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 ICA International website

ICAI Leadership Team Report:      August 01 2012

News
We held the general assembly including the election of 3 new members for the global leadership team who will take their seats in Nepal.
A final candidate has been nominated for the GLT. Martin Gilbraith of ICA UK has been nominated by ICA Belgium, the GLT will discuss the process for his election at our next meeting on Aug 4th.

Busy preparing for the Nepal conference with theme leaders meetings at the global level, Nepal level and the virtual group.
The conference site was moved to http://www.conference.ica-nepal.org/
The virtual site is open so please come and join in or initiate dialogues http://www.virtual.ica-nepal.org/

Audit was completed by our colleagues in Canada, we have a deep appreciation for all their work.

Concerns
Still looking for funding options to get more members to the Nepal conference.
We began a conversation on strategies and the GA and are now trying to figure out how to continue the dialogue and involve enough people so that the input is widespread

Future
Making sure to get at least 200 in the conference.
Working out the conversations needed among ICAs before the GA in December.

ICAI Leadership Team Report:      July 01 2012

News
General Assembly held with most members present

1. Global news and peer-to-peer sharing – all regions shared highlights
   
2. Nepal conference preparation – 30 plus international registered
   
3. Elected three new members to the GLT/ Board for the next 4 years - Seva Gandhi – ICA USA, Staci M. Kentish- ICA Canada, Krishna K. Shrestha – ICA Australia
   
4. ICAI finance check in and dues report - brief report on finance/budget and state of dues
   
5. Launching Strategic Dialogue toward December General Assembly

• What is the world asking the ICA network to be and to contribute over the next 20 years?
• What is a new and exciting way to do global conferences- who will take the lead for the next one in 4 years
• Global ToP structure - ICA Canada, ICA Australia, ICA Taiwan-have requested a conversation about the global ToP structure. What are recommendations for how to proceed? (Standards, Systems, Expansion, etc.)
• Next step: what actions do you intend to take before the GA in December
  

Concerns
How to help ICAs make sure they attend physically or virtually the dialogue over the next few months on the conference and on ICA Global strategies. Any ICA is welcome to host a conversation

Next steps
Nepal prep
Budget and strategy prep for ICAI 2013-2014

Larry Philbrook           larry@icatw.com

BANGLADESH:         August 01 2012

At a board meeting held in early July, potential participants were selected for the Nepal conference. The participants will attend with funding support from ICA Australia. Thank you to ICA Australia for offering some scholarships for ICA Bangladesh. The Board also reviewed its action plan for the next 6 months and asked all task forces to report monthly on the status of accomplishments. The task force conveners and the COO will ensure implementation and reporting to the Board.

A conference call meeting on the 23rd of July 2012 confirmed that Maria and Richards will visit for capacity building after the Nepal conference. We are grateful to Maria and Richard for their plan to help the Bangladesh team. This will be the fifth time they are absorbing the cost in time, energy and money for ICA Bangladesh.

The faculty training session held on the 27th of July 2012 ended with the teams promise to field a strong facilitation team, for income generation through training, until 2013.

The 2011 audit is with the auditors and will be ready for the AGM in September.

ICA Bangladesh, and another organization, WARD, started exploring a package for the Nepal conference by recruiting a group of people from Bangladesh. We are hoping ICA Nepal will be the partner for the Nepal side.

Under the working gifts program, Mr. Kaiser from the USA nominated a person in Bangladesh to contact, and our COO has met with him. Interestingly, Mr. Golam Arshad is an astute businessman and was excited to hear about ICA Bangladesh's activities. He also expressed an interest to supporting our ICA's human development work in the near future. .

Our Board member, Mr. Abdul Bari Jamader, recently became a father of twins. A big congratulations!

Zaki           admin@ica-bangladesh.org

BANGLADESH:         July 01 2012

Ghormara school reopens with new furniture and a new teacher:
Thanks to Manik, Zaki, Aziz and Tapan for contributing to the initial fund for school benches and tables for 50 students. We still need 30,000 taka to pay the bill.

The Phulki street children were taken to the Children's Park (Shishu Park) in Dhaka; this is the first time ever for us to make this recreational tour for these kids. ICA Bangladesh added this component this year to the Phulki educational and life skills training project funded by TUC Japan. Moksud Shaheb organized the 30 kids' visit to let these deprived kids enjoy what other wealthier kids do in the Park. Another significant component added this year to the Phulki project is the sewing machine and rickshaw program, to enable some needy families to keep their kids out of child labour and enable them to focus on education at ICA's Phulki project. We will support the sewing machine program from the TUC fund and the rickshaw program from Working gifts fund.

