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 2009 01 17

AUSTRALIA:

Location: Brisbane

Some of the Brisbane team met to de-brief and conclude accounts, membership and materials matters from our national meeting in Brisbane last week. We also mapped out the themes, content, contributors and guest editors for the Pacific Waves Journal.  Our annual reporting revealed a bumper year for program activity and assistance in our region, a good year for fundraising and a poor year for investment returns. Alex Gusmao returned to Timor L'Este with passion, and we all were made new for the gift of a new year.

Ray Richmond
          richmonder@iinet.net.au

BANGLADESH:

Location: Dhaka

We missed the last week Global Buzz news as it showed error after submission of the news. I am also trying to put some of the highlights of that week.

You might know Bangladesh entered into the new year with new Government. A democratic government  through a fair, credible and accepted election was envisioned by the nation for a long time towards bringing about a change in governance and political culture that will involve people and work with the people, for the people and of the people. We wish the new Government would realize people's expectation and do accordingly. We congratulate Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina and her Government for winning the election and wish her Government would be able to address poverty, crime and corruption, gender development, illiteracy and health needs on priority basis.

On 16 January we had a meeting with Save the Children USA accounts officer Mr. Nurul I Sikder, who was formerly Hunger Free World staff and took a ToP course with us back in 2007. He was appointed as accounts adviser for 2009 and he is going to work at our office from Friday 23 January. Based on work of Fuad, Pintu, Nasrin, 2007 accounts is done and Mr. Nurul I Sikder is going to make ready for audits. He already got software for us.

ICA Ghoramara school project entered into new academic year and admitted new students by last week in addition to 30 former students. We hope Working gift will attract the school for the underprivileged children.

On 16 January another meeting with members brought the general meeting agenda of 23rd January and discussed about the sustainability of ICA work. Based on meeting with Dhaka City Corporation Slum Improvement Wing on 31 December Aziz contacted Government's Non-Formal Education Outreach project for slum children Program Officer about possible site for Street children project under TUC fund.

Aziz           admin@ica-bangladesh.org

ICA ASSOCIATES INC. (Canada)

Location: Canada

Bill Staples led a Community Development Training course in Northern Manitoba. He goes from there to do 2 Group Facilitation Methods courses in Whitehorse, Yukon next week.

John Miller taught Meetings That Work in our Toronto Training Centre.

Wayne Nelson           wnelson@ica-associates.ca

ICAI:

Location: Montréal

Work continued this week on the Global Leadership Program for schools and a volunteer coordinator has been selected to move the program forward.

Lambert and Michael interviewed a number of excellent candidates for the internship program and hope to welcome new interns to the office this week. One of the interns will focus on the preparation of the Annual Report, while others will work on capacity building support, HIV and AIDS policy research and support of the Heart’s Backpackers around the world journey.

Michael           mwatson@ica-international.org