Circulation: 6407 with subscribers in 84 countries
Greetings
A highlight for the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. over the last month was working with the Meander Valley Council and the Westbury Working Together Committee in the Tasmanian Town of Westbury. This edition features a number of interesting initiatives operating within this innovative community.
This edition also features a number of exciting social capital building tools - Timebank, Sharehood, Streetbank and Landshare. No shortage of innovation at the local community level.
A highlight for the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. over the last month was working with the Meander Valley Council and the Westbury Working Together Committee in the Tasmanian Town of Westbury. This edition features a number of interesting initiatives operating within this innovative community.
This edition also features a number of exciting social capital building tools - Timebank, Sharehood, Streetbank and Landshare. No shortage of innovation at the local community level.
(Albert Einstein)
Over the last few editions of our newsletter, we have been promoting the November visit to Australia and New Zealand of Paul Born from the Tamarack Institute. Tamarack has an
international reputation for its work in community engagement and Paul has an awesome reputation in the area of community conversations. His Book –
“Community Conversations: mobilizing the ideas, skills, and passions of community organisations, governments, businesses and people” is considered by Amazon one of the top ten books on community development.
Click here for to order a copy. Paul’s one day workshops on “Community Conversations” are scheduled for:
- Melbourne (Nov 3)
- Adelaide (5 Nov)
- Perth (8 Nov)
- Sunshine Coast, Qld (10 Nov)
- Sydney (15 Nov)
- Auckland (17 Nov)
- to create and maintain strong, vibrant communities by strengthening leadership development in the Southern Region of Western Australia;
- to initiate a range of programs to support existing and emerging community leaders through skill development, mentoring, recognition and networking opportunities;
- to promote networking between communities through sharing of information;
- to conduct community forums focused on community capacity building in the region;
- to develop innovate tools to link people and skills around the southern region and provide leadership information;
- to celebrate leadership initiative through the annual leadership awards;
- to continue to pursue partnership arrangements which are socially inclusive; and
- to assist communities and volunteers to reach their full potential.
Sharehood is yet another wonderful web based social capital building tool about helping neighbours reconnect with each other. It is a
great way of breaking the ice with neighbours, building connection and sense of place. Check out their great new
website
and see the wonderful two minute introductory video by Michael
Green.Love their catch phrase – “Meet your neighbours – see what happens”.
TOP 10 REASONS FOR A STRATEGIC SHARED VISION AND ACTION PLAN FORMULATION PROCESS
- Somebody sneezes and dust flies off your old plan.
- Half of your community doesn’t know if you have a strategic action plan.
- The other half of your community doesn’t care if you have a strategic action plan.
- Your economic and employment base is changing, and you could be losing a major employer, and there is a general sense that your community is adrift in the global economy.
- You know in your heart that your community is capable of great things if you could all just come together for a common effort. What you need is a triggering mechanism.
- Your existing plan is not really a plan. It is a list of activities that would be good to do, rather than a systematic examination of your community, a strategic vision for your future, an action plan with responsibilities assigned, and a timeline for completion.
- Your existing plan is not really strategic. It is a cookie-cutter plan borrowed from another community that does not build on the unique strengths and capabilities of your community, or an understanding of the emerging environment in your community.
- Your existing plan has no vision. It is a projection of the status quo based on existing resources, rather than a compelling mental image of a desired future that energizes your community to take charge of its future.
- You don’t want to look back on your community five years from now and wish you had taken action.
- You realise that a strategic shared vision and action plan that is bold, compelling and embraced by the entire community is one of the most powerful engines to drive a community toward long-term success.
Thanks to Peter Hall in Nelson, New Zealand for sharing this great community social capital building idea. Landshare brings together people who have a passion for home-grown food. It’s for people who:- Want to grow vegetables, but don’t have anywhere to do it;
- Have a spare bit of land they’re prepared to share;
- Can help in some way – from sharing knowledge and lending tools to helping out on the plot itself;
- Support the idea of freeing up more land for growing;
- Are already growing and want to join in the community.
