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Global Buzz Report: January 2017

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ICAI Board Report:

Some reflections on four years as ICAI President
Happy New Year! It is 4 years since my first New Year’s message as ICAI President in the Global Buzz and my term is now complete and I have handed over to my very capable successor Lisseth Lorenzo. I am looking forward to continuing my involvement with ICAI this year as webmaster, looking after the ICAI website and social media. In the meantime, further to my final column in the November issue of Winds & Waves magazine Looking Back & Forward, I would like to share a few reflections on my term as President – some of our achievements that I am proud of, and some of my own hopes for ICAI’s future.

Most of all I am proud that we have succeeded, I think, in raising our ambition as a Board and as a global community, and I hope that that will continue.  That was my aim in convening a face-to-face meeting of our virtual Board in May 2015, at which we articulated the three Strategic Directions by which I have structured my reflections.

      1. Fostering global connections and & collaboration to
        support ICAs to thrive

I am proud that our global network has experienced a resurgence in numbers, with now 24 current statutory members and no less than 9 new Associate members welcomed by the General Assembly since 2012. I hope that ICAI will continue to attract increasing involvement and commitment of all ICAs, partners and others that share our mission and values.

I am proud that all five of our regions worldwide have now established a pattern of meeting annually face-to-face, and some regularly online as well, and that these regional gatherings are increasingly including more ICAs and ICA colleagues and supporting greater connectedness and collaboration.  I hope that this will continue, and that it will extend to enable also face-to-face capacity building between regional gatherings and by means of a new ICAI Global Conference on Human Development.

I am proud that members have connected and collaborated substantially by means of several new ICAI global working groups since 2012, in addition to the pre-existing global Publications team and the global Board nominations committee. New groups have worked on global policy for ICA’s Technology of Participation facilitation methodology, on options for the next ICAI Global Conference and on collaboration with the International Association of Facilitators, and in participating in UN processes by means of ICAI’s UN consultative status. I hope that these and other global working groups will continue to encourage and support such ‘peer-to-peer’ support and collaboration among ICAs and between ICAs and new global partners.

I am proud that the new ICAI website launched in 2015 provides a versatile and engaging platform for member ICAs and ICA colleagues to communicate with each other and with the wider world.  I hope that more and more ICAs and ICA colleagues will find it worth their while to make use of it and its integrated social media, and that I will have more time as webmaster than I did as President to support them to do so - and to further develop it to better meet their needs. I hope that better integrating Winds & Waves magazine and our monthly bulletin the Global Buzz with our website and social media will enable and encourage more contributions and more readers, and greater connectedness and collaboration as a result, and that I will be able to support that as webmaster.

     2. Boosting ICAI resilience and safeguarding the integrity
        of our global community

I am proud that we have clarified and refined criteria and procedures for ICAI membership since 2012, for both statutory and associate membership, and established a global membership survey by which members may hold themselves accountable to each other against those criteria.  I hope that that survey may be repeated annually by means of the online forms integrated with the new website, and that roles and curriculum or other materials will also be developed by which ICAs may better support each other and new members in meeting the criteria and demonstrating to each other that they do so.

I am proud that our global Board has developed effective teamwork and governance practices, notwithstanding the challenges of working as a diverse virtual team on a minimal budget. These include renewed Bylaws, monthly online Board meetings & bi-annual online General Assemblies, and responsible financial management including financial support for member initiatives.  I hope that the new Board will meet face-to-face early in 2016 to re-establish itself as a new team, and to develop a new strategy and business plan by which we all might continue to raise our ambitions further.  I hope that members will approve and contribute generously to a new ICAI budget that allows for that meeting, and for additional financial support for member initiatives including face-to-face capacity building and global strategy development.

     3. Recognising & leveraging ICA wisdom and nurturing
        new leadership

I am proud that ICAI has been able to use its communication channels to share and amplify members’ approaches, achievements & learnings, and that these plus our global working groups, online and regional gatherings are indeed helping to nurture our collective global wisdom and new leadership.  I hope that members will collaborate globally to develop and apply a new global curriculum and materials by which to better share and leverage both historic and new ICA wisdom & leadership globally.

I am proud to have served as President these past four years, and to be able to leave such a strong and capable Board with strong and capable new leadership.  I am grateful to all my colleagues on the Board and in our wider membership, for all their support and participation in our collective efforts to ‘advance human development worldwide’.

