A Dynamic Balance illuminates the importance of understanding the social dimension of sustainability as it examines the links between social capital and sustainable development within the overall context of local community development. Looking at case studies in both Australia and Canada, it draws upon lessons that can be learned to reconnect large urban centres and smaller communities. Given the number of small communities in both countries struggling to diversify from single-resource economies in a context of increasing globalization, the analysis touches on several critical public policy issues. This is a timely and provocative call for reconciliation and reconnection within and between communities.

'Social capital refers to the institutions, relationships, and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a society's social interactions... Social capital is not just the sum of the institutions which underpin a society - it is the glue that holds them together' (Bank, 1999). Such social glue is one factor that determines how well society is able to organize collective action to solve major problems. Without societal cohesion and focus it is very difficult to make significant change. As such social capital is a critical element of sustainability. It tends to be higher in sustainable communities by their very definition and can exist at all scales-local, regional and global. The inherent social capital of earlier societies has been in decline in America since the mid-20th century.

the success of nations, communities and individuals are linked, more than ever before, to how they adapt to change, learn and share knowledge. This report helps clarify the concepts of human and social capital and evaluates their impact on economic growth and well-being.

Many different companies can significantly contribute to the integrated goals and targets of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, such as poverty reduction by 2030. Poverty is not only about people living on less than $1.25 per day, but more fundamentally, it is their lack of capabilities and access to participate in productive economic activities. If companies can contribute in order to provide access and the necessary skills, then individuals will have the capabilities to achieve their aspirations, including earning a higher income. Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development supports Sen’s assertions that poverty can be alleviated if the capability of individuals is improved. Beyond that, this book shows that sustainable development goals can be achieved when the company’s CSR programs and social capital development in improving people’s capabilities are combined with necessary finance access and market access for the poor. The theoretical model developed from the journey of Astra International, one of the largest public-listed companies in Indonesia, is replicable for other companies aspiring to be sustainable in developing countries. The model shows a virtuous cycle between the corporate aim, CSR programs, social capital and corporate sustainability. This volume is of great value to academics, practitioners and policy makers interested in the themes of CSR, social capital and sustainable development of developing countries. It also appeals to professionals in industry associations, development agencies and international organizations, as well as NGOs that are concerned with the achievement of sustainable development goals by 2030.

This work details various methods of gauging social capital and provides illustrative case studies from Mali and India. It also offers a measuring instrument, the Social Capital Assessment Tool, that combines quantitative and qualitative approaches.

The pursuit of sustainable development and smart growth is a main challenge today in countries around the world. Social capital is an asset of their territorial communities. It is also a precondition for national and local policies that aim to better the economic base and quality of life for all. This change is socially diffused, economically sustainable over time, and smart in its content. A significant stock of social capital facilitates such results because it links into the process of development planning institutional decision makers and socioeconomic stakeholders who share trust, solidarity norms, and a community vision. In the last thirty years, social capital has become a forceful concept in the social sciences, the subject of many scholarly works and a topic of keen interest and debate in policy circles. Yet the main focus has been on defining and measuring social capital, with little attention given to its value in promoting development policies. Social Capital in Development Planning updates and advances the debate on social capital through the analysis of the application of the concept of social capital to programs for sustainable and smart socioeconomic development; empirical findings; and a new paradigm for development planning.

Pt. 1. Overviews of the field -- pt. 2. International perspectives -- pt. 3. The Role of business -- pt. 4. Local applications -- pt. 5. Integration and conclusion.

To enhance sustainable development research and practice the values of the researchers, project managers and participants must first be made explicit. Values in Sustainable Development introduces and compares worldviews and values from multiple countries and perspectives, providing a survey of empirical methods available to study environmental values as affected by sustainable development. The first part is methodological, looking at what values are, why they are important, and how to include values in sustainable development. The second part looks at how values differ across social contexts, religions and viewpoints demonstrating how various individuals may value nature from a variety of cultural, social, and religious points of view. The third and final part presents case studies ordered by scale from the individual and community levels through to the national, regional and international levels. These examples show how values can motivate, be incorporated into and be an integral part of the success of a project. This thought-provoking book gives researchers, students and practitioners in sustainable development a wealth of approaches to include values in their research.