across the United Nations system and with civil society constituencies and social movements on cross-cutting and emerging issues on the UN agenda. For example, UN-NGLS currently focuses on the UN General Assembly preparatory process for negotiations of a global compact on migration, and high-level events organized by the President of the UN General Assembly. UN-NGLS advises civil society organizations on opportunities to engage with the UN and facilitates their participation in various UN processes and events. UN-NGLS has offices at UN headquarters in New York and is part of the United Nations Department of Global Communications.
The Hispanic Federation (HF) is a U.S based non-governmental organization focused on supporting Hispanic communities through local, state, and national advocacy. The Federation was founded in New York City in 1990 by a small group of Latino leaders, establishing initiatives to advocate for the interests of the Hispanic community and has expanded to establish programs, and policies in 16 states. The organization's objective is to empower and advance the Hispanic community primarily through service pillars, membership services, advocacy, and community programs. The Federation has formed relationships with a network of 100 Latino grassroots nonprofits, as well as collaborating with organizations, government officials, and private sector partners to enact systemic change related to a variety of socioeconomic issues for Hispanic communities. The Federation has gained national recognition for its work in areas of education, health, immigration, economic empowerment, civic engagement, environment, and organizational development to strengthening Latino institutions to ultimately increase the quality of life within Hispanic communities.