Please forward
to our network!!!!
International Dialog
on Zero Waste in Naples Italy
February 18-21 2009.
This is an official
call for papers and agenda items.
The four-day event will
include:
¨
Zero Waste International Alliance Planning Group
Meeting (2/18/09)
- Submit proposed agenda items for
international organizing on Zero Waste
¨
Zero Waste International Dialog (2/19-20, 2009)
- Reports on best Zero Waste policies,
programs, practices and facilities implemented by business and communities
around the world.
- Papers on proposed international
policy (e.g. Davos Zero Waste accords, Blue Mountain Recyclers statement, Zero
Waste 10 Commandments from Mal Williams, City to Soils of Gerry Gillespie)
- Draft over-arching principles of Zero
Waste.
- Presentations on local zero waste
activities
¨
Zero Waste Community Workshop for
community leaders and local businesses (2/21/09)
Please send agenda items
and 50 word abstracts on the above to “International Dialog” c/o Ricanthony@no.address by September 30, 2008.
Background:
Last April-May 2008 Paul Connett, Eric
Lombardi, Jeff Morris and Rick Anthony presented at Zero Waste conferences and
town meetings throughout northern Italy. The result was the same
everywhere: the local grassroots citizens attended, ready to listen to another
way of handling community and business discards. The Italian Zero Waste
organization, led by Rossano Ercolini was able to network our group of traveling
Zero Waste experts to local Zero Waste representatives in each town. There
is a network of Zero Waste advocates growing throughout the country and all of
Europe. It is time to organize a Zero
Waste International dialog and face-to-face meeting, since Europe is getting to critical mass, and if we don't get
organized, we stand to lose our brand.
Rossano has agreed to work
with us to host a Zero Waste International Dialog gathering in Naples Italy. Set your calendar for
February 18 -21 2009.
Since our first Zero Waste meetings in
Penang and Beaumaris we have held two
International Dialogs (San Francisco 2004 and Davos 2007). In all cases
our coming together has led to synergies that have captured the imagination of
the world. The movement for Zero Waste in Italy
is a surge in grassroots activities propelled by the threat of global warming,
proposed incinerators and the European Union’s decree to phase out organics from
landfilling. The whole region is interested in what Zero Waste is and how
to implement it.
With major corporations leading the way, Zero
Waste is now seen as an effective means for complying with greening of the earth
standards and the results have been wins in efficiency and
perception. It is very important that we join together on a global basis
and adopt over arching principles for those who will be tasked by their company
or government to implement these programs. We need to discuss and endorse
our methodology and metrics.
Rossano and our Zero Waste friends in
Italy are willing to help us host
this event. The ZWIA Planning Group (ZWIA Plan) has voted to organize the
dialog and the program. As organizers, Gary Liss and I are taking the
initiative and will follow up on all tasks. I plan to be there on site to
the finish, and we will have principles that we want to adopt and to address how
to make a sustainable international front.
We think the structure
of the International Dialog organized in San
Francisco works as a model for this event in Italy:
- One half day on Wednesday afternoon
(followed by a social dinner) for
Zero Waste International Alliance Planning Group to meet face to face
and hold a networking and organizing meeting.
- Thursday/Friday Zero Waste
International Dialog.
Hopefully by the end of
the second day we will have positions that the group will be able to circulate
to adopt internationally.
- Saturday Zero Waste Community Workshop
with local organizers on how to initiate and adopt Zero Waste policies and
plans for businesses and communities.
In San
Francisco we were able to raise some money for speaker travel from
primarily California state agencies, which we knew
well. This time the locals will get the location but you have to take care
of your travel.
Budget and facilities permitting, we may
try to arrange Internet connections again for some
presentations.
Ricanthony@no.address
RichardAnthonyAssociates.com
San Diego, California