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The August newsletter edition is a bumper edition packed with the most diverse and interesting range of community and economic development initiatives and resources drawn from across the globe. There is no shortage of creativity or possibility when local residents are passionate about building community and local economy. May the inspiration of other’s stories inspire you. Enjoy.
Anne Frank
Thanks to Laura Girty and Becky McCray for this wonderful story about volunteers in the small rural Kansas town of Whiting where one hundred volunteers descended on the town's tiny 25 year-old cafe for several days of much needed clean up and improvement. And the story of Fitch's Neighbors where a group of 40 local volunteers helped update the grocery store inside and out. And they aren't finished. They plan to make this an ongoing project and are working on the inventory system next.If you could round up 50 volunteers, what local business would you help out? How could you help them? What if you helped a different local business each year? And what is stopping you ?
Click here for more details and a photos on these stories. Click here to take a guided tour. Click here to subscribe.
Click image to enlarge
Always at the cutting edge of community innovation, Lawrence, a
small community in Otago, New Zealand has become New Zealand’s first
free internet town. One additional action really makes it work for
visitors – all cafes/ restaurants have free computers available for
those without a laptop.Click image to enlarge
Over
the last 4 years, the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. has been involved with youth development initiatives in Somalia.
A country totally dysfunctional in terms of the politics, but full of young people with hope of a better future. Now it is experiencing the worst drought in 60 years, with 12 million facing starvation. Below is a letter from Josette Sheeran , Executive Director of the World Food Program which gives a graphic description of the situation –-
“I’ve just returned from a trip to Somalia and Kenya where it’s truly a life and death situation. I met a young mother in Mogadishu who walked for four days in search of food. She lost three children. The famine is taking countless lives, mostly children. We’ve been scaling up our operations for six months, but Somalia has been hit especially hard by consecutive droughts and an ongoing conflict that has limited humanitarian access. We’re starting emergency airlifts to get food to children who desperately need it.
The suffering is terrible across the Horn of Africa. In Kenya, lack of water and high food prices are causing a dramatic rise in the number of severely malnourished children. At the refugee camps in Dadaab, which I visited on Saturday, we’re providing three-week food rations to families arriving from Somalia, many of whom haven’t eaten for days.
Each and every one of us needs to act now. We cannot stand by as tens of thousands die of hunger. Every contribution, no matter how big or small, means more food that will save lives.
We’ll keep you updated on the situation and how we’re responding. As always, thank you for fighting hunger with the World Food Programme.
Sincerely, Josette"
Consider donating, suggest you use either the Red Cross or the World Food Program as both are now getting into the worst affected areas. $15 is enough to feed a hungry child or woman for an entire month in the Horn of Africa.
For graphic pictures of the situation, click here to see a gallery of photos. Click here to read a newspaper article about the crisis.
Click image to enlarge.
Many thanks to Meghann Darroch who attended Peter Kenyon's recent Rural Ontario presentation in North Gower, Ontario for this wonderful YouTube video about the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan USA, a community fighting back after being labelled a “dying city”.
Click here to read internet article and watch the Youtube video.
It is being facilitated by Billy Matheson and Lani Evans, and the guest speakers and mentors include Vivian Hutchinson, Malcolm Cameron, Ngahau and Debbie Davis, Robin Allison, Gael Surgenor, Brian Donnelly, Viv Maidaborn and John Stansfield.
Click here for more information.
This year's one day event around the theme
"Energising Main Streets through People, Programs, Planning and Placemakers" looks incredible in terms of presentations and workshops. Occurring in Footscray Community Arts Centre, Melbourne on 25 August, it is an event that can be strongly recommended.Click here for more details .
Important read for anyone interested in post crisis support initiatives. Click here for a copy.
