AUSTRALIA:

Location: Adelaide, South Australia.

ToP Facilitative Leadership Program

In Adelaide on 20-21st March, 2007, a highly successful Module 4 of the Australasian Technology of Participation ToP Facilitative Leadership Program FLP was held.

Module 4 Working with Value Systems is the first of the advanced training courses in the ToP Facilitative Leadership Program. This Module provides stimulating perspectives on how facilitators can more effectively meet and work with the gift and challenge of diversity within groups and individuals. Kevin Balm and Joan Firkins led the Modules.

Participant feedback about the Module was very positive with comments such as A very sophisticated, elegant, and grounded experience in the frameworks of working with value systems in facilitation.

This course opened up my thinking and I look forward to implementing and challenging myself, individuals, and groups with the knowledge I have gained.

Joan Firkins,on behalf of the South Australian ToP Facilitative Leadership Program delivery team

Joan Firkins           joan@bellavist.com

BANGLADESH:

Location: Dhaka

An informal meeting with memebrs was held with a view to plan for the next annual sub-continental meeting proposed to be hosted in Dhaka.

Some correspondences were done in reply to regional ICAs.

Aziz, Kabir and Sahalam went to the NGO Affairs Bureau for having clearance by April 2007. In this connection, additional supporting documents were given.

Proposal on street children for ICA UK is being improved following the Guidelines of Comic Relief and Prof. Dr. Mahbub Uddin Ahmed had a look and gave comments on which revision is being made.

For Ghoramara Asrayan Community, ICA Bangladesh members contacted with the Power Authority in Comilla and Chandpur and monitor the progress of the approved work. Electric pools were brought this week.

Azizur Rahman           admin@ica-bangladesh.org

CANADA:

Location: Toronto YFL

Eowynne further explored developing a YFL project in areas of Toronto which have been designated as high priority regions. The team also reflected on lessons learned with a community member from the Georgina project in anticipation of making modifications for future programme designs.

Cara Naiman           cnaiman@icacan.ca

JAPAN:

Location: Japan and Worldwide

Susumu Harada, the premier professional image designer in Tokyo, guided the team of Mamiko Tanaka, Eiki Kubokawa, Yuka Hayashi, and Wayne Ellsworth to totally re-design an appealing, exciting 2008 brochure aimed to introduce to the Japanese and world audience the 2008 conference.  We will print the brochure and mail to every ICA National office in the month of April, as well as send you by email a copy to print yourself!  Thanks to Sarah Miller and others for valuable inputs. 

The global conference team expands by one next week, when Yuka officially begins work for ICA Japan. 

We held a quarterly action planning for the 2008 team, and set fund raising into motion.

Kaoru Ito completed a Philippine study tour with 5 beautiful girls, they were shocked by illegal logging and charcoal making, and they were amazed to see native peoples life.   They widely opened their eyes and became silently aware that the world was one. They will now research more about what they can do next.

After hearing a professional speak about PR, Naomi Sato totally redesigned the 2007 Newsletter and laid out the next exciting edition.  What articles do you want published in Japanese?

Kayo Goda returned from 3 months in Chiapas, Mexico, where Spanish Americans did two modules of ToP training. 

Shizuyo Sato came back also after joining Paulo Ito for final negotiations for a third year contract for and expansive cascading womens capacity building program, and helped write the final report for the year.

Shizuyo Sato agreed with Atsuko Fish of Boston to locate, orient to ICA, and send three professional women to Boston for five weeks of intensive training on September 13, 2007.  Coming back, these women will be valuable in their jobs and in assisting with the preparation of the 2008 conference.

Wayne Ellsworth             wayne@icajapan.org

UNITED KINGDOM:

Location: UK and Europe

Jonathan has been meeting clients, facilitating, liasing with Jim Campbell and Sabine Winteler over our proposal to the EU for an EToPToT, Martin has been catching up after his holiday and doing finances, Amelia is busy on the Youth Programme. And we nominated Anne Wilshin to the ICAI Board.

Jonathan Dudding           jdudding@ica-uk.org.uk

ICAI:

Location: Montréal

What a week! Welcomed Katie on board as Office Manager and both Lambert and Sarah received their Canadian work permits. Most major office setup items were resolved. The Network Exchange was finalized and Annual Report put into design. We look forward to welcoming the Okrah family to Montreal next week.

Sarah Miller