Not long ago, a reader asked us why we hadn’t included Sustainability as a key trend in Convergence. Undoubtedly, there are profound changes underway – not only in our environment, but our economies and communities – that have governments, business, and the social sector alike grappling with how to respond. For many nonprofits, the issue of their own immediate “sustainability” (i.e. how to keep the doors open and maintain key programs and services) is a top priority. However, there are a growing number of organizations turning their attention to “big-S” Sustainability, with respect to the intersection of ecological, economic, and social challenges facing our planet.

To learn more about Sustainability and how nonprofits are participating in this growing movement, we spoke with Holly Brunk, Membership and Services Coordinator at The Natural Step Network in Portland, Oregon. She remarked on how in many ways the Sustainability field illustrates emerging trends called out in Convergence, such as sector blurring and the use of networks. By its very nature, this work must engage all sectors in developing solutions to complex problems. Brunk described how the evolution of what began as a primarily ecology-based framework into a more comprehensive vision including economic and social components has helped broaden the dialogue and even bring together those who may have traditionally seen one another as adversaries. “Adding financial and social sustainability frameworks to what has traditionally been just environmental creates more spaces for bridging that gap and finding common values,” she added.

Such cross-sector bridging is the topic of an upcoming webinar presented by the Healthy Eating Active Living Convergence Partnership, a funder collaborative seeking policy change to realize the vision of “healthy people living in healthy places.” The May 25 webinar, Strategies for Multi-Field and Cross-Sector Collaborations, will focus on partnering across fields (from health to urban planning, transportation, food and sustainable agriculture, and community/economic development) to build thriving communities. Is your organization prepared to work with others toward a more Sustainable future?

Databases rarely engender feelings of excitement or empowerment but Ushahidi, a crowd-sourcing tool developed as an open-source platform to map reports of violence in Kenya, is doing just that.

As described in the New York Times, Ushahidi is being used by the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, an advocacy group dedicated to reducing accidents at Louisiana refineries, to collect and log reports of the effects of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  It relies on witnesses to self-report via tweets, texts, e-mails and online submissions spill-related damage.

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