AUSTRALIA:

Every year ICA Australia holds two gatherings for its members to come together to report and share stories of member activity.

Last week in Melbourne a total of thirty-seven people from across Australia, one, Carol Borovic, from Timor Leste, two, Helen Ritchie and Michelle Rush, from New Zealand, one, Jo Nelson, from Canada, and two, David and  Lin Zahrt, from USA,  gathered at St Hilda's College, at the University of Melbourne.

The event began with a two-day meeting of the ToP Learning Community which celebrated the recruitment and participation of several new members.

Discussion focussed on cross-cultural facilitation, 'cutting edge' training techniques, and certification of trainers for the ToP Facilitative Leadership Program. On the third day participants experienced a 'trial run' of Module 6 of the Facilitative Leadership program. In the following three days members built on the 'Trends' work done last year, and were refreshed by presentations on an ecological approach to the future, and introduction to 'The Great Transition Initiative'.

This enabled us to reframe ICA Australia's directions under a new statement of our vision - 'Catalysing New Thinking and Practice in individuals and organisations toward an authentically sustainable society.'

John Telford           thetelfords@gmail.com

BANGLADESH:

Location: Dhaka

Dhaka ICA had a Board meeting on 26 February, Friday at its Head Office in Dhaka and took some improtant decisions. Dhaka ICA undertook an initiative to provide warm cloths to the needy poor who are suffering severe cold this winter.

On 2nd February ICA Bangladesh is going to distribute the clothes to the poor who are clothe less and living on the street or squatters in Dhaka City.

Dhaka ICA has also approved 10 associate memberships to volunteer ICA activities in Bangladesh.

Dhaka ICA Board also approved three wings - consulting unit called, Institute of Cultural Affairs, Bangladesh to be registered as trade license by the Dhaka City Corporation, HIVAIDS Research, and Criminological Research. Executive Director, Azizur Rahman is going to announce the opening of these wings to work in the field of facilitation, training, advocacy, and research.

Azizur Rahman           marahman1976@yahoo.com

CANADA:

Location: Toronto

Liz presented the African HIV AIDS work in a speech to a local United Church congregation in Toronto. The speech was well received, and the congregation has promised to provide some financial support toward Listen to the Drumming.

David and Liz researched other opportunities for sharing the African ICA work and will be making contact with service clubs, other churches, religious organizations, and university groups to make appointments for sharing the great work going on in Africa in response to the pandemic.

Liz Donnery           ldonnery@icacan.ca

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Location: YFL in Toronto

Eowynne and Cara delivered the last day of training for the first phase of the Georgina Youth Mentorship project. Youth were trained in general group leadership skills as well as ToP methods. The next phase will introduce facilitated planning to the youth trainers.

We have started planning the development of the next YFL programme by researching an appropriate community to work with.

Cara Naiman           cnaiman@icacan.ca

ICA ASSOCIATES INC. (Canada)

Location: Toronto

John Miller taught Group Facilitation and Meetings that work to 35 people in Vancouver.

Duncan Holmes and John Miller conducted a ToP Facilitator Certification event in Edmonton.

Please welcome 3 new Certified ToP Facilitators to our growing network. These facilitators all work for Alberta Community Development - a government department providing facilitation services to community based organizations across the province as well as facilitating events with government departments and their initiatives. Much of their work is related to public participation, mission and strategy and conflict resolution. ICA Associates has been working with this department for many years and has trained many people within the department. We have also been involved in helping their team develop and facilitate a major -summit- approach to multi-stakeholder consultation.

While Duncan and John were in Edmonton and Vancouver, the met with colleagues to discuss next steps in our business and collegial relationship.

Wayne Nelson           wnelson@ica-associates.ca

PERU:

Location: 100 Valleys Project

The AVANZA PERU 3-week community leadership formation program at the fully renovated Azpitia Training Center is a huge hit with the 28 participants sponsored by 6 mining companies and 3 NGOs. 

Meanwhile, for 8 Saturdays the VISION PERU formaiton program is happening in Lima with 17 participants.  The ICA staff is fully engaged and excited about the many new colleagues who are being attracted to the 100 Valleys 10-year Project. 

Also, significant advances were made in the major funding for the Project this week. 

Meanwhile, the marketing for the second AVANZA PERU program has that Feb. 18th program half filled. 

Finally ICA-PERU is back in the black again.

Ken Hamje           kenh@ica-peru.org

ITERLENG ICA South Africa:

Muzi, Charlott and John facilitated a 2days workshop for CARAS a client on  participatory facilitation skills incl., communcation skills, leadership and action planning, with 3 high schools including a former model c school in Randfontein, whom we now classify as part of the YFL programme.

The team has been at meetings after meetings coming up with working on a financial strategy for the organisation and development of new programmes, and we are happy to say we can see the light.

The YFL ambassadors will be having a meeting on saturday 27th to assign roles and responsibilities to one another, and to get the programmes activites in running motion.

A meeting was held with our partner CARAS to work on a joint funding proposal for UNICEF South Africa.

A farewell party will take place on sunday 29th for John Cornwell, we wish him all the best with his new personal endeavour.

The team now at ICA South Africa:
Shimmy Kgaje - Administration Coordinator,
Muzi Mbonani - Programmes Coordinator,
Susan Mogari - Training, Research and Markerting cordinator,
FIsser Mupuka - Finance and Proposal tracking development Coordinator.

Muzi Mbonani           mbonanim.ica@telkomsa.net

UNITED KINGDOM:

Location: UK and Brussels

Jonathan met with Jim Campbell and Sabine Winteler in Brussels to plan a European Training of ToP Trainers in 2008.

Jonathan also submitted the application to the Big Lottery Fund for the HIVAIDS initiative in Africa.

Martin prepared for the ICA-UK Annual General Meeting to be held this weekend, and finalised a proposal for organisational support.

We also confirmed our first public courses for the year- Introduction to Group Facilitation and GFM in London next month.

Jonathan Dudding           jdudding@ica-uk.org.uk

ZAMBIA:

OPAD-Also means respect

The 6 staff attched to Plan Zambia Project went out in the field in Kabwe rural for 16 days to teach the households that are to recieve the 1300 chickens and 1200 goats for orphans.

Two staff went to Kabwe rural distributing 1300 chickens to vulnerable households from 17th to 25th january 2006.

Voice Vingo           ngoopad@yahoo.com