1. A NEW PARADIGM FOR POVERTY ERADICATION Community Participation In Capacity Building The Set Aside Initiative For The Development of Community Participation in the Creation of New Wealth Opportunity and Eradication of Poverty

2. Involvement of the Community in Master Planning Survey of the Geography and Demography of the Community & Assets Inventory

3. Identification of economic Opportunities from the Master Planning Process Expert Transformation of Concepts to Feasible Business Proposals

4. Recruitment of Proponent Groups to Generate Local Resource Investment & Action on selected economic Opportunities from the Master Plan

5. Management Capacity Building and Human Resource Development Incubation arrangements

6. Partnership Connections, Locally and in the Diaspora Capital Equity Generation

7. Production of New Products and Services For local Consumption and Export

8. Community Based Marketing and Distribution of Local & Imported Products (National Import & Export Center)

9. Connection to International Market Export Systems (National Import & Export Center)

10. Financing Facility for Development, Start Up & Trade Transactions North and South

11. MAJOR FUTURE COLLABORATIONS CRC – CIDES – UNIPOP PARTNERSHIP A Five Year Plan (2007-2012) Medgar Evers College, through the Caribbean Research Center, is a founding member of the following three institutions: Sustainable Development, a.k.a. Universidad Popular de Desarrollo Sostenible de Las Americas (UNIPOP); The International Center for Sustainable Development (CIDES); The Southern Caucus of NGOs for Sustainable Development (South Caucus).

12. RATIONALE CAFTA House Action Report, Edition and Fact sheet No. 109-21, US Congressional Quarterly Publication (July 25, 2005), The Washington Office on Latin America: “CAFTA will attract foreign direct investment and boost Central American Exports in certain sectors, but will provide little benefit to the rural and urban poor region.”

13. RATIONALE Southern Caucus of NGOs for Sustainable Development Report: “…Racism and discrimination against African descendants, Indigenous and ethnic minorities have served as obstacles to participation in the economic development of their various countries, and will serve as a barrier to adequate and effective participation in CAFTA.”

14. RATIONALE The United Nations Millennium Goals specifically identify eight global challenges for which urgent action is stipulated; among them: Global partnerships, education, health, gender equality, environmental sustainability, empowerment of women and the elimination of racism and other forms of discrimination.

15. PURPOSE To engage universities in joint efforts to offer meaningful service to communities in need of professional and technical support. To collaborate in order to overcome obstacles to the inclusion of minority populations; viz. social inequality, poverty and race based exclusionary practices. To create a new vision and a new paradigm for increasing opportunities in regional and international economic development initiatives. To foster enterprise growth and trade opportunity through public and private sector intervention designs. To strive to achieve the eradication of poverty in all its forms in the region.

16. SET ASIDE PROJECT DELIVERABLES The CIDES – UNIPOP – CRC/MEC Partnership will engage in the following joint efforts aimed at promoting sustainable development throughout the region, primarily in the communities of African descendants, Indigenous and ethnic Minority populations: Relevant social, cultural, economic, and environmental studies. Market Research / Needs Analysis. Feasibility Studies. Community Mapping Assessment. Training in Master Planning for Sustainable Development.

17. SET ASIDE PROJECT DELIVERABLES cont’d Training in Master Planning for Sustainable Development. Formulation of Business Plans and Project Evaluation. Capacity Building and Technical Assistance in the areas of organizing, governance and development. Technology Exchange / Bridging the Digital Divide. Higher Education through Distance Learning.

18. REGIONAL INTER- UNIVERSITY COLLABORATION The CRC further coordinated formal Agreements for Academic Collaboration with other universities in the region, which were signed by the President: URACCAN in Nicaragua UNAPEC in Dominican Republic University of the West Indies (Jamaica) University of the West Indies (Barbados) Brazil

19. ADDITIONAL CURRENT and PROSPECTIVE INSTITUTIONAL COLLABORATIONS International Institute for Technology Exchange and Capacity Building, Panama CUNY Consortium for Sustainable Development, New York University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) Inter- collegiate Debating Competition International Center for Sustainable Development (CIDES), Panama