As we navigate an increasingly fragmented and polarized world, one of the key themes at the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils 2024 focuses on “Building Trust for Global Collaboration.” In this context, social sustainability—an essential pillar alongside economic and environmental sustainability—plays a vital role in fostering trust and enhancing community collaboration. The World Bank Group (WBG) has emphasized the importance of social sustainability as a significant effort contributing to the ongoing advancement of well-being, equity, and justice within societies. This focus is particularly crucial as we confront complex challenges together, including climate change, migration, and social inequality. By prioritizing social sustainability and the well-being of “People,” we can strengthen our collaborative approaches to effectively tackle these urgent global challenges.
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY'S KEY COMPONENTS
Social sustainability encompasses four key components that are essential for building trust:
Social Cohesion: Fostering shared purpose, trust, and cooperation among individuals and groups is vital for collaboration. By working together for the common good, we can strengthen relationships that transcend borders and sectors.
Inclusion: Ensuring access to essential services and opportunities for all, particularly marginalized communities, enhances their agency and dignity. An inclusive approach invites diverse voices into discussions, promoting broader collaboration and understanding.
Resilience: Creating safe environments for all individuals, especially the disadvantaged, ensures that communities can withstand shocks while preserving their cultural integrity. Resilience-building fosters stability, essential for trust in global partnerships.
Process Legitimacy: Gaining acceptance for authority and policy implementation within communities is critical. Effective conflict resolution and transparency in processes build trust, facilitating collaboration on shared goals.
TRANSFORMING MINDANAO: WORLD BANK'S STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC GROWTH
A GREAT success case is Mindanao, the second-largest island in the Philippines, which is home to a quarter of the country's population. Unfortunately, nearly a third of its residents grapple with poverty, conflict, and governance challenges, making poverty reduction in this region a top priority. Despite its potential as an agricultural hub, Mindanao faces significant obstacles like low farm productivity, poor connectivity for farmers, trade obstacles, and prolonged land disputes. These issues have resulted in slow job creation and increased poverty. To combat these challenges, the World Bank has introduced a strategy in alignment with the local stakeholders and the Philippine Government's vision for Mindanao's peace and development. The approach focuses on three main priorities: improving farm productivity, enhancing logistics and transportation, and modernizing customs procedures. Addressing connectivity issues, exacerbated by a lack of skills among over 80% of Mindanao's poor farmers and fishermen, is vital to the plan. The strategy holds extensive potential, including national customs reforms, better farmers' access to Farm-to-Market Roads (FMRs), and job training for young people. Additionally, it bridges the gap between conflict and non-conflict areas in Mindanao. This supports socio-economic development to promote peace and long-term economic opportunities, ultimately guiding the World Bank's regional involvement.
Social sustainability is significant in achieving a harmonious balance between People, Planet, and Profit. Businesses can nurture social sustainability by integrating its core components into their models, all while taking into account the welfare of individuals, communities, and the global ecosystem. This will encourage collaboration, effectively address pressing challenges, and ensure the equitable allocation of resources, which, in turn, fosters a future where the well-being of all stakeholders is intertwined with economic growth.
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