ICA Bangladesh introduced the Working Gifts Program this year for village and Phulki projects. Under this program we are looking for gifts of items such as rickshaws, sewing machines and tube wells, etc. as these promote activities that generate income. One American Bangladeshi has responded with a Working Gift of a rickshaw for the street children project; this will be provided in August.

We have just received ICA Australia's generous support for 2012. Three ICA Bangladesh members are joining the Nepal conference with the support of ICA Australia. Thanks to Maria and Richard and ICA Australia colleagues for providing the funding. Like last year, we are also grateful for ICA Australia's $2000 support to fund the ICA Bangladesh office and staff for 2012. We have not been able to overcome the deficit budget issue yet. We are also hoping to have long term project funding from ICA Australia.

We had our 5th (2012) Board meeting on June 30th with decisions made regarding the AGM 2012 and the ICA Nepal conference, Also the Action Plan implementation, and some other internal affairs.

Zaki           admin@ica-bangladesh.org

NEPAL:           August 01 2012

8th Global Conference on Human Development, 2012 - Preparation is at its Height.

With each passing day, the preparation for 8th Global Conference on Human Development, 2012 is gaining momentum.

We have received more than 60 international registrations so far and 50 national confirmed participants. Online registration is available on the ICA USA page:
http://ica.site-ym.com/events/event_details.asp?id229929 .

Virtual Registration site http://ica.site-ym.com/events/event_details.asp?id229929 is ready. You can join to interact and contribute to the dialogue through the site. We have 49 people registered so far, and hopefully many people will join the site in coming days.

Facebook page on Human Development Conference 2012 is getting huge motion.
Please follow the link to like the page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Human-Development-Conference-2012/165972910132773?refhl

ICA Gathering Nagarkot, 3-4 November, 2012
The post Conference event, ICA Gathering Nagarkot, is proposed for the 3-4 November, 2012.
Nagarkot is 32 kilometres on the northeast edge of the Valley at an elevation of 2,175m. It is a very famous hill point that features the panoramic view of snow-capped mountains, including Mt. Everest, Mansalu, Ganesh Himal, and Langtang. Nagarkot is also popular for the breath taking view of the sunshine and sunset on and over the great Himalayas. An overnight stay at Nagarkot will make the tour awesome. Thus, we are offering to conduct one of the post conference events, ICA Gathering, at Nagarkot on 3-4 November, 2012. ICA Nepal promises that this gathering would be a wonderful experience. Don't miss it!
To make a reservation please contact Ishu: ishuica@nepal.org or Manju: manjuica@nepal.org

Training:
In July, training on Report Writing and Case Study for social mobilizers and staffs of Room to Read at Bardiya District was conducted. The training ran over 5 days and there were a total of 31 participants..

Ishu Subba          ishu@ica-nepal.org

NEPAL:           July 01 2012

The 8th Global Conference on Human Development, 2012 - Preparation

Nepal, a land of natural beauty and cultural diversity is all set to host the 8th Global Conference on Human Development, 2012.

Registration:
With the support of Terry, Tom, Doug and Fara, the conference registration is being conducted through an online page on the ICA-USA website. We have received more than 35 confirmed international registrations so far, and we expect the registrations will pick the pace in the coming days. The website: www.conference.ica-nepal.org now contains the names of confirmed participants listed with their respective theme.

Receiving Support from all over:
Organizations such as Equal Access, Rotary Club of Rudramati, Practical Action, Nepal Tourism Board, Foreign Ministry of Nepal, Home Ministry, Civil Aviation Authority Nepal, the Immigration Department, the Association of INGOs, and the Federation of NGOs, and KIDRRAC, have all shown great interest and support in promoting the conference worldwide. Oxfam, Mission Eas and Room to Read are all interested in participating in pre-conference event-capacity building, training.

We have received more than 30 abstract notes from individuals wanting to participate in the conference and to share their work,such as: Nepali Parma Culture, Chahari Nepal, and the Universal Peace Federation. Educational Institutions; Kathmandu University, Darwin Academy and Glen Buds School are all helping to raise our spirits.

The Nepal Tourism Board is supporting us in welcoming the participants in the airport lobby. ACE Travels Com, as our associate travel partner, is facilitating accommodation and post conference events and travel related activities.

