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