Investing healthy and sustainable community development in Nova Scotia

The Coastal Communities Network (CCN) of Nova Scotia provides a forum to encourage dialogue and share information that promotes the survival and enhancement of our rural coastal communities The goal of the Rural Communities Impacting Policy (RCIP) Project is to increase the ability of rural communities and organizations in Nova Scotia to access and use social science research in order to influence [...] CCN and people in partner communities reported that the lack of core funding for community groups erodes the capacity of communities to address issues that affect them and develop plans for their future.2 In response to this issue and other issues affecting the decline of coastal and rural communities across the province, the Government of Nova Scotia has proposed a Community Development Policy to [...] Empowering communities to plan for their future emphasizes the importance of “ownership” of the development initiative as a means of sustainable community development.16 1.4 Sustainable Development17 The idea of sustainability arises from the environmental movement and was embraced by the United Nations at the World Conference on Sustainable Development, the “Earth Summit” in Rio (1992), and the W [...] As suggested in the proposed community development policy, the CDA could fairly represent the interests of the community, and incorporate mechanisms such as accountability, evidence-based community interest and socially inclusive practices.31 Figure 132 expands the CDA model developed at the Rural Policy Forum workshop by adding much of the language and ideas from the provincial paper.33 In the in [...] Roseland stated, “A healthy community reflects the health of its citizens.”36 The foundations of healthy communities are rooted in working conditions and the quality of the physical and socio-economic environment in the community.37 In an effort to express these ideas, the Healthy Communities approach was derived from a worldwide Healthy Cities movement, launched by the WHO (World Health Organizat