BANGLADESH:
Location: Dhaka
Habib launched our new web site this week. Much of the content still has to be finalized and the ICA Bangladesh team is presently working to update relevant info. Some of the basic information and photos are already in place. http://ica-bangladesh.org
In the midst of multiple staff responsibilities, Naimul came forward to help organize the faculty and facilitation team meetings, as per the roster. He will also coordinate the Phulki Project activities with Zaki. Jahangir and Ferose took responsibility for coordinating the Terrorism Project activities.
Our Japanese intern, Ayano, visited the Street Children Project and has been working with the kids and staff to document the same.
Aziz had several phone conversations with the Dhaka and Chandpur teams who are overseeing the Terrorism Study Project, the Street Children Project and Village Project.
Staff admin@ica-bangladesh.org
ICA ASSOCIATES INC. (Canada)
Location: Canada
We have begun facilitating a major strategic planning process with the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education - the University of Toronto faculty of Education - one of Canada's most prestigious universities. The process will involve all the faculty and staff. We are doing several focus groups each week during Nov and Dec.
Jo Nelson has expanded her work with the James Bay Cree Nation governance project to what is essentially a full time job. She comes home on weekends and is facilitating several workshops in each community. The James Bay Cree are well known as one of the most active, progressive First Nations in Canada. They made the first breakthrough in negotiating with Hydro Quebec over historical grievances for building an electricity generating station that flooded vast areas of Cree territory and caused massive displacement of people and loss of land. The settlement opened the door for major conciliatory efforts across the nation. Their work on First Nations governance comes at a time when Canada is raising serious questions over the form and shape of First Nations governance.
John Miller taught Meetings That Work to a group from the City of Burlington. He also taught MTW and Facilitated Planning to full house groups in our office.
Duncan continues his work with ASPECT in British Colombia. He also recently taught Group Facilitation to a group from the Peel Board of Education.
We are just about to sit down for a two day workshop with Sam Kaner from Community at Work in San Francisco. We met Sam through IAF. He's one of the most well respected facilitator - consultants working today. Sam has generously offered to spend this time with us in order to help us further develop our organizational development consulting and developmental facilitation approaches. We will be looking more deeply into facilitative consulting and forming long term collaborative projects with organizations. For us, it is valuable time spent in professional development that will aid us in intensifying our work.
We have recently been invited to discuss two more possibilities for long term work with organizations so this session is very timely for us.
We have launched our new web site and are currently frantically debugging it. We've done a lot of work with graphics and writing about our work. Have a peek when you can. http://ica-associates.ca
Wayne Nelson wnelson@ica-associates.ca
UNITED STATES:
Location: Chicago
New Website Planned
The Institute of Cultural Affairs-USA is making a commitment to enhance its electronic communications as it moves ever closer towards a sustainable and paperless communications model. Starting this year, we shared the 2009 Annual Report online (click on About Us on the web site www.ica-usa.org) and we will be doing the same in the years to come.
We will be heralding a new look to our website during the first quarter of 2011 and the e-News Brief, the monthly online newsletter, will be sent by e-mail. You will also be able to follow us on linkedin.com and facebook.com. There is a plan for separate discussion areas for all of the programs – ToP®, Learning Basket, International Initiatives, Service Learning, PJD, and Green/Sustainability.
As we continue to move forward with this endeavor, it is more important than ever that ICA-USA ensures colleagues and friends are successfully receiving e-mails. Please send your current e-mail address or any changes to Plamena Panayotova at development-assitant@ica-usa.org. In the meantime, visit the web site at www.ica-usa.org.
Marketing Intern
Wilfred Yimbu is a marketing intern this semester. He is in the nursing program at Harry Truman College and supports Nina Winn, Program Support and Administration Assistant, in general web site maintenance, research, and administrative tasks. He is fluent in French and came to the Untied States from the Republic of Cameroon three years ago. He is the eldest of six children.
Karen Sims ksims@ica-usa.org