This is an exciting initiative by a group of local governments in the northern suburbs of Adelaide and focuses on re invention of their services for older people. Their vision is
‘building on the strengths of older people and their communities in order to develop and sustain opportunities for social connections and community participation.’ What is invaluable is their agreed set of Guiding Principles, namely –- Building on individual and community strengths
- Developing tailored supports and responses
- Supporting autonomy, control and self-direction
- Minimising formal service intervention and sustaining independence
- Optimising social and community participation
- Raising and responding to the voice of older people
- Building and sustaining partnerships with key stakeholders
- A focus on sustainability
If you have had involvement in, or know of interesting examples relating to asset mapping and/or creation of a community foundation related to sport’s organisations, please contact Peter Kenyon at pk@bankofideas.com.au.
The Greater Shepparton City Council are running a most interesting event in September. It promises to be an event unlike any other conventional conference in terms of methodology, international presenters and workshop opportunities.Click here for more details and the registration flyer.
By all the means you can
In all the ways you can
In all the places you can
To all the people you can
As long as ever you can'
This is a great term introduced by John Stanley, one of Australia’s great retail gurus. John is passionate about a simple reality
– ‘the key in the future is to get business to think about being “bricks and clicks”….. Being solely “Bricks” will not be a recipe for survival.’John has developed a range of fascinating presentations on themes like - “the virtual newsagent”,” virtual garden centre”, “virtual shopping mall”, “virtual pet store”, “virtual farmers market”. If interested in utilising John as a presenter/workshop facilitator, contact him on john@johnstanley.com.au.
See his Linkedin profile or check him out on Youtube.
- ‘The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honour. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have a potential to turn a life around. It's overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt’.
Bank of I.D.E.A.S. has huge respect for Jurek Leon of Terrific Trading . We had the privilege of working with Jurek as part of the Subiaco Think 2030 sessions on
“Retail and
Entertainment”. Jurek is a storyteller, trainer, retail consultant and customer experience designer. His entertaining, energising seminars and workshops are filled with practical tips, ideas and down-to-earth examples on word-of-mouth marketing, motivation, customer focused selling and designing and managing the customer experience.Terrific trading offers a variety of services, including a fascinating range of Workshop options including –
- Customer service you can be proud of
- How to WOW your customers and turn them into ambassadors for your business, town and region
- Taking the chance out of how your customers judge you
- How to stay motivated, have more fun and build customer loyalty
- Retail skills – turning browsers into buyers
- Selling for non-salespeople – a customer focussed approach
- Making promotions work in your business and keeping the dollars in the local community
G. Donald Gale
Thanks
to Gordon Morris, UK for the following story.Here is a great story about a red telephone box in the Cambridgeshire village of when it opened as a pub called the Dog and Bone.
The closure of The Plough Pub in the village inspired villagers to turn a redundant phone box into an alehouse for a fete. A local carpenter created a triangular-shaped bar to allow staff to stand inside and pull pints while drinkers queued down the pavement. In the meantime a campaign group has been set up to get The Plough reopened and to stop The Plough being converted to housing.
One of the group's organisers, Louise Barrell, said the villagers wanted to demonstrate the need for somewhere to meet. "We decided as the parish council had bought the phone box we would turn it into the Dog and Bone for a night. As it was so small we sold beer in thimble fulls instead of pints as well as soft drinks and crisps, and it was a great success."
Click here for more information.
Click here for more information.
We consider no one has a better understanding of heritage tourism than David Wilson from Heritage International. Not only does David expound the theory and practice of Heritage Tourism, he is constantly implementing practical projects.Within the heritage precinct of Omararu, New Zealand David has opened a Penny Farthing museum, shop and experience centre.
Click photo to enlarge and see the experience in operation with a group of USA students.
Next time you are travelling through Omararu, check it out personally.....you will have a ball learning this old recreational pursuit.
One article we found very helpful was entitled “12 ways to Keep your Employees Motivated, Engaged and United” by Atre Nathan. In summary –
- Clearly define your vision
- Give employees what they want and need
- Communicate often and well
- Get everyone engaged – don’t expect much from employees who don’t feel connected
- Stay the course – don’t keep changing things all the time
- Practice random acts of kindness
- Coach for success – everyone wants to do well and most want guidance to do that
- Act fairly – be consistent
- Inspect what you expect - pay attention to them
- Give respect and create trust
- Don’t be a jerk – if you slip up, stop and apologise
- Make work fun
Click here to see some great humorous photos from around the world in terms of people being enterprising with transport.