Click here to learn more of the Fearnley-Whittingstall web based tool.
This
month, the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. would like to remember the memory
of Edwin C Nelson, an amazing educator and community enthusiast
from Nebraska, USA. His name is synonymous with school/community
revitalisation in rural America. Ed also was a major influence
on the small town development projects of the Bank of I.D.E.A.S.
throughout the 1990’s and Bank of I.D.E.A.S. creations – C.R.E.A.T.E. (Creating Rural Enterprising Attitudes Through Education) and Community Builders owe much to his inspiration and assistance. His lecture visit to Australia before his death will be remembered by many in Rural Australia.This classic quote by Ed will never be forgotten- “We as parents and teachers, must feel the guilt for some of the demise of our rural communities. Too many of us have been in the business of encouraging our children to study hard so they can go and get good jobs. We have not worked hard enough to help them explore the possibilities of returning to their home communities someday, not in the search of jobs, but in search of enterprise opportunities through which they can offer jobs”.
If ever lacking for humorous quotes, Mark Twain, US Novelist, is one of the best to start with.- ‘It’s better to give than to receive . . . especially advice!’
- ‘When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.’
- ‘Go to heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.’
- ‘October. This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August and February.’
- ‘When we remember that we are all mud, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.’
- 'Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example'
The small town of Legerwood in Tasmania is one of several Australian towns that have created an amazing public art exhibit out of a set of trees that had become unsafe. These particular trees were planted in 1918 to commemorate local men who lost their lives in World War I . Utilising an amazing chainsaw artist, the memorial was not lost.Click here to read the story and see the amazing public art commemoration. Click on the image to enlarge.
He surmises it well – lessons we need to remember if we want to build strong, healthy and successful communities – “...the civic community is marked by an active public-spirited citizenry, by egalitarian political relations, by a social fabric of trust and co-operation. Some regions of Italy are blessed with vibrant networks and norms of civic engagement, while others are cursed with vertically structured politics, a social life of fragmentation and isolation, and a culture of distrust. These differences in civic life turn out to play a key role in explaining institutional success.”
Putnam states eight principles that appear to underpin the social and economic success of Northern Italy, namely:
- a preference for collaboration as opposed to hierarchical relationships;
- a willingness to seek the middle ground despite differing political perspectives;
- an orientation towards community as opposed to self or party politics;
- high levels of social interaction through memberships in many clubs and societies;
- a focus on issues rather than on personalities;
- high levels of newspaper readership, so everybody is informed of issues;
- a constant striving towards equality as opposed to the maintenance of elitism;
- public spiritedness and a willingness to engage in community affairs and to take responsibility.
Always great to discover an accredited regional customer service program. This initiative from Port Macquarie is impressive. Operating as a service certification program, businesses that successfully meet the standards of accreditation are authorised to display the Customer Care logo and other associated promotional material. Accredited businesses also have the opportunity to participate and be included in promotional activities conducted as part of the program, including regular networking functions and the Annual Customer Care Awards.Click here to discover more.
Economic Gardeners has a one-year program that generates the following outcomes:
- Changing the way small business owners/managers operate their businesses through:
- building strong business plans and business operating structures;
- implementing sound business development strategies; and
- executing well-planned marketing programs.
- Developing a culture of continuous learning and the application of relevant analysis to the business of knowledge about the industry, region and economy.
- Establishing networks of businesses that share common values and appreciate the potential of sharing ideas and knowledge in improving business performance.
Thanks to Leigh Eustace, a Councillor with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council in Victoria for this great story about Community Radio Station 3RPP and the way in which the community has taken a community asset – a disused former school – and are converting it into a community radio station headquarters.Click here to read Leigh’s story which highlights the critical leadership roles of local government and local Rotary Clubs, and what happens when various groups hold hands. Inspiring Story. Click here to visit Radio 3RPP's website.
