About the "Common Cause" initiative

To create a city in which everyone has the opportunity for a good life today and tomorrow we first need a clear sense of Sydney's most pressing social issues. The Common Cause report identifies the key social and economic issues facing the Sydney Metropolitan community. The report essentially holds the mirror up to each of us, revealing who we are and how we live together. In particular it highlights the groups of people that consistently fall to the bottom of 6 indicators that measure the health of our city: Learning , Earning , Housing , Being Healthy , Belonging and Being Safe .

"This cross-sector collaborative report is the first of a three stage project that is aimed at developing a better understanding of, and then addressing, social exclusion, disadvantage and needs in Greater Sydney. The three stages are: research, consultation and strategic planning (including identifying priority areas and activities). The report was collaboration with the Centre for Social Impact , Perpetual Foundation and the NSW Community Relations Commission. The author was Dr Debbie Haski-Leventhal, assisted by Professor Mark Lyons and Sarah Adams of CSI".

It will begin a series of discussions among community representatives, government, corporations and NGOs to identify the best ways for individuals and organisations to collaboratively invest their resources (time, money and influence) into strategies that pay off by improving lives.

Under United Way's Community Impact model, the agreed interventions must have a track record of making a measurable difference. They must be able to draw on the collective resources of the broader community, because we know that funding alone does not solve all problems. There must also be consensus on what indicators we seek to change for which group of people in which community. The outcomes of the consultations over this report will be summarised in the "Common Good Strategy" to be published in November 2009, which will guide United Way Sydney's work in the future.