Click image to enlarge.
We love the quote from the UN Interagency Jodhpur Symposium to introduce the event -
-
"Creativity and Creative Communities may be the remaining enduring resources in the developing world. They represent present cultural and past civilizations which uniquely contribute to the nobility, heritage, beauty and integrity of the human race."
Young social entrepreneurs, David Dixon and Chantelle Baxter, co-founded
One Girl, a not for profit, educating girls in Sierra Leone. One of their projects is called LaunchPad to help girls go to school every day of the month with eco-friendly sanitary wear.Click here for details.
Years passed. One day the eagle, now grown old saw a magnificent bird above him in the sky; it glided in a graceful majesty against the powerful wind, with scarcely a movement of its golden wings.
Spellbound the eagle asked – “Who’s that?”
“That’s the king of the birds, the eagle,” said his neighbour. “He belongs to the sky. We belong to earth – we’re chickens.”
So the eagle lived and died a chicken for that’s what he thought he was.
(Anthony de Mello)
The Tropical Innovation Awards reveal, recognise and reward local talent through a competition to discover the best and most innovative ideas across Tropical North Queensland Local Government Areas: Cairns, Tablelands and Cassowary Coast Regional Councils and the Cook Shire.
Designed to stimulate and diversify the future economy, the awards highlight local ingenuity and present a true reflection of tropical creativity to the world.Bank of I.D.E.A.S. is proud to sponsor the youth section in the awards.
Click here to visit the Awards webpage.
Click here for details.
Click on the following links to download the PowerPoint presentations:
- Community Actions that Stimulate the Local Economy and Local Jobs
-
How, if possible, to re-populate declining rural and regional areas?
Examining this crucial and complex issue in relation to Australia, this
book explores how a particular organization, ‘Country Week’, has
emerged and developed as one means of stimulating the repopulation of
declining or stagnating areas. While this is a problem shared by many
other developed countries in Europe and North America, Australia’s
‘Country Week’ programme puts forward an innovative range of place marketing
strategies that challenge rural decline and urban migration
and can offer new approaches which could be adopted more widely.
Well done Ken, we appreciate your personal passion about building community, and yet another example of doing something practical about that passion.
Click here to read a recent newsletter article outlining plans and actions. The Bank of I.D.E.A.S. will work with locals on the implementation of a Business Expansion and Retention (BEAR) Program.
New Zealand is definitely the place for creative festivals and special events, including those that target children. Two that happened in the month of July that are worth learning about are --
'Kids Fest' in Christchurch, NZ - this is New Zealand's biggest annual children's festival. The festival has a 20 year history, and this year it has the extra special theme of
"Celebrating Community". It provided in the words of the Mayor, Bob Parker,
'a chance to get some well deserved laughter back into the community'.
75,000 participants joined in a massive range of events in four categories, namely- Arts, Craft and Creativity - Knowledge and Discovery - Sports, Games and Adventure - Plays, Shows and Young Performers.
Click here for more details.
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Cadbury's Chocolate Carnival in Dunedin - another week-long event full of fun and frivolity, including the
"Running of Jaffas" down the world's steepest street - 25,000 jaffas raced down the hill to raise money for Parents Centres NZ and Cure Kids.
The Festival includes everything from chocolate sculpting to chocolate painting, chocolate decorating and chocolate facials, community cooking classes and children's theatre, chocolate degustation and an African Feast celebrating Fairtrade.
Click here for more details.
Click image to enlarge
A cartoon can be worth a 1000 words. Click on the image to enlarge and see a very apt portrayal of our current world.