Thanks to David Wilson of
Heritage Futures International in New Zealand for reminding us about this impressive group. NEF have a long history involved in what they refer to as “economics as if people and planet mattered” They provide innovative solutions that challenge mainstream thinking on economic, environmental and social issues. Their research and project work have left a wonderful legacy of inspiration.To regularly benefit from their work, click here register to receive their newsletter.
The idea has interesting possibilities for local democracy and building social capital, but obviously there are questions about how a government translates such a concept into policy and action, so it is not just a way for government to slash funding and abdicate social responsibility. The New Economics Foundation has posed their “Ten Big Questions About the Big Society and Ten Ways to Make the Best of It” . Click here to read.
Mal Bryce has been an incredible mentor and friend to the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. As an ex Deputy Premier and Minister for Economic Development in Western Australia, and Manger of Economic Development within the City of Ipswich in Queensland, he has had unique opportunities to design and implement some innovative development initiatives.
Click on the following links (PDF, Powerpoint) to view his wonderful presentation entitled "Developing Communities in Times of Change".
Mal continues to be a major contributor to helping communities appreciate the importance of a decent National Broadband…given its centrality in the recent national Australian election, Mal’s incisive article in response to one of Australia’s conservative Luddite news commentators is worth reading…hopefully as a nation, we will not lose the opportunity to join the 21st Century, especially for the sake of our rural communities.
Click here to read Mal’s thoughts on the imperative of effective high speed network.
(George Bernard Shaw)
Click
on the image to enlarge to view this wonderful public art project in Westbury, Tasmania – The Stumps. Certainly one of the more contemporary heritage public art projects in Australia to commemorate the contribution of the Westbury Cricket Club to Australian Cricket. It probably also qualifies for the Guinness Record for the biggest set of wickets.
The time bank idea was developed at the London School of Economics by Washington law professor Edgar Cahn in 1986, who describes the idea as working like a blood bank or babysitting club: “Help a neighbour and then, when you need it, a neighbour – most likely a different one – will help you. The system is based on equality: one hour of help means one time dollar, whether the task is grocery shopping or making out a tax return... Credits are kept in individual accounts in a ‘bank’ on a personal computer. Credits and debits are tallied regularly. Some banks provide monthly balance statements, recording the flow of good deeds.”Time credits are simply a recognition of the time and effort put in locally. They are not supposed to be an adequate recompense, and experience in the USA shows that most are never spent. However, they do seem to be the kind of recognition that keep people volunteering much longer than in conventional volunteer schemes. At its simplest, the idea uses a broker at the end of the phone, and allows people to earn time credits for each hour they help out in their local community. In the words of the New Economic Foundation (NEF) – “The result is a parallel economy, using time as the medium of exchange, putting these forgotten assets to work meeting the forgotten needs, and by doing so making connections between people and rebuilding a sense of trust.”
To read the NEF article entitled “Time Banks – a Radical Manifesto”, click here to download.
Click here to read more and download.
It is one of the most moving pieces of art communication we have ever experienced. This piece of communication won first prize on Ukraine's Got Talent Competition and it relates to the Great Patriotic War in Ukraine in 1945 resulting in loss of over 20% of their population.
Double-click image to enlarge video screen.
Thanks to Inspiring Communities in New Zealand for the link to this incredible group. EcoMatters is a charity trust based in Auckland, that delivers a wide range of sustainability initiatives. Their website is a gem click here and discover a range of local initiatives targeting energy, water, transport and community gardens. For Transition Towns initiatives, EcoMatters provides a wonderful model in community communication about those sustainability issues that matter.
One
of the great discoveries in the last 12 months for the Bank of
I.D.E.A.S. has been the work of Tamarack in Canada, truly the
international leader in community engagement methodologies. One of their impressive projects has been their work in using community engagement approaches to reduce poverty in Canada. As part of their strategic review of its efforts in reducing poverty, Tamarack and other partners in their Vibrant Communities network commissioned a review of recent literature, designed to
“analyze and synthesize the most recent reports, research and evaluations of place-based, comprehensive efforts to reduce poverty and other complex issues”.The resulting Report - “Comprehensive Community Initiatives: Lessons Learned, Potential and Opportunities Moving Forward” is an invaluable resource. Click here to download a copy.
