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 “Representatives from several countries come to us to learn more about our methodology,” says Rodrigo Rocha Loures, president of the Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná, after introducing the “Nós Podemos Paraná” program, during the parallel event to the UN General Assembly that dealt specifically with the Millennium Goals. The information is available, in English, at www.orbis.org.br.
  
The Paraná experience was the only South American one to be presented during the New York meeting. The movement was chosen because it is an effective action that takes the global Millennium Development Goals to several locations and orchestrates initiatives to have them met. 
 
According to Rocha Loures, what sets the Paraná initiative apart is the monitoring of indicators and results by Orbis, the IPD (Development Promotion Institute), FIEP, and Sesi (Social Service of Industries). “The indicators are critical in identifying local potential and needs. They are instruments through which governments can identify priorities and define policies to tackle people’s real needs, besides measuring initiatives results”, says Orbis’s coordinator, Luciana Brenner.
 
The “Nós Podemos Paraná” movement was created in 2006, during a suplementary phase to the monitoring of urban sustainability activities carried out by Orbis (Sustainability Indicators Observatory). The work aimed at helping Paraná to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), by 2010, five years ahead of the deadline set by the UN.
 
According to Maria Aparecida Zago, the movement’s coordinator, as of the implementation of this new culture, most participants of the “Nós Podemos Paraná” movement began to realize that it is very important to advance the MDGs. “The goals set by the UN are seen as a challenge that cannot be dealt with in isolation. It requires a general concerted effort.”

MDG Portal – Rocha Loures also said that the MDGs Portal – an initiative of PNUD, in partnership with UNICEF Brasil, and ORbis – will post information on every Brazilian municipality, providing a general overview of the MDGs outreach and disseminating information that will allow in-depth knowledge of local reality. The Portal will be launched in November.
 
Supported by UNICEF Brasil, Orbis has customized the DeVInfo System, containing information on the Millennium indicators, for over 5 thousand Brazilian municipalities. “The Portal alone will is not enough to ensure that the MDGs are met. But, undoubtedly, in addition to contributing information, it will be a source of inspiration for other initiatives, for other partnerships,” says Rocha Loures.

IPD Projects - Carlos Gloger, IPD’s executive Director, explains that in 2006, the formerly called Paraná Development Institute became the Development Promotion Institute, thus maintaining the same acronym. The idea was to stop acting locally to become more global. The change was prompted by the creation of Orbis, and Organics Brasil, two of IPD’s main programs, both in partnership with FIEP.
 
“Furthermore, the N2S – Sustainable Business Center - following the same trend, started to prospect new domestic and foreign partners for its projects,” he adds. This year we are continuing our relationship with CODEVASP – São Francisco and Parnaíba Rivers Development Company – and with the Ministry of Domestic Integration, with the purpose of developing a project to speed up the economy of the Jaíba I settlement, in Minas Gerais.
 
We have also created the Sustainable Civil Construction Committee with the purpose of spearheading actions to publicize and foster sustainable building. Among several others, partnering negotiations with the Green Building Council Brazil (GBC Brasil) deserve to be highlighted. The organization is a member of the World Green Council, a supranational organization created to foster and promote sustainable technology, practices, and operations in civil construction.
 
We are also sponsoring an ongoing project with the Ministry of Agriculture, Farming, and Supply, with DENACOOP – Cooperative and Association Department, to develop capabilities in international trade among organic products cooperatives and associations. Another initiative that is being carried out by N2S, in partnership with Itaipu, is a project to trade organic products under the Gran Lago brand.