It has been a privilege for the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. to work with the Shire of Halls Creek, and especially their energetic and committed CEO Warren Olsen over the last three years. A
recent initiative has been the formulation of a Tourism Plan Consultation Draft.The Shire of Halls Creek is one of the gems of Australia's landscape, and incredibly asset rich in terms of current and potential tourism product. The Shire is home to the Bungle Bungle, Wolf Crater, Canning Stock Route, Tanami Track, Lake Gregory and an amazing and diverse Indigenous heritage and culture.
The Shire of Halls Creek has adopted the following tourism goal - 'to develop and implement a tourism strategy that enhances the economic, employment and cultural benefits of tourism for local residents and businesses, and enables national recognition of Halls Creek as a significant tourism centre for indigenous, environmental and cultural tourism'.
The Plan seeks to -
- evaluate the current status of the tourism sector, including marketing realities, current assets and challenges;
- identify growth and development opportunities;
- provide a set of recommended actions for a strategic approach to growing tourism over the next five years;
- specify future roles for both the Shire of Halls Creek and the local business community; and
- identify potential sources of funding assistance.
Click here to enlarge.
In a Podiatrist's office: "Time wounds all heels."
On a Plumber's truck: "We repair what your husband fixed."
On another Plumber's truck: "Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber."
On a Church's Bill board: "7 days without God makes one weak."
At a Tyre Store "Invite us to your next blowout."
On an Electrician's truck: "Let us remove your shorts."
In a Non-smoking Area: "If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action."
On a Maternity Room door: "Push. Push. Push."
At an Optometrist's Office: "If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place."
On a Taxidermist's window: "We really know our stuff."
On a Fence: "Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive!"
At a Car Dealership: "The best way to get back on your feet - miss a car payment."
Outside a Car Exhaust Store: "No appointment necessary. We hear you coming."
In a Vet's waiting room: "Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!"
In a Restaurant window: "Don't stand there and be hungry; come on in and get fed up."
In the front yard of a Funeral Home: "Drive carefully. We'll wait."
A sign at a Radiator shop: "Best place in town to take a leak."
Sign on the back of yet another Septic Tank Truck: "Caution - This Truck is full of Political Promises"
The University of Missouri
(USA) Extension Community Development Program offers a series of three courses called the Community Development Academy.The academy offers the opportunity for state-of-the-art, hands on training in developing the practical knowledge and skills necessary in the field of community building.
The next academy is taking place this coming September 19-23 at the Mercy Center in St. Louis. Click here for more information.
The Bank of IDEAS has a strong commitment to finding practical ways to
assist Timor Leste - the poorest country in Asia/Pacific in terms of
grass roots development. During a recent visit, two opportunities
emerged which we want to present to our newsletter family:-
Mobile Workshop - in the village of Triloka, the
Good Crocodile Foundation is establishing a mobile workshop facility
to support village farmers - they require 250 sheets of zinc for the
roof structure. Each sheet costs $8. They are looking for donors to
purchase one or more sheets. To see the reality of this initiative
click here to see photo's and a brief story.
- Grain Silos - the average East Timorese farmer loses up to 60% of their seed due to weevil infection. The Seeds of Life Project and the East Timor Roofing Company (see article below) have developed a grain silo that kills the Weevil and allows a farmer a full seed compliment. This one action has enabled farming families to develop a liveable income - such a small action with massive income security implications. The cost of the silo is only $110. If you are willing to support one farming family develop income security, please purchase a silo. Click here for more details on this revolutionary initiative.
If willing to support either of the above donation initiatives please contact the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. - pk@bankofideas.com.au.
One of the great aspects to emerge in post quake Christchurch has been the local’s sense of humour. Bruce Raines is one such local who has produced a collection of wonderful one liners which accumulated on the YKYFCW website ….making the best of a hard time, Bruce has produced a book that is a fundraiser for the
Christchurch Earthquake Mayoralty Fund.Examples include – ‘You know you’re from Christchurch when …..'
”Before you fly out of Christchurch, the pilot announces, ‘Expect severe turbulence- should ease once we’re off the ground”.
