AUSTRALIA:
Location:
25 people from Western Sydney, the Blue Mountains, and Newcastle, including deep ecologist John Seed from Lismore, met for an afternoon workshop on Climate Change at the Maguires’ residence in Wentworthville. The program included a conversation on participants’ previous knowledge and their concerns, a brief participatory presentation based on our new climate change brochure, and a visioning workshop for a sustainable Australia--actions underway and actions to be taken. The event was an undertaking of the Parramatta Climate Action Network, which works for citizen awareness and action through a comprehensive approach focused on fostering community cooperation and connections.
One key piece of knowledge we gained through the door-knocking campaigns being held in neighborhoods is the power of relating your own hopes and concerns and inviting others to share theirs. This style has brought much more openness than an information-giving approach. One thing we learned through using this approach is that denial is often a barrier put up to cover up a sense of helplessness. A key strategic insight was that no matter what governments and industry do or avoid doing, there will be an increase in global warming over this century. It is therefore important to build local positive community support to deal with the consequences, as well as to call for a change in policies and the consumption based lifestyle that underlies them.
RIchard unfolding@smartchat.net.au
BANGLADESH:
ICA Bangladesh held two meetings on June 19 in Dhaka - one for the terrorism study project and another for the street children project. The participants used ORID and the workshop method. The terrorism study group worked on an analytical framework and developed an action plan.
The Chandpur team also had a meeting on June 18 with staff and the Ghoramara village human development committee to discuss the school project.
Zaki admin@ica-bangladesh.org
ICA ASSOCIATES INC. (Canada)
Location: Canada
Jo Nelson's work with the James Bay Cree Governance Project.
This involves engaging people in 15 communities in Northern Quebec in taking steps toward a new governance model for the nation. Her schedule will be full over the next year. Jo also taught Group Facilitation with administrators, staff and teachers with Regina Public Schools. The school board had adopted ToP methodology and has trained well over 300 people in Group Facilitation and Meetings That Work throughout the school board. Future plans include more courses and advanced facilitator training and training trainers to teach our courses within the system.
Duncan Holmes facilitated two workshops with Peel Senior Link in Mississauga.
John Miller facilitated a workshop for Renison.
Intense collaborative work has led to the creation of a brand, spankin' new manual for our 6 day Art and Science of Participation course. The course is full. Many participants are leaning toward facilitator certification and many are in leadership roles in organizations. We always look forward to these revisions, because they give us a chance to refresh our curriculum with experiences, reflections, refined ideas and new models.
Wayne Nelson wnelson@ica-associates.ca
KENYA:
Location:
Greetings from Institute of Cultural Affairs Kenya. We have not been able to contribute to the Global Buzz for some time. It is our hope that we will be able to participate more frequently.
Currently we are running a program called Leadership Training and Integrated Development Program (LTID). We have four full-time staff: Meshack Mutevu, who is the Program Manager; Bernard Mwania, Administrator/facilitator; Nicholas Mutua, Accountant/Facilitator; Monica Ndian’gui, Facilitator; and an intern from France, Laura Moysan. This program is being implemented in Ikalaasa, located in Mwala District in the Eastern Province of Kenya. The program has several components, namely:
1. Leadership training
2. HIV and AIDS prevention
3. Mobile VCT
4. Positive Self Management for people living with HIV and AIDS
5. Sustainable Agriculture
6. Gender training
7. Para–Legal training
8. Strategic Planning
9. Youth program
10. Self Help Group concept
The week of June 14 we held a workshop on Positive Self Management in the Katulani Health Centre in Ikalaasa, where we provided training to 19 participants living with HIV and AIDS. During the training we were fortunate to have a guest speaker, Mr. John Conwell, from Ngei 1 organization located in Nairobi.
This week we are forming a support group for those participants who received training last week. They will meet once every week and contribute small amounts of money through which they will provide each other with modest loans to start small businesses, with the goal of improving their living standards. This is an example of our Self-Help Group concept, where we train participants on proper record keeping, so they can manage the loans which will be circulating among the participants.
Meshack left on Friday, June 19th for Positive Self Management Masters training, which will be held at Stanford University in California, USA.
Bernard Mwania icakenya@ymail.com
ICA International:
Location: Montreal
Last week we were excited to learn that the Foundation of Greater Montreal has approved a small grant for a number of activities related to our Global Education and Youth Leadership Program. This funding will support ICA International’s delivery of an educational program in Montreal schools which aims to provide an opportunity for Quebec students to gain greater knowledge, understanding and awareness of global issues. We will be collaborating with ICA Canada and the YFL program for the youth leadership component of the program. We are thrilled with this opportunity to encourage students as they prepare for active citizenship and leadership roles.
On Monday, Michael and Lambert met with the African Canadian Development and Prevention Network, a coalition of black community associations in Montreal, where they explored opportunities for future collaboration.
Michael also spent time working with Antsa on Canadian government reporting priorities.
Chelsea finalized travel arrangements for delegates to the MGI Forest Workshop and assisted delegates with visa applications.
To close the week, on Friday we sent out a Father’s Day email. The email recognized the contributions of fathers to families around the world and promoted Working Gifts as an excellent way to celebrate the occasion. We raised over $250 for Working Gifts with this appeal.
Staff info@ica-international.org
