Annual Report 2004 - Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

ENVIRONMENT: OVERVIEW
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IFI policy revisions; heightens international
awareness of IFI policies; and provides ways
for forest peoples to participate in discussions
about policies that affect them.
Corner House is another grantee based in
the United Kingdom, but its geographic focus
is Europe. Corner House received a two-year,
$180,000 grant to help ensure that common
environmental standards are adopted by
export credit agencies (ECAs) throughout
Europe. ECAs are national government
agencies that provide insurance and guarantees
to cover technical, currency and political risks.
The grant also supported monitoring
the environmental and social impact of
specific IFI-funded, private-sector
development projects, such as those related
to mining, dams or forests.
While working to guarantee that ECAs
are more transparent and accountable for the
projects they fund, Corner House discovered
evidence of bribery and corruption of foreign
officials in some ECA-funded projects with
serious environmental problems. Also, the
field of organizations involved in ECA
reform increased after Corner House brought
environmental groups and other
organizations together to work jointly on the
governance issues highlighted by its research.
SPECIAL INITIATIVES
Through the work of Michigan Suburbs
Alliance (MSA) in Ferndale, urban and
suburban communities across southeastern
Michigan are linking arms to address
economic and environmental challenges.
Amid the state’s long history and tradition of
“home rule” (with more than 1,800 local
units of government), MSA is bringing
together local mayors and city managers,
along with state officials and business
leaders, to work across borders in new ways.
MSA received a two-year, $150,000
general purposes grant for its work.
The alliance’s goals include
strengthening older cities and inner-ring
suburban communities through research,
regional cooperation, public education and
public policy development. Particularly
notable is MSA’s Redevelopment Ready
Communities Project, designed to help older
communities become more “development
friendly” by streamlining their administrative
processes and adopting a variety of best
practices that encourage investment.
The Land Information Access
Association (LIAA), based in Traverse City,
Michigan, received a two-year, $100,000
grant for its statewide Partnerships for
Change project, which is fostering new and
expanded cooperation among cities,
townships and villages in developing and
carrying out local land-use policies and
practices that contribute to the preservation
of cultural and natural resources.
Along with promoting cooperation
across local government boundaries, project
partners are reaching across traditional
organizational boundaries in new ways.
Partners include the Michigan Municipal
League, Michigan Townships Association,
Michigan Society of Planning and Michigan
State University Extension.
LIAA and its partners hope to develop
collaborative pilots and models from which
others can learn. LIAA will provide in-depth
technical assistance to a minimum of 32
local governments that choose to work
cooperatively on land-use issues.
2004 ANNUAL REPORT
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