”You’ve had enough days without electricity already, so you plan to celebrate Earth Hour by turning your lights on”
”Half the children come from broken homes”
”The saying 'safe as houses' means nothing”
”You have a roaring party, the place gets totally trashed, and you tell the landlord it was the ‘aftershocks’"
For more click here and think about helping to rebuild Christchurch giggle by giggle by buying the book and helping the Earthquake Fund.
(Michael Farr, Ex-CEO, Cape Town Partnership)
I am sure the many colleagues and friends of Karthikeyan based in Chennai,
India were thrilled to hear the news that he was awarded the 2011 Australian Alumni Excellence Award for Community Service.Click image to enlarge to see the presentation by the Australian Minister Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations. Click here to read a newspaper article.
(From a paper presented by Captain E.J. Smith 1907).
On 14 April 1912, The RMS Titanic sank with the loss of 1500 lives. One of which was it's captain- E.J. Smith.
As part of redesigning and rebuilding the Central City following the earthquakes, the City of Christchurch has created a simple website enabling anyone to put up to 140
questions or ideas. So far, 106,000 ideas have been posted by residents and people from all over the globe.As part of the Share an Idea concept, the City also ran in May a weekend long Expo allowing local residents to share their ideas for the Central City. Besides being informative (Speakers Corner, display panels, video lounge playing continuous footage of earthquake change etc), it aimed to be interactive with 4 large themed areas -
- the 'Life' section covering areas like recreation, nightlife and heritage
- the 'Space' section covering parks, gardens and buildings
- the 'Move' section covering all areas of transport
- the 'Market' section covering business aspects.
Click here for more details.
He was defeated for State Legislator in '32.
He tried another business in '33. It failed.
His fiancé died in '35.
He had a nervous breakdown in '36.
In '45 he ran for Congress. Defeated. He tried again in '48 and was defeated again.
He tried running for the Senate in '55. He lost.
The next year he ran for Vice President and lost.
In '58 he ran for the Senate again and was defeated again.
Finally, in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th President of the United States.
One of the initiatives to grow in popularity in post earthquake Christchurch, New Zealand is the use of Time Banks as a tool for increasing community engagement. This briefing document by the New Economic Foundation sets out a radical, but practical prescription for community Time Banks, that can not only release enormous human resources to tackle deep-rooted social problems, but also provide practical and effective solutions for a range of public policy problems.The Time Bank idea was developed at the London School of Economics by 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.”
Click here to read an interesting article on the concept by the Australian Financial Review.
(Albert Einstein)
The last nine months has been an amazing time for the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. in terms of work with disaster communities, arising from earthquakes, cyclones and bush fires. What has been the great learning experience is how local communities have responded, neighbours rebuilt from the inside out and in the process discovered a much richer form of community than was previously experienced prior to the disaster. One book that has really helped to explain this discovery has been
“A Paradise Built in Hell” by Rebecca Solnit. Her observations are drawn from five US disasters from the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake to the 2005 Katrina Hurricane to hit New Orleans.Disasters, for Solnit, do not merely put us in view of apocalypse, but provide glimpses of utopia. They do not merely destroy, but create. “Disasters are extraordinarily generative”, she writes. As the prevailing order — which she elliptically characterizes as advanced global capitalism, full of anomie and isolation — collapses, another order takes shape: “In its place appears a reversion to improvised, collaborative, cooperative and local society.” She highlights the importance of social capital and localism. Solnit also provides a withering critique of modern capitalism and the way that authorities often behave in disaster. Well worth reading.
Click here to read the Caroline’s story from the latest edition of Outback (issue 78, August/September 2011).
This is a new board game aimed at shaping the way people learn, work, and interact with one another.
Co-opoly : The Game of Cooperatives professes to be ‘an
innovative way for aspiring and existing co-operators, as well as other
interested parties, to learn about co-ops and to practice co-operation.’
