BANGLADESH:

Location: Dhaka

ICA International President Nelson Stover and Elaine Srover visited ICA in Bangladesh and conducted a training on Effecrive Methods for Participation from 14-15 February followed by Effective Living and Leadership training conducted by Shubhnatain Singh from India at the National Institute of Local Government in Dhaka. They also visited the Integrated Community Development Project in Chandpur and attended a community Meeting.

ICAI President also inaugurated officially the Education for the Underprivileged Children Prohect in the same community which was facilitated by local MGO Integrated Human Development Organization, Bangladesh from 2004-2006 and from 2007 to 2009 being implemented by ICA Bangladesh.

There was another ICA Staff meeting held presented by ICAI President and Elaine Stover followed by the training session at NILG that discussed several issues for strengthening Dhaka ICA.

Dhaka ICA is now pact with the arramgement of anotherToP training on GFM and PSP from 4-8 March at the Pacific Inn Hotel, Dhaka. Three NGOs already nominated 7 Participants for the March training.

Azizur Rahman           marahman1976@yahoo.com

CANADA:

Location: Toronto

A debrief for the team of 4 ICA Canada Volunteers and Lynn Connell was held in Haliburton at Abbey North this week.

Miriam Patterson and Liz Donnery shared at another local Rotary club about the work of the Afrian ICAs and of the IL Ngwesi project. We were very well received!

The ICA Canada staff went to hear Stephen Lewis talk about the AIDS pandemic in Africa.  I speak on behalf of everyone when I say we were deeply inspired, as always, by Stephen's message. I know I have gained a sense of renewed passion and commitment to this cause this week on account of both Stephen's talk, but also on account of stories I have heard from Lynn Connell and Miriam Patterson!

Liz Donnery           ldonnery@icacan.ca

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Location: Toronto YFL

Judi Angel, who had been volunteering at ICA Ghana on behalf of the American Jewish World Service paid us a visit at ICA Canada. Cara attended a meeting aimed at forming a community of practice among people concerned with youth employment.

All of us at ICA Canada weathered a snow storm to attend a lecture by Stephen Lewis, former UN Special Envoy for HIVAIDS in Africa. As always, he was inspiring in his optimism and his rage.

Cara Naiman           cnaiman@icacan.ca

ICA ASSOCIATES INC. (Canada)

Location: Toronto

On Saturday, Jo and Wayne Nelson hosted 2 people who came to Toronto for the Int' Ass'n of Public Participation conference. One is an Aussie - a colleague of Vivian Twyford. The other is a lady who works for Environment Canada. We drove around Toronto and saw the sights. We touched a couple places that were featured in Michael Ondatje's novel - In the Skin of a Lion. We talked about everything under the sun from facilitation to literature and architecture. Sometime after we went home, Jo checked her email and found a message -  from Mary, the Environment Canada lady. It was a referral for facilitation with another federal government department. Within a week, she sent another person to us. All from a couple hours of sightseeing.

Jo is beginning work with the Cree School Board in Northern Quebec and an Aboriginal mental health initiative in Sudbury.

Wayne Nelson           wnelson@ica-associates.ca

JAPAN:

Location: Japan

Andrew, Wayne, Shizuyo, Gail from Taipei, and Mamiko facilitated an integrated Intercultural Communications, Focused Conversations, and Participatory Strategic Planning training for 19 young corporation people who are candidates for international assignments.

The Mexico - Japan Exchange program began with with Washi Arts leading the group to make beautiful art pieces out of excotic torn paper glued to artboard, producing for each an artistic keepsake picture of a flower.  Following this they went to a  tea cermony at a local kimono shop.  During the week, they saw key people in government, NGO's, and the private sector.

Meanwhile Eiki  Kubokawa receives the go ahead for a expansion of a technical training center in Lagos Nigeria, and sends an advance payment to them.

Wayne Ellsworth           wayne@icajapan.org

PERU:

Location: 100 Valleys

The second AVANZA PERU begins this Sunday with an excited group of community leaders from around the country.  Also, this week the huge grant proposal for the 100 Valleys 10-year Project was completed and ICA-Peru received a verbal commitment to provide the required financial guarantee for the major funding for the Project.  It will take several months for this to be realized, but we are experiencing that all of our dreams are coming true!

Ken Hamje           kenh@ica-peru.org

ITERLENG ICA South Africa:

The US embassy proposal was sent just in time for the deadline on 1st March. Fisser and Thembi are busy prepearing the Palesa Coporate Consultants report for training work conducted over the past weekend.

The stick wall bussiness is up and booming we just finished a 30 sticky walls order for an organisation called  LUCSA.

Muzi is busy preparing a 2 weeks training package for  youth which covers personal development, human rights, HIVAIDS, gender and peer education. Muzi is arranging with Radio Diaries an American programme for a presentation with Thembi an HIV positive young lady from Cape Town on Monday the 5th in Jabulani Soweto.

Muzi Mbonani           mbonanim.ica@telkomsa.net

SPAIN:

Location: Madrid

Have spoken at the University for Seniors proposing the creation of a faculty for happiness to generate better relationships and communication skills for the alumni and their families and improve social contexts.The lecture has been very well received and an actual request  on the subject will be proposed at the beginning of next acadamical year.

Franco Voli           francovoli@yahoo.com

TAIWAN:

Location: Taipei Taiwan

Teams returning from Nepal find their plates full as Larry Philbrook and Laura Hsu hold interviews and programs with a new branch of an old regional partner in Japan for a week. 

Gail West also facilitates a third time with ICA Japan for an annual strategic planning session with a valued client. 

Richard and Evelyn hold down the fort and prepare for Richard's birthday on March 5th at the ICA for an informal party at 7 pm.

Evelyn Kurihara Philbrook           joyful@icatw.com

UNITED KINGDOM:

Location: UK and Germany

Our quarterly newsletter came out, Martin and David- one of our Associates- delivered a GFM in Manchester, Jonathan attended the 3000 Facilitators for the Middle East meeting in Berlin, facilitated two events in London for voluntary and public sector clients and worked on partnership tools for an international NGO.

Martin, Amelia and Jonathan interviewed applicants for the Administrator post and we hope to appoint soon

Jonathan Dudding           jdudding@ica-uk.org.uk

ICAI:

Location: New Haven

This week Lambert and I held preliminary conversations with short-list candidates for the positions of Director of Global Capacity Building and Director of Global Policy. We spoke with a spectacularly diverse and fascinating set of candidates currently living in Austria, Canada, France, Guadeloupe, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, and the US.

Also continued working with Montreal International to sort out Lamberts work permit, reviewed FY06 financial report, assembled articles for the April Network Exchange, interviewed a new volunteer to assist with communications, reviewed options for revised logo, distributed information about opportunities to participate in the Global Forest Coalition, shared revised ICAI description language with the Board for feedback, distributed February staff report. Also scheduled meetings in Montreal next week to finalize office space, hire Office Manager, and get FY06 audit underway.

Sarah Miller           sarah.miller@earthlink.net