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Which Organizations are Listed in the WiserEarth Directory?
Any organization entered into the WiserEarth directory must meet 2 key criteria:
1. Must be an organization working in the fields of sustainability or social justice.
2. The work of the organization (based on the mission statement) must be focused on overcoming inequality or environmental harm.
Specifically, organizations in the WiserEarth directory include:
- Non-profit and Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), for-profits, and government entities that address poverty, social justice and the environment – contributing to a sustainable world
- Faith-based organizations doing non-denominational work that do not require an acceptance of their faith to participate in the organization or to carry out their work
- Health-related organizations that work on environmental health, human rights and health, and equity issues
- Research Institutes working on sustainability or social justice issues
- Schools/Universities with a sustainability or social justice focus
- United Nations organizations working on sustainability issues
- Foundations addressing sustainability issues
- Organizations working on Human Rights
- Organizations working on Social Justice and Equity
- Organizations working on Environmental Protection and Environmental Sustainability
Organizations that do not qualify for inclusion
- Labor Unions
- Trade Associations
- Political Parties
- Faith-based organizations that require acceptance of their religion, or are performing missionary / proselytizing work
- Museums / Aquariums / Libraries / Zoos
- Orphanages
- Hospitals
- Organizations that are purely health-related
While browsing through the site you may see organization profiles that are flagged Out of Scope. This means that an organization's mission does not fit within the parameters listed in these guidelines.
Your Thoughts?
Specific characteristics of organizations to be included in the WiserEarth directory have never been defined. As a result, these guidelines are always going to be a work in progress. WE (the WiserEarth community) invite you to add your thoughts, comments or ideas in the comment area below.
If you are new to the WiserEarth community, you may want to learn more about the history and background of this website.
Comments (1 - 4 of 4)
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Hello Bowo, |
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Hello JP,
Thanks so much for your comment. I think organizations working on biodiversity, cultural diversity and appropriate technology are well covered as those three are included as part of WiserEarth's Areas of Focus.
Yes, those that have anything to do with military-industrial complex, corrupt corporate/political process and GMO-focused activities will certainly won't make it into the directory.
On the biotech, geotech and nanotech front however, I'm not quite sure. What do you thing the reasons they can not help in creating a more sustainable world? Biomimicry for example is a cutting edge field that takes lessons from nature for technology and can I think be said to be both biotech and nanotech. It's included as part of the Areas of Focus too. Btw, what do you mean by geotechnology?
And I would say yes too for the need to review Museums / Aquariums / Libraries / Zoos / Hospitals / Labor Unions on a case by case basis. The question is what are the criterias to include/exclude?
School of Public Health by the way can probably included under the following criterias:
All in all, I wonder what clause (sentence) would you add to the above guidelines?
Below is what I'm working on at the moment. Hope this will provide clearer criterias for each sector (non-profit, for-profit, government):
Thanks again JP. Look forward for your follow up comments. ___________________________________________________________________________
Non-Profit / Non-Governmental Organizations
Businesses / For-Profit Organizations
Government Agencies
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The Directory should be limited to Organizations that promote Bio-diversity and Cultural-diversity which I also think would include any group or organization that promotes appropriate technology -- which I would define as technology that uses nature's income without degrading it capital.
There are a number of guidelines for evaluating orgaizations. The Precautionary Principle should be the upper-most concern. The Socially Responsible Investing groups also have good guidlines. I question any governmental group or organization that has any associations with the military-industrial complex, or is heavily influenced by the corporate/political process.
There are some organizations such as Museums / Aquariums / Libraries / Zoos, Hospitals and Organizations that are purely health-related that might qualify on a case by case basis. Schools of Public Health are generally focused on Bio-diversity, Cultural-diversity and the Precautionary Principle and might be good candidates.
In Central and South America the Labor Unions are some of the most pro-environment and people oriented groups and they should be evaluated on a case by case basis.
NO Biotechnology, Geotechnology or Nanotechnology organizations should be included because there are no valid guidelines to how these groups function. GMO-focused development is a good example of groups that probably to more damage than good.
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SUBJECT: DEMOCRATIC REFORM
Perhaps Clean Elections -- aka Fair Elections or Public Campaign Financing -- should be added to Wiser Earth subject category of Democratic Reform.
Clean Elections removes the corrupting influence of Big Money from elections, and is the reform that makes other reforms possible. Thus, Clean Elections affects progress in environmental protection, clean air and water, social justice -- in short, every political issue. This is a bi-partisan issue.
Clean Elections has been working in U.S. states of Arizona and Maine for seven or eight years, and has changed who runs for office, how they campaign, and -- once elected -- how they act as elected officials not beholden to Big Money interests.
LINKS include:
Learn the basics: www.caclean.org/faq/basics.php
Campus organizing: www.democracymatters.org
Resource page and Florida effort: www.spacecoastprogressivealliance.org/elections/