In Co-opoly: players must collaborate to found and run a democratic business. In order to survive as individuals and to strive for the success of their co-operative, players make tough choices regarding big and small challenges while putting their teamwork abilities to the test. According to the creators, Toolbox for Education and Social Action, ‘Co-opoly is an exciting game of skill and solidarity, where everyone wins – or everybody loses. By playing Co-opoly, players learn about the unique benefits, challenges, and operations of the cooperative world - as well as the skills needed to participate in a co-op’
More information about Co-opoly: The Game of Cooperatives can be found on their website.
For an excellent summary of the formulation goals, processes and access to the Issues Paper click here to read an excellent summary written by the Rural, Remote and Regional Women’s Network.
Click here for more information.
Congratulations to the leadership and residents of the small town of Edgecumbe, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand who responded to their young people’s desire for a skate park by raising $250,000 and building one of the largest and most interesting skate parks we have certainly seen. Check the photo of its development, and already use.Click image to enlarge
Click here to read the story of the winner, Codee-Lee Down and her ideas.
Click here for details.
This is a regular newsletter with fortnightly instalments by Vivian Hutchinson and the New Zealand Social Entrepreneur Fellowship. An essential read for anyone interested in social entrepreneurialism.
Click here to subscribe.
(Nolan Bushnell)
Click here to read.
Click photo for what may be a smart driver education sign, but not great promotion for a small community.Click image to enlarge
Thanks to Gordon Morris for sharing this. Click here to preview.
Thursday 15 September, 2011 is R U OK? Day in Australia. This is a national day of action that aims to prevent suicide by encouraging Australians to connect with someone they care about and help stop little problems turning into big ones. On that day, everyone across the country, from all backgrounds and walks of life, are encouraged to ask family, friends and colleagues:
"Are you OK?". Staying connected with others is crucial to our general health and wellbeing. Feeling isolated or hopeless can contribute to depression and other mental illnesses, which can ultimately result in suicide. Regular, meaningful conversations can protect those we know and love. As the organisers state -
“It is so simple but in the time it takes to have a coffee, you can start a conversation that could change a life”.R U OK? Day enjoyed tremendous success in its inaugural year in 2009. That year more than 1 million Australians took part in R U OK? Day conversations and independent research tells us that over 650,000 conversations took place as a result of R U OK? Day (AMR Interactive, 2009). Moreover, 280 workplaces participated in the workplace initiative. In 2010, R U OK? Day generated more than 2 million conversations (AMR Interactive, 2010) and over 700 organisations took part in the R U OK? at Work initiative, including Commonwealth Bank, Rio Tinto, Queensland Police and Centacare.
Click here for more information on R U OK? Day.
- Displays and information on growing foods in containers, raised beds, and on rooftops
- Vendor tables with supplies & resources for containers and food growing advice
- Guided tours of a local project.
The Australian Government has provided a cash investment of $27 million towards the establishment of a Cooperative Research Centre for Young People, Technology and Wellbeing. Led by the Inspire Foundation, this Centre will unite young people with researchers, practitioners and innovators from 63 organisations from across the not-for-profit, academic, government and corporate sectors to conduct research on both the challenges and the opportunities that technology presents for young people, and how it can be utilised in the youth and mental health sectors to improve young people's wellbeing.The government’s investment, combined with close to $7m cash contributed by 63 partners and over $80m of in-kind support, will resource:
- the first consolidated Australian data on young people’s technology use, available through an online knowledge hub for researchers, policy-makers and the community;
- an education and training program for over 350 leaders in youth, technology, cyber safety, mental health and wellbeing;
- proven online services and tools used by young people and professionals for cyber safety, mental health and wellbeing, available through an Online Wellbeing Centre; and
- research that supports parents, the community and professionals to respond to the cyber safety and mental health needs of young people.
- Professional, central, inspiring working and meeting spaces,
- Full-service office facilities at affordable rates,
- Programmed events, experiences and a supportive network,
- Flexible, time-based memberships to suit a variety of needs,
- A ‘home’ for innovation, collaboration, creativity and social change.
Click here for more details and copy of the Essay.
