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Greetings
One highlight for the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. during the month of May was involvement in the annual Conference of Business Retention and Expansion International (BREI) in West Virginia, USA. Besides the inspirational content and conversations always associated with BREI Conferences, this event was also special and educational due to its location – Williamsburg and what is referred to as the Historic Triangle of the USA. As an organisation, the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. has developed a strong interest in what we refer to as “Life in the Past Lane" – the way that heritage as an asset can be utilised to build local communities, cultures and economies. Williamsburg and its partnering communities of Yorktown and Jamestown are wonderful demonstrations of living heritage. To gain some insights click here.
If you prefer, you can click on the links below to go direct to that topic.
One highlight for the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. during the month of May was involvement in the annual Conference of Business Retention and Expansion International (BREI) in West Virginia, USA. Besides the inspirational content and conversations always associated with BREI Conferences, this event was also special and educational due to its location – Williamsburg and what is referred to as the Historic Triangle of the USA. As an organisation, the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. has developed a strong interest in what we refer to as “Life in the Past Lane" – the way that heritage as an asset can be utilised to build local communities, cultures and economies. Williamsburg and its partnering communities of Yorktown and Jamestown are wonderful demonstrations of living heritage. To gain some insights click here.
If you prefer, you can click on the links below to go direct to that topic.
(Walt Disney)
This is an invaluable tool by Vic Health for organisations entering into or working in a partnership arrangement to assess, monitor and maximize its ongoing effectiveness.Click here for a copy of the tool and how to apply.
Recently we rediscovered a very useful resource document from a decade ago to give s some great tips on working with Indigenous communities entitled ‘Getting it Right : A Journalists Guide to Working with Indigenous Communities during the Sydney Olympic Games’ produced by the NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs. Especially valuable is the advice offered on pages 11-14.
Click here to download a copy.
Click here for more details.
Click here to register and for more information.
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"I do not believe that the fate of any given small town will be decided by its location in the state, or its access to water or highway or resources, or other objective characteristics. These factors can help or hurt economic survival.
But the essential ingredients is something human, unpredictable and immeasurable. It is that illusive thing we call
leadership. Leadership is vision - some notion of where the future lies and how
to get there. Leadership is guts - the willingness to step up to hard decisions,
take risks, step on toes and maybe to fall flat on your face trying. Leadership
is energy - the determination to keep going when everyone tells you it's a lost
cause. Leadership is looking in the mirror and saying, 'It's up to me...' ...You
do not have to be a leader. You just have to care and decide to do something and
to enlist like minded people in the doing. In my view, that's what small towns
need to survive: the spark of leadership by committed local people willing to
risk failure to reach for success..."
The Bank of I.D.E.A.S. considers this publication by Mike Green as the most useful resource for understanding Asset Based Community Development (A.B.C.D.). The Bookshop of the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. sold well over 500 copies of this resource. While the Bookshop continues to distribute the hand copy version, it now has also received copies of the DVD version for those who prefer that format and/or a cheaper source. Only $22 (incl postage and packaging).
Click here to order.
In the words of the City of Greater Bendigo -- “Traditionally, local government has relied on the community representation of elected Councillors
to ensure that community issues and priorities are reflected in Council activities. This is still crucial, but increasingly community members have an expectation of more direct involvement in providing input to Council priorities, being informed of Council activities, partnering with Council to address issues, and at times, judging Council’s performance. Not only is greater transparency and engagement with community expected, but it also makes good business practice for the Council and it can improve strategic