Martin Gilbraith

I can be contacted in future at webmaster@ica-international.org
and via www.martingilbraith.com.
Emails addressed to president@ica-international.org are now received by Lisseth.


COTE D'IVOIRE:

In the latter part of the year 2016, our activities focused on the training of 250 farmers on the cultivation techniques for the following: palm oil, orange tree, tangelo, mangosteen and pepper.

The object of this training was to give the farmers knowledge of the benefits associated with the cultivation of the aforementioned produce. Thus the content of the courses was based on the techniques of planting different plants and the availability of markets for the sale of its products.

We have received the support of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, In view of the better training we are giving our farmers, particularly for the project that we carry out in the Great region of Agneby-Tiassa.

The sale of second-cycle chickens fell just on the eve of the holiday season which made their marketing much easier. The evolution of broiler chickens is good despite the chicken mortality rate.
The market garden crop held well this year with our cultivation of: aubergines and chili peppers

At the farm level model; the compost site is doing very well. The compost will be used in the future months for the establishment of the following produce: carrots, lettuce etc ...



HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017 / BONNE ET HEUREUSE ANN2E 2017

Kouame Konan         konaneug@gmail.com


JAPAN:

ICA Japan launches internship program successfully!



INTERNS have been a real blessing for us. They have re-done our English Web, our Facebook, our Instagram, as well as going to Japan projects and hosting seminars at two universities. The seminars focussed on topics such as NPO’s, ICA Japan’s goals and global issues, encouraging further engagement of the students.

Visit www.icajapan.org for the whole intern report!

With the Interns we have formed a marathon (logo below) proposal and would like to contact schools and universities to participate! They anticipate this marathon could be a big hit, and expect 500 runners to run or walk for GREEN, perhaps in May. Below are sample LOGOs to consider (not yet decided by us). If this marathon is approved by our board, we would like to invite all ICAs to have parallel events so that this becomes well known globably, and ICA becomes well known and also gains local income to suppost their projects and themselves.

  

Now that our INTERNS are doing so well, we plan to reinstate our facilitation services in Japan. We would like to invite Bill Staples to offer training and the new course they are offering in the Spring of 2017.

Please see the Global Buzz by ICA Cote d’Ivoire (above) to the tremendous project that we are funding and we are working together.
Please see the report by ICA Nepal (below) about the recovery of the Womens center and the additions of elders care, a playground for children, and making and marketing low cost sanitary napkins so that young women can go to school full time.

We completed and offered to JICA a 3 year proposal for addressing in India a major Climate Change action in a very dry and barren land. This would be implemented by HCDI. JICA will accept (or postpone) our proposal by the end of March.

Submitted by Staff & Interns of ICA Japan


NEPAL:

For us at ICA Nepal, the last month of 2016 started with the ICA Asia Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Talegaon, Pune. At the same time, the renovation work at Changunarayan Learning Center went on at full speed.

The Asia Pacific regional meeting was held from 4-9th December by ICA India in Talegaon, Pune where ICA Nepal along with ICAs and its associates from Asia Pacific region gathered and spent a very productive and entertaining 5 days. The meeting focused on discussing various issues related to the operation of ICAs and sustainability for achieving its vision. There were 7 representatives from ICA Nepal at the meeting where we shared about our current activities and approach in community development and our future visions for social entrepreneurship development. ICA Nepal also performed on a local Nepali song during the event. The meeting was a great experience of learning for all the team members. ICA Nepal has also expressed its interest in hosting/organizing the next year’s regional gathering.

A lot of work progressed in the Learning Center at Changunarayan this month. A series of children and elderly citizen activities, along with the start of sanitary napkin production was conducted. The indoor and outdoor play areas have been installed and equipped for the children, whereas a variety of musical instruments and select pieces of furniture have been kept for senior citizens.

Programs for senior citizens, for coping with disasters, were held on 23rd December and 31st December, 2016. On 23rd December, senior citizens were given winter shawls, and a General Health Questionnaire, (GHQ) was conducted to measure their stress. On 31st December, a Senior Citizens Club was formed, with the objective of ensuring the sustainability of senior citizens programs, and to ensure proper utilization of the Learning Center, for the social development of elderly citizens in Changunarayan.