Innovations in Civic Participation and the John D. Gerhart Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement have just launched
‘Youth Activism and Public Space in Egypt.’ This Report explores the ways young people in Egypt are engaging in public spaces with a focus on physical civic engagement activities/organizations, virtual demonstration forums and social media, and expressive artwork (specifically street graffiti). All of these public spaces are interwoven spheres for collective action in which young people are leading and participating in civic movements to address community issues important to them.The Report focuses on a small snapshot of youth-led organizations in Egypt, young people’s use of social media as an outlet for civic participation and young Egyptian’s creation of graffiti artwork, all before, during and in the aftermath of the Egyptian Revolution.
Click here for a copy.
If interested in being kept informed of this event, or if interested in being considered as a presenter / workshop facilitator, contact Peter Kenyon - pk@bankofideas.com.au or Stephen Wills - stephen.wills@lhib.nsw.gov.au.
Regional Development Australia (RDA) Wheatbelt, through their Youth Connections
Program is hosting a Wheatbelt Youth Summit “YOUTH BIZ” in partnership with the
Cunderdin Agricultural College, WA on 23 September, 2011. The Program will be a relevant, engaging and empowering opportunity for Wheatbelt youth aged 12 to 20 years.YOUTH BIZ is designed to have it all - hundreds of young people, inspiring and motivating speakers, live and local entertainment, personal development sessions, and access to youth related agencies, resources and information including careers and supports. Fun focused, with a huge range of opportunities.
Youth participants will all receive a copy of a “Youth Resource Directory” which will include a wealth of youth related information and supports for young people living in the Wheatbelt.
For further information or to register, please contact Shelley Lombardini on (08) 9041 4931 or shelley.lombardini@rdawheatbelt.com.au.
A Healthy Community Food System Plan for Sarnia-Lambton, Ontario, Canada is a report prepared by the Sarnia-Lambton Food Coalition following a Community Food Summit. The report presents a community food system plan developed through community consultation to guide action for the creation of a healthy food system for Sarnia-Lambton community. The "food system" includes all of the activities and relationships related to every aspect of the food cycle, including growing, harvesting, transporting, processing, distributing, marketing, selling, preparing, consuming, and disposing of food. Click here for a copy of the report.
What we love is their summary of perceived benefits of a healthy community food system, namely-
- Fostering food friendly neighbourhoods
- Promoting social justice
- Supporting nutrition and disease prevention
- Building strong communities
- Creating local, diverse and green economic development
- Protecting and sustaining the environment
- Empowering people with food skills and information
- Nourishing links between city and the countryside
This is a very interesting community initiative from the UK. In the words of NEF –
“From bankers to media-barons, private interests have bankrupted and corrupted the public realm. Power, for so long hidden in the pockets of a cosy elite, has been exposed. Those who wield it have been found wanting – in scruples, in morals and in decency. If public organisations and citizens are vigilant, that elite won’t be able to get away with it again. With the right checks and balances we can put the public interest back into the heart of the system. To work out how to do it, NEF and Compass are calling for a new People's Jury for the British public interest to propose reforms of banking, politics, media and the police. The Jury would be made up of 1,000 citizens drawn as a random sample of the electorate.”Fascinating initiative in citizen democracy.
Fotoparche seeks to empower disadvantaged young people through digital photography, the development of life skills and exploring their city. Fotoparche aims to change the image of marginalized neighbourhoods where the young people live by taking and exhibiting photos that capture the beauty, magic and happiness of everyday life in these communities.
The main achievement of Fotoparche is the creation of the group of young people. In their words –“Even though there are a variety of ages, personalities and skills within the group, we recognise our differences as something positive and we focus on sharing new experiences, important moments and the ups and downs of life.”
Check it out through their website or by contacting Sammy - sammy_riley@hotmail.com.
‘To encourage entrepreneurial activity to plug the financial gaps and leaks in our economy, reduce social exclusion and heighten environmental awareness. Our community will provide a great lifestyle, a sense of place, stability of income and relationships to benefit future generations. Together we will embrace, change and prosper.'
Click here for more information.
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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