A news conference has been called regarding the 8th Global Conference on Human Development, 2012 for Friday July 6, 2012. The National Advisory Board, National Theme Leaders, and the Working Committees will also attend the program. The invitation is being circulated to all Media and journalists in the country. The first press briefing on the 8th Global Conference on Human Development, 2012, was conducted on September 5, 2011.

Virtual Conference Site:
Nimesh Amatya in coordination with Douglas Druckenmiller, Lloyd, and Danny Mittleman are doing great work in setting up the virtual site. The site will go public during the first week of July.

The conference is being promoted through social networking sites such as facebook, twitter and likened.

Training and Projects:
ICA conducted 10 days residential training on SPSS and Research Methodology, for Ph.D. scholars.

Training on BCC WASH for the staff and community mobilizers of ENPHO was conducted in May. The training ran for 5 days in Nawalparsi district. Training Coordinator, Tej B Karki and Trainer Deepak Timsina facilitated the training.

Other than conference preparation, ICA Nepal is working in the Far-Western Region in capacity building and empowerment projects, supported by Misereor. -

Ishu Subba          ishu@ica-nepal.org

PERU:          July 01 2012

Due to a wave of discontent and conflict across Peru in the past few weeks, we have experienced the postponement of ALL of our programming for the month of July. This has never happened to us before and therefore represents a new type of risk for operating an NGO in Peru. While this action is itself represents no threat to our ongoing work, it is an alert that the stability of society today is not like it was 5 years ago, and we need to take this into account in shaping our services and programs.

These events have given us a new impetus to broaden our program and funding base for the future, and as such we are focusing on the development of a series of micro-industries which will allow us to collaborate with other NGOs to extend our services to the communities where we are already working while providing new opportunities to extend our training to other communities and organizations. So now we have a new focus for our work in July and a new excitement about the potential before us.

Staff           kenh@ica-peru.org

TAIWAN:        August 01 2012

News
Teams continuing to prepare for work with two schools in China in Aug and Sept (one in Sichuan (Evelyn Philbrook, Jorie Wu and Jackie) and one in Nanning (Dick West, Cecilia and Eric)
Open Space training with 20 people attending (June) led by Gail West
Participatory Strategic Planning with 12 at the table
Preparation session for Creative Facilitator certification in China

Peer to Peer
Larry did a Community Development intensive with colleagues from the US ToP netwpork and community activists in New York and a module with the UN on appreciative leadership
Larry and Evelyn working with Nepal for conference preparation
Creativity Group with US ToP network

Concerns
Discerning the edge of our work with so many options

Next steps
IAF meeting in Shenzhen in August
Community Development Intensive in China Aug 31-Sept 1
Spirit of Facilitation in August

Larry Philbrook           larry@icatw.com

UNITED STATES:         August 01 2012

Spencer Family Visits ICA

Tina and Raymond Spencer recently visited the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA). They were given a tour of the ICA's remodeled kitchen and learned about current projects including Accelerate 77.

The Spencers have pledged to match dollar-for-dollar every new and increased gift to the ICA up to $50,000 in 2012. Karen Sims, ICA Resource Development Director, said that fundraising had reached 60 of the goal as of July 1.

The challenge will help build and boost programming during the 50th Anniversary year. The Spencers and the Sandra True Family both created challenge grants in 2011. The ICA is honored by their loyalty and support.

For donations, go to https://ica.site-ym.com/?donate to donate online or contact Karen Sims at ksimsica@usa.org.

Call To Join Fall Archives Sojourn

The Global Archives Team is calling on colleagues to take part in a Global Archives Fall Sojourn from September 17 through October 19, 2012. Colleagues will be a part of a three-year plan to digitize the Town Meeting 76 Collection and put it online.

The Town Meeting 76 Collection has been a priority of the Archive Team and volunteers for some time. There is real value in this collection for those who want to access the largest local community change process ever undertaken in a concerted campaign. As this work is done, volunteers will learn how to take a focused area, scan relevant documents, and create links for accessing the information.

"We know much of the historical work is dated and can be confusing to understand without a context, says volunteer Jack Giles. "More importantly, there needs to be a story created that speaks from the future, describing a contradiction or focus area with which the world is presently struggling and for which a collection will have relevance and wisdom.

This sojourn will result in a library, a "living legacy" website, which will allow access to each collection with one click. It will be "living" in the sense that the site will be maintained by a team of curators who will continue to add, refine and link new materials to the collection as they become available. In many cases, these will include links to additional sources and/or groups beyond our historical work. But there is more.