Similarly, on 31st December, the Changunarayan Children's Club was also formed, with 11 members comprising the committee. The committee will be formally registered with: the Ministry of Women, and, Children and Social Welfare, too. The playground construction has been completed and almost 60 children appeared on Saturday. As noted earlier, a committee was formed to look after the play equipment and maintain an organized environment in the Learning Center. The children's club will be empowered to conduct various child development programs in the community in upcoming days.

The production of sanitary napkins has also been formally started with 5 women producing 200 napkins every day. The marketing of the napkins will be started soon. The renovation of the Learning Center is now in hand and ICA Nepal, along with ICA Japan, are preparing for the FINAL ceremony of handing over the Learning Center to the community on 24th January 2017.

Prepared by
Pritha Khanal          pritha_khanal@yahoo.com


UNITED STATES:

 
 
 
 
 
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ACCELERATING THE NATIONAL
CONVERSATION ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE

ICA’s Technology of Participation (ToP®) facilitation methods bring a legacy of tools for groups that foster participation, engagement, collaboration and effective action. ICA utilized these methods to launch Town Meetings ‘76. Those local efforts engaged citizens in considering issues and opportunities before them as they sought to improve and develop their towns and communities. In a bold experiment catalyzing engagement, collaboration, and action, ICA conducted over 5,000 meetings.

To celebrate this legacy of community action and the value of ToP methods, trained facilitators, ICA staff, and colleagues in the ToP network organized events in seven cities as part of a national collaboration to accelerate climate action. Facilitators partnered with local organizations to design and implement sessions which addressed critical issues in those areas. Over 40 collaborators organized this initiative, and many of the facilitators and organizations are planning on continuing the work with their new partners. In the following summaries a main ToP facilitator or organizer is listed, but we thank all that participated.

Milwaukee Greenway Workshop, Milwaukee, WI. (Amy Murphy): 35 local stakeholders and activists currently working on the expansion of city greenways and storm water management met to share insights on project opportunities and challenges, strategized how to collaborate, and formed teams to move forward.

Accelerate Climate Action Community Forum, Denver, CO. (Sunny Walker): 40 residents from 17 Denver Metro neighborhoods came together to consider how local citizens could join in the effort to slow the worst effects of climate change. This event partnered with Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods (CHUN), ICA-USA and Wartburg College West.

Alliance for Sustainability Planning for Resilient Cities Workshop, Twin Cities, MN. (Rachel Hefte): 140 staff, elected leaders, and commission and community volunteers from 38 metro cities met to explore ways to develop sustainability vision statements, goals and strategies for implementation. Peers from other communities also gathered to explore how to advocate for their city to include energy, adaptation, transportation/land use, health/equity themes in city planning.

Phoenix Community Gathering 2016 (Neighborhoods Connect Town Hall Series Pilot), Phoenix, AZ. (Courtney Lonergan): 100+ multi-generational leaders and policymakers explored emerging solutions about the Muslim Reform Movement, police and neighborhood connections, and inspiring environmentally conscious citizens.

Youth as Facilitative Leaders Workshop, Chicago, IL. (Seva Gandhi): 15 Bronzeville community teens and other Chicago youth engaged in collaborative thinking and dialogue about how to activate their passions into constructive action.

Leveraging Our Leadership for Powerful Climate Action, Austin, TX. (Lynda Baker): 23 stakeholders of organizations working locally and nationally on climate action met to collaborate as leaders of climate advocacy, justice, and innovation to accelerate inclusive solutions locally, regionally and globally.

Tucson Emerging 2030 District Action Planning Session, Tucson, AZ. (Linda Ellinor): 22 participants strategized how to increase participation of residents and tap into the existing commitment of a 50% reduction in energy use, water use, and transportation emissions by the year 2030.

Climate Justice Allyship Building, Chicago, IL. (Caitlin Sarro): 60 residents and organizations gathered to identify actionable steps they could take to support each other and have greater collective impact around climate justice in Chicago. This event was organized with 350 ChicagoThoughtWorks..

In addition to helping the local initiatives, these meetings have produced a wealth of information on using ToP methods for climate change action of various scales and diversity. This series was a valuable learning opportunity that strengthened relationships and laid the ground for future collaborations.

ICA-USA           sgandhi@ica-usa.org



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