A dynamic networking session on “Power and Hope of Sustainable Community Development: Building Strong Local Leadership and Active Public Participation” was held at the World Urban Forum III conference in Vacouver, BC on June 22, 2006. The meeting room was packed to standing-room-only and was moderated by Michael Lithgow from Concordia University. The international panel discussed successful sustainable community development initiatives from around the world and the key role of citizen participation. Organized by Earth Council Alliance, the panel discussion included Gordon Feller, Urban Age Institute (USA), Hector Castañon Reyes, LEAD Mexico, Michael Bloomfield, Harmony Foundation (Canada), Salvador Peniche Camps, University of Guadalajara (Mexico), and Wang Lixin and Xue Yanyan from the Environmental Management College (China). Panelists then joined participants in working group discussions to address:

The networking session was successfully broadcast live over FM radio to demonstrate how community media can help promote the sustainable development movement.