This link, http://voicethread.com/share/3233370/, has an outline of five sojourn weeks of work. There is also a link (http://electriccollegiumideas.posterous.com) where colleagues can indicate their collection priorities, personal passions and knowledge, as well as participation choices. They will also find details of the dates and costs of participating in the sojourn program.

Tom Wray           twray@ica-usa.org

UNITED STATES:         July 01 2012

Gina Alicea Picks Up Materials for 50th Anniversary Art Creation
Chicago artist Gina Alicea stopped by the ICA offices to pick up the cloth strips that will be used in a piece of art commemorating ICA's 50th Anniversary.

Since September 2011, colleagues at events from across the country have been putting their names and writing hopes and dreams on cloth strips. Terry Bergdall, ICA President and CEO, said that the strips include what colleagues would like to see the ICA work toward, hopes for the world, ongoing projects, current colleagues, donors, Human Development Projects and the names of colleagues who have passed away.

On June 18, Gina came to 4750 N. Sheridan Rd. to pick up the strips, which number almost 1,000, and described what she has planned. The cloth will be sewn together, much like a quilt, to become the foundation of the piece of art. The strips will be arranged so that there is a progression from the past to the future.
Full video of her visit at http://www.youtube.com/watch?vPnpusHIlOyE

ICA Receives Grant from Boeing
The ICA is pleased to announce that it has received a grant from The Boeing Company for ICA's Accelerating Green Initiatives in Chicago's 77 Community Areas (Accelerate 77).

"This is a wonderful vote of confidence in Accelerate 77 from Boeing, said Terry Bergdall, President and CEO of ICA. "We are very grateful for their contribution toward bringing together the ambitious sustainable efforts from throughout Chicago.

The goal of the Accelerate 77 project is to increase the role and positive impact of local communities in realizing objectives of the Chicago Climate Action Plan. Its underlying strategy is to identify current sustainability initiatives in all of Chicago's 77 community areas; connect them with one another to inspire new ideas and practices through peer interchange; and engage residents in focused learning, planning, and collective action.

With the support of five Chicago universities, sustainability efforts in 55 of the city's community areas have already been cataloged. ICA will be bringing all 231 project initiatives together at a "Sharing Approaches That Work Conference" on September 15, 2012.

Headquartered in Chicago, Boeing is the worlds leading aerospace company with 170,000 employees across the United States and in 70 other countries. The company focuses its community grants in five interdependent areas: environment, education, health and human services, arts and culture and civic engagement.

Accelerate 77 Interns Begin Work
The summer interns have started at the ICA headquarters at 4750 N. Sheridan Rd. in Chicago and are off to an energetic start.

Interns from as far away as New York are participating in all aspects of ICA's Accelerate 77 project. Some of the interns are working on the marketing and event planning aspects of the project and the "Sharing Approaches That Work Conference " (Share Fair) on September 15, 2012. Others are continuing the field work of finding and cataloguing community-driven sustainability and environmental efforts in all of Chicago's 77 community areas.

The internships started in June with a three-week leadership training session. ICA President and CEO Terry Bergdall, volunteer James Addington, and program coordinators Seva Gandhi and Nina Winn guided the intern leaders on ICA's community-building techniques.

A total of 35 interns, joined by experienced colleagues, got down to the day-to-day work of getting ready for the Share Fair in September. Interns are currently working on the details and requirements of the fair, building email lists, planning the launch of the Accelerate 77 website and researching to discover all the environmental efforts in the city.

September Sojourn Planned for Archives
The Global Archives Team is encouraging more people to take part in a 'Global Archives Fall Sojourn' from September 17 through October 19, 2012.

The team is inviting colleagues to come to 4750 N. Sheridan Rd. for the IC's "Sharing Approaches That Work Conference" on September 15. After the conference, people are encouraged to stay and participate in the 'Archives Sojourn.' People can come for a few days of the Sojourn or the whole month.

The priority areas during the Sojourn will be processing Human Development Projects implementation, International Global Community Forums, Academy and Training School Files and the Special Curriculum Areas, along with developing a list of missing Town Meeting 76 reports. Colleagues are also welcome to select other specific research areas of special interest.

Food service will include meals as a team with free time to visit friends or restaurants. Housing on the eighth floor of the ICA building will be at the regular rates. Colleagues can also make arrangements with friends or family.

Email global-archives@ica-usa.org for more information

Tom Wray           twray@ica-usa.org