As mentioned above, Paul Born from Tamarack will be in Australia and New Zealand in November facilitating his one day event on “Community Conversations”.
To view the collection and more on the Gallery, click here.
The Bank of I.D.E.A.S. has a strong commitment to promoting the social and economic benefits of ‘Life in the Past Lane’. The Gingerbread Cottages are a great illustration of how the Clarke and Madge Families in Westbury have created their own quaint village – four colonial cottages and a 1920’s bungalow as a unique accommodation experience. In the words of the Lonely Planet –
“These award-winning self contained cottages are delightful, filled with a cozy ambience, memorabilia and quirky touches, antiques, mod cons and surrounded by fragrant gardens”.For more information visit their website.
The key theme of the Colloquin is captured by Margaret Mead’s famous comment – “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world – indeed it is the only thing that ever has." The purpose of the collection in the words of its Editor’s is to – “generate reflection, lively discussion, debate and hopefully insight into who we are, what we do and with what success”.
Click here to download a copy. We are sure Philip would appreciate any feedback – email him at soiltechresearch@bigpond.com.
The
Plunkett Foundation in the UK supports co-operatives and social
enterprises in rural communities worldwide.
Click here
to learn more about this group. Two very helpful resources
include their “Information and Ideas Centre” which contains over
20,000 items related to cooperatives and social enterprises, and
their free electronic Plunkett Weekly News –
click here to subscribe.- A unique place designed for adults and their families to experience capacity building in community education and development and to make learning experiences together.
- Built on the principles of each-one-teach-one, (I have a skill to offer you just as you have to offer me) and learning with great respect.
- Everyone feels safe and welcome and we offer ‘Learning Ground' program at 10-12 Macarthur Way, Bidwill. Learning Ground operates on school term timetable.
- Operating flexible hours participants are drawn from varying ages and backgrounds. Working together we will find new solutions to breaking the poverty cycle in the Druitt. Skills development are paramount for adults and children to meet achievable goals.
- Learning is based on Aboriginal traditional and contemporary knowledge and that of linguistically diverse communities. (CALD), realization and celebration will characterise much of the learning.
-
Participants will learn the 3 R's:
- Reading: writing, artwork, story-telling
- Rhythm: music, dance, drama
- Respect I am one and you are one, we care (taught with simple meditation techniques)
Click here for a copy. To receive Peter’s regular articles electronically click here.
In a previous edition of our newsletter, we included reference to Arcadia Love from Maleny, Queensland and her amazing Make a Difference ( MAD) Project – connecting people who want to make a difference with those who already are!
Arcadia has just produced a new newsletter – well worth
subscribing to. Click
here to subscribe.
The Bank of I.D.E.A.S. is strongly committed to the Transition Towns Movement which is promoting the process of transiting to a lower energy future and greater levels of community resilience. The key international support organisation for this movement is the Transition Network based in the UK. Their mission is to inspire, inform, support, network and train communities as they consider, adopt, and implement a Transition Initiative.
They have a developed a range of materials, training courses, events, tools and techniques, resources and a general support capacity to help such communities.
Click on the following links:
- for more information on this group;
- for a copy of their excellent primer on Transition Initiatives;
- to order a copy of the Transition Handbook; and
- to receive the regular free electronic newsletter of the Transition Network.
Click here for more details.
The course aims to strengthen international, national and local capacity to promote and apply indigenous peoples’ rights and to integrate indigenous peoples’ rights and perspectives into development frameworks.
The course is designed for all those who are involved in the promotion, design or development of policies, strategies and projects that directly concern or affect indigenous people.
For more information click here to download a course brochure.
