Sustainable development refers to long-term social and economic recovery and development in poverty-stricken or disaster-ravaged communities. Education, health care and medical assistance, accessible and clean water, sanitation, food security and agricultural assistance, psycho-social care, trauma counseling, and the empowerment of women and children are all aspects of sustainable development. The ultimate goal of development is to accompany communities until they are self-reliant. As always, Week of Compassion works through many partners to achieve this goal: Church World Service, the ACT Alliance, World Council of Churches, Global Ministries, IMA World Health, and Foods Resource Bank, to name a few. We also use the following definitions to understand sustainable development:

"Sustainable Development meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." - World Commission on Environment and Development Report

"Development is promoting durable institutions of civil society that empower communities to ultimately become self-reliant and free from dependence on external aid." - Church World Service

Last updated on February 2, 2012 by Week of Compassion