ORAMA INITIATIVE on SUSTAINABLE MELIAN DEVELOPMENT
	Sustainability is a systematic concept, relating to the continuity and preservation of the strength and the productive capacity of a system. It is an economic development approach that strives to achieve a better quality of life for everybody through the overall improvement of living conditions (social, institutional and environmental).
Such an economic development approach calls for the protection and management of: Environmental Sustainability, the protection of natural resources, by restraining natural resource degradation, environmental deterioration and pollution within the nature’s limits of rehabilitation. Cultural Sustainability, the protection of cultural heritage, social values and local tradition, in order to achieve an overall balance and to improve the quality of living. Agenda 21, the bible on sustainable development for the 21st century, was revealed at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro.
Sustainable development requires a conscious, active engagement of all citizens (a citizen synergy). Local authorities and community representatives play a central role in the design, promotion and implementation of the Local Action Plan. They together undertake the education of the community on sustainable development and the promotion of sustainable awareness. ORAMA is a people’s initiative for the achievement of the above goals in Milos. Ιn order to formulate a Melian Agenda 21, the integrated Action Plan throughout all sectors, our community should address major issues like: promoting sustainable land-use planning and management sustainable planning of mining activities environmentally sound leisure and tourism activities sustainable management of major infrastructure projects (water supply resources, sewage, transportation etc.) restoration and further sustainable management of sea and marine ecosystem promotion and preservation of biotopes enhancement and constrained development of villages and rural areas protection and promotion of natural beauty sites and cultural heritage rational use of geothermal energy of low enthalpy promoting public awareness towards sustainability and preservation of our resources ORAMA welcomes the cooperation of all community members in the improvement of environmental quality in our community. The Local Council proceeded with the initiation procedures for a local Agenda 21 on December 2003, by approving the establishment of a Local Committee on Sustainable Development. The committee consists of representatives of Milos’ Municipality, the labor union, major trade and tourism unions and ORAMA. It originally focuses on the introduction of participative and consensus-building procedures for the sustainable development of our island. Excerpts from the newspaper “ORAMA”, issued periodically by “ORAMA, the Initiative on Sustainable Melian Development” Contact: Manoussos Droungas e-mail: oramamilos@mail.gr Further Readings: UN Department of Economics and Social Affairs: Full text of the Agenda 21 http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/index.htm Wikipedia: Agenda 21 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agenda_21 EAP: Environmental Action Program http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ Calvià Local Agenda 21: Sustainable Development in a Tourism Municipality (Spain) http://habitat.aq.upm.es/bpes/onu98/bp438.en.html ICLEI: Local Government for Sustainability http://www.iclei.org/ Guide to Implementing Local Environmental Action Programs in Central and Eastern Europe http://www.rec.org/REC/Publications/LEAP_Guide/default.html Progressive Governance http://www.progressive-governance.net/
Sustainable community: A community that uses its resources to meet current needs while ensuring that adequate resources are available for future generations.