Examining and introducing the experiences of economic development organizations with the approach of developing local communities 1. Agenda 21. Sustainable development of small islands (1992) Small island countries and islands with small populations are special cases in relation to development and environment. They are ecologically sensitive and vulnerable, small in size, limited in resources, and scattered and isolated in terms of access to markets, and these characteristics have caused economic deprivation and diseconomies of scale in them. In these islands, the environment Oceanic and coastal have strategic importance and are considered as one of the most important sources of development. The geographical isolation of these islands has led to the settlement of many animal and plant species in these areas and has brought them an outstanding share of biodiversity. Also, the people of these islands have a rich and diverse culture and have a special adaptation to the environment of the island and know the rational management of the use of resources. Small islands are very vulnerable to the effects of global warming and rising sea levels. Many islands in tropical regions are vulnerable to storms, hurricanes and tropical cyclones caused by climate change. These factors are serious challenges for the socio-economic development of the islands. Since the development possibilities of these islands are limited, the planning and implementation of sustainable development of these islands is very sensitive. The goals of sustainable development of small islands in Agenda 21 are divided into two parts: A) Selecting and implementing strategic and executive programs to support the sustainable development and use of the marine and coastal resources of these islands with the aim of meeting the basic needs of the residents, preserving biodiversity and improving the quality of life of the people. b) Taking measures to empower these islands to adapt effectively, creatively and sustainably to environmental changes and reduce risks to marine and coastal resources. 2. Declaration of Barbados (1994) This statement was published in a meeting titled World Conference on Sustainable Development of Small Island Countries, which was held from April 25 to May 6, 1994 in the coastal city of Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados. This conference emphasized the commitments and principles of sustainable development and prepared an executive plan for small islands in line with the implementation of Agenda 21. In this conference, the necessity of developing national and regional strategies, plans, policies and processes was considered. According to the principle of the right to development, small islands in developing countries should strive to achieve sustainable development goals in accordance with their priorities, and these efforts should be followed through the formulation and implementation of policies, strategies and programs that include development, health and environment, institution building. National and Basij should consider all the available resources and ultimately all these factors will lead to the improvement of the quality of life in the region (UN, 1994). 3. Sustainable Development Commission (1996) This document was compiled by the United Nations in the form of a report on the progress of implementing the guidelines of Agenda 21 and the executive plan for the sustainable development of small island countries in order to reduce the effects of natural and environmental hazards on the population and economy of these countries. In this statement, while addressing environmental sensitivities and natural hazards in small island countries, solutions and strategies have been provided in this field. In this document, the pollution resulting from land origin and ship transportation is introduced as one of the most important natural hazards of the islands. Also, climate change and the consequent increase in sea level are considered to be one of the most important environmental challenges of the islands. In this document, the sustainable development of energy resources, tourism, and sea and air transportation in the islands have been examined. (islands.unep.ch). World Bank: community-oriented development and community-oriented development In the second half of the 20th century, and especially since the mid-1980s, participatory development approaches were supported by the international community. There are many reasons for the trend towards collaborative approaches. Disappointment with the results of top-down approaches that were common before, achieving better results by involving communities in planning, managing and providing local services and increasing cost efficiency through community participation are among them. These approaches were also very important in the World Bank; Thus, in the 1990s, the World Bank increasingly emphasized participatory projects based on community capacity building. Community-Centered Development (CBD) and Community-Driven Development (CDD) are examples of the World Bank’s efforts to achieve more participatory approaches. The World Bank defines CDD as “a development approach that gives control over planning decisions and investment resources to community groups and local governments” (World Bank, 2011). CDD refers to community-driven development projects where communities have direct control over key project decisions (including management of implementation and budgets). CDD promotes sustainability of development interventions, makes development more inclusive, empowers poor people and creates social capital (Mansuri & Rao, 2004). CDD treats poor people as assets and partners in the development process. CDD usually involves strengthening and financing community groups, facilitating community access to information, and improving space through institutional and policy reform. Experiences show that CDD reduces poverty by relying directly on poor people to drive development activities, is more responsive to demands, and is more inclusive, sustainable, and cost-effective than traditional central programs. Since community-oriented development creates communities that have a voice and control over all phases of the project, it is seen as a mechanism that: • promotes sustainability; • Improves efficiency and effectiveness; • Enables poverty reduction efforts to be scaled appropriately; • makes development more inclusive; • empowers poor people and produces social capital and strengthens governance; And • It complements public sector and market activities (Dongier et al. 2003; van Domelen 2007, 2008; Baird et al. 2009; Binswanger et al. 2010). Currently, the World Bank supports about 400 CDD projects in 94 countries with an approximate value of 30 billion US dollars. CDD projects are vehicles for small multi-sector grants to local communities to support economic activity, community infrastructure and other neighborhood-level initiatives. Although there is no clear distinction between CBD and CDD and it is not mentioned in the international literature, it can be said that in the early days of the piloting of the participatory process during the 1980s and early 1990s, the term CBD was used by the World Bank. Community participation implied little control over resources and decision-making. After several years, participation reached high levels and CDD emerged in the development sector, emphasizing greater control over decision-making and resources as well as empowerment. However, nowadays they are used interchangeably (Kumar, 2003). CDD is often considered as a subset of the term community-based development (CBD), which includes the participation of communities in the design, management and implementation of development programs (ADB, 2006) and not necessarily direct control over resources and decisions. CBD is a donor-driven approach, not necessarily a community-driven one. (World Bank, 2006) The process of providing better approaches for CDD development was gradually adapted from CBD, making it more flexible and accessible to the community. CDD enabled direct community control over resources and empowered local community groups and local government, making them more responsible and responsive and helping to achieve governance (World Bank, 2006). Principles of community-oriented development By examining the world literature, the following principles can be listed for community-oriented development: Community development is a comprehensive approach to address all community needs. Community development is a process and not just an activity, in other words, it is a set of activities that the community pursues in a systematic way and in a long-term period of time. Empowerment of individuals, families and communities from the bottom up, which is the result of extensive community participation and education. Ecology and sustainability: Development results should lead to sustainability in all aspects. Participation and access to essential resources. Bottom-up development. Valuing wisdom, knowledge and skills is a vital part of community development. Self-reliance, independence and interdependence. Social justice, equality and human rights. Diversity and inclusion Organic change: Community development is opposed to sudden radical change. Responsibility and accountability. Equality and anti-discrimination Collective action. Consensus and cooperation. flexibility Mutual work and learning Global and local thinking and finally. Multidimensionality: including social, environmental, political, economic, cultural and spiritual development.