The Strengths and Assets Summit will be held in Newcastle, 30th November until the 3rd December 2010. The Summit brings together the 6th Australian Family and Community Strengths Conference (AFaCS) and the 2nd Asset Based Community Development Asia Pacific Conference (ABCD) in a celebration of over 10 years of concentrated development of strengths based policy, practice and research in the Australasian family and community services sector.This event provides an opportunity to learn from what is now known about good practice, and to explore how we can effectively measure the impact of our work. Importantly, the Summit will foster meaningful dialogue between practitioners, researchers and policy makers. Delegates will be able to move between conference programmes on the two overlapping days.
For more information download pre-conference and call for paper brochures.
(Elbert Hubbard, American Author and Publisher)
‘The best way to get people to think out of the box is not to create the box in the first place’.
(Martin Cooper)
The Great Western Tiers in the Meander Valley Council has always been a popular destination for touring cyclists. Now it has been made easier with the development of a four great tours. Go to their website to access cycle tour podcasts and supported detailed cycling maps. Great local initiative. Incidentally, the four tours are – ‘Great Country Ride’, ‘Great Gourmet Ride’, ‘Great World Heritage Ride’ and ‘Great Caves Ride’.
For more details go to the AgFEST website.
Go to the Council's website or email Vicki Jordan on vicki.jordan@muc.tas.gov.au. Incidentally, Meander Valley Council have a great youth strategy statement – click here to download a copy.
-
Sovereign Hill – one of Australia’s foremost outdoor historical museum in Ballarat. Currently attracts 450,000 visitors per year and employs 350 staff. Sovereign Hill was initiated by the Ballarat Apex Club and today is administered by the Sovereign Hill Museums Association – a not-for-profit community based organisation
- Whale World – recipient of four international awards, this Albany based Museum is a project of the Joyces Community Foundation. It attracts 200 visitors per day. Go to
their
website for more information.
- Kalamunda Village Markets – the largest craft market in Western Australia attracting up to 10,000 visitors, this Project is administered by the Rotary Club of Kalamunda. Click here for more details.
Thanks to Phil Ashton
(Imagelink) from Dunolly, Victoria for sharing with us this great local initiative from his town’s supermarket, Daly’s Store . Every time a customer purcha$es at Daly’s Store they receive “Daly Dollar$” appropriate to the amount spent. They earn one Daly Dollar for every $15 spent . These Daly Dollar$ can then be collected and spent at the Store alongside real ca$h. They are even transferrable to others. Daly’s Store also runs special Double Dollar Day$ where customers earn two Daly Dollar$ with every $15 spent. Simple, but effective marketing with locals. - Management
- Marketing
- Business Development
- Streetscape / Infrastructure
Click here to view details.
For more see ABC news online.
- Strength in Teams – identifying, mobilizing and
celebrating strengths are essential skills for building successful teamwork.
This resource consists of 30 full colour cards that are guaranteed to
stimulate discussion and new insights about the strengths of any team.
- What Works? – this resource that focuses on the strengths of an organisation through the use of Appreciative Inquiry and other strength-based approaches by stimulating dynamic thinking and conversations about what really works in organisations.
Incidentally, we believe Innovative Resources is the best bookshop in the country for resources related to community building.
- 3 - Think about three independently owned businesses you would miss if they were gone. Stop in and say hello. Buy something that will make someone smile. Your contribution will keep those businesses around.
50 - If half the employed U.S. population spent $50 each month in an independently owned business, their purchases would generate $42.6 billion in revenue. Imagine the positive impact if 3/4 of the employed population did that.
68 - For every $100 spent in independently owned stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays here. Spend it online and nothing comes home.
1 - The number of people it takes to start the trend... you.
Copyleft Policy
Resources of the Bank of I.D.E.A.S., either in full or in part, can be copied, quoted, reprinted, given away or circulated. Parts may be torn out, extracted and enhanced. In short, all resources are public property. Please use in any way to build the skills and knowledge of citizens in building healthier communities and more vibrant local economies.
Click here to subscribe to our mailing list, or to stop receiving this newsletter.
Bank of I.D.E.A.S.
(Initiatives for the Development of Enterprising Actions & Strategies)
14 Bird Rd, Kalamunda WA 6076
Ph: 08 6293 1848 Email: pp@bankofideas.com.au