AUSTRALIA:
Location:
Karen Newkirk and Mark Butz facilitated a stakeholders’ workshop. This workshop marked the half-way point of a two year development process for a new regulation model for agricultural and veterinary chemicals in Australia. The 89 participants, including 7 scientists, represented 25 government departments, 63 industry associations and one community advocate. We brought in the voices of their adult grandchildren which allowed us to achieve a more balanced gender and community representation.
The participants were invited to develop an integral view of the issues associated with this new model, in order to provide direction to the working groups charged with developing the options for this new model. After initially struggling to understand that they were not in a traditional forum and lobbying for their personal perspectives, the participants rose to the occasion and exceeded the client’s expectations.
RIchard unfolding@smartchat.net.au
PERU:
Location: Azpitia and Lima
It is the second week of a 3-week AVANZA PERU leadership formation program in Azpitia with a very excited group of 30 participants from three communities that range from 1300-3200 meters in altitude. The participants have accepted the challenge of working together across such a wide difference in climate for the potential of doubling their family incomes in the next three years.
Most of the ICA staff are involved in this program which has a number of new components to enable the economic development of the communities, while maintaining the human development foundation of the program. This has pushed our staff to take on many new roles, and there are smiles all around in response to the obvious results with the participants. The communities are being prepared to work in six guilds, Redes Productivas, or Productive Networks as they translate from Spanish. They are -- Community Services, Capital and Commerce, Productive Agriculture, Profitable Livestock, Environment and Construction, and Tourism and Exportation. A dozen or more specific viable business opportunities have been identified for each of these six guilds, and presented in a simple way that families can initiate them with their own savings.
These weeks during their training, the new leaders are experimenting with Savings Clubs which they will use to generate startup capital. They are also being given exposure and direct access to support materials to get them started. But the key to all of this is the development of the confidence and will to make a change in their lives. Their extensive work with ToP methods in their training plus self esteem programming and about 20 experiences with specific projects is our tested way of building their spirit to take on the challenges they will face when undertaking their own community development without outside assistance. Our special secret is to do this 3-week training program in Azpitia, where the people themselves have built a vibrant community from extremely humble beginnings when the ICA team first arrived here in 1979 to initiate a Human Development Project. It is truly a National Demonstration Community today.
Staff admin@ica-peru.org
ICA International:
Location: Montreal
This week Renée began to plan for the Global Education and Youth Leadership Program, which will be introduced in local Montreal schools in Fall 2010. She also continued work on the annual report.
Kimberley continued her work with Peter on the French Working Gifts website, which they hope to launch live next week.
Michael left for Accra, where he will join Lambert with on-site preparations for the international sustainable forestry workshop that will begin next Monday. Chelsea continued to provide support from Montreal.
Staff info@ica-international.org
