Enjoy catching up with what is happening in ICAs across the globe.....If you wish to SEND a report...send to your ICA contact person OR...go to the members section on the ICAI website

Weekending: Saturday 2007 06 09

ICA ASSOCIATES INC. (Canada)

Bill and Ilona Staples left for a month in China. Bill will be doing some courses in Shanghai and Taiwan.

Jo Nelson, John Miller and associates, Barbara MacKay and Doug Balsden are teaching ICA's 6 day Art and Science of Participation course to 17 people in Vancouver. This is only the second time it has been taught outside Toronto.  We may be able to build a rhythm of holding it one year in Vancouver and the next year in Edmonton.

Duncan Holmes and associates, Tamara Eberle and Jerry Mings facilitated a workshop with the Ontario Clean Water Alliance.

Wayne Nelson           wnelson@ica-associates.ca


GHANA:

Location: ACCRA

ICA-Ghana successfully hosted a 3-day meeting of NGOs in Ghana who have projects funded by the American Jewish World Service -AJWS. The meeting was appropriately dubbed the 'Second AJWS Ghana Partners Meeting'. The idea of bringing the NGOs together was mooted by the American Jews World Service -AJWS.

The first meeting of the network was held in Accra in November 2006. There were only three NGOs then, ICA-Ghana, Pro-Link Organization and RAINS-Regional Advisory Information Network Systems. The just-ended meeting saw an increase in membership of the network from the original three to seven, thanks to the good work AJWS is doing in Ghana.The overall goal of the network is to encourage sharing of experiences and best practices to increase effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of members.

The inaugural meeting last year was basically about bringing the Ghana Partners together so that they could get to know one another better in the areas of work, organizational structure, programmes and special delivery methods.This second meeting was based on a resolution made at the end of the first meeting to give the three long-term partners namely, ICA-Ghana, Pro-Link and RAINS , the opportunity to demonstrate their various training modules, to enable the partners to compile, package and market the product to other NGOs, to raise funds to support the activities of the network.

The training modules demonstrated includedGroup Facilitation Methods - by ICA - Ghana.Drama, Puppetry and Stepping Stones - demonstrated by Pro-Link Organization.Right - Based Approaches and Governance - presented  by RAINS.

Jennifer A. Abdulai           icagh@africaonline.com.gh


NEPAL:

Location: Global

Attending CIVICUS World Assembly

From May 23 to 27, 2007, I got an invitation to attend 'CIVICUS World assembly' in Glasgow, UK. Every year, one of us from ICA Nepal is attending this assembly for the last four years. It is organized annually and more than 1000 participants take part in this gathering.

This year, from ICA Nepal, I got the chance to be in the programme. I found it very useful since it was a gathering of experienced people working in the field of civil society development. The participants ranged from few ministers from some countries to very grassroots activities. It was well organized and everybody enjoyed being part of the programme.

As we are also one of the members of CIVICUS and are actively undertaking 'Civil Society Index Project' Detail report may be obtained from websites of ICA Nepal or CIVICUS, we also shared our views regarding the work that we carried out in Nepal. CSI is prepared in more than 50 countries.

While being participant in the conference, I was thinking if we could also organize the assembly in that way. Despite the increased number of the participants, it was so well managed with lots of workshops, visits, informal discussions, procession inside the venue, music, exhibition and good food etc. etc. I found the assembly an excellent forum for learning.

CIVICUS assembly is also a good watershed for exhibitors and donors. CIVICUS is becoming a common forum of donors working in the development field since they have found it a nice chance to put their views and be closer to civil society organizations. I feel that ICAs particularly ICA International should not miss this assembly in future since this is the one event with multiple activities such as learning, sharing, demonstrating, and marketing. We should be able to use this event to build our strong relationship with donors and other stakeholders.

I would welcome your comment on my feeling.

Tatwa P. Timsina           tatwa@ica-nepal.org


PERU:

Location: 100 Valleys Project

Jesusa Aburto led the team for a very successful 4-day ToP training program including 12 people from several NGOs who will be our partners in the 100 Valleys Project, where using the ToP methods with communities is required for the participation of an NGO in the Project. 

Also participating was a team from the National Demonstration Community of Antioquia who will become the community team leaders for six projects required for the community to qualify.   Meanwhile, Pedro Aburto sent out over 50 invitations to the next program and received one registration in the first day.  The spark is catching on for the 100 Valleys 10-year Project.

Staff           admin@ica-peru.org


ITERLENG ICA South Africa:

On Monday the 4th we hosted a group of Students from the American University who were in South Africa to study  women's innitiative and gender issues as they relate to developing democracy and to HIV and AIDS, we had such a splendid day with the students and the YFL group.

Muzi and Fisser  had a meeting with a potential funder, Hollard Fundation, an insuarance company in South Africa, about the possibility of funding a 3year project on Mitigating The Impact of HIV/AIDS in Groot Marico, North West.

Fisser and Muzi conducted a 10day training on Life-Skills and Leadership in Southern Sudan, Yambio state with young people from 10 different states of Sudan. The training was funded by UNICEF in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Technology in Southern Sudan.

Susan and Muzi attended the launch of Youth Month organised by the Gauteng Youth Commission in commemoration of the 1976 June 16   Soweto uprising. June is declared as Youth month.

Muzi Mbonani           mbonanim.ica@telkomsa.net


UNITED KINGDOM:

Jonathan and David delivered a one-day Introduction to Group Facilitation course in London, and Jonathan and Julie delivered a GFM immediately afterwards.

Amelia and Martin delivered an adapted GFM to one of the organisations in the Youth programme.

Jonathan Dudding           jdudding@ica-uk.org.uk

ZIMBABWE:

A staff meeting was held to discuss the relief disbursement procedure. The program is running today as scheduled. P

reparations for the consult team coming to Zimbabwe from the USA are also at an advanced stage. The team has confirmed.

The framework for ICA Zimbabwe's newsletter to be launched during the second course of the year has been completed.

A research on the access to ARV treatment has been started and a training manual would be developed at community level.  

Easther Razerera
          esther@africaonline.co.zw


ICAI:

Location: Montréal

Sarah, Lambert, and Katie in Ottawa with the Parliament Buildings in the background
This week, the ICAI staff team visited ICA Canada in Toronto, Board member John Patterson in Haliburton, and Peter Ellins in Ottawa – in order to thank them for the extraordinary efforts they played in supporting the restructuring and relocation of ICAI. In Ottawa we also had conversations with the Canadian International Development Agency and Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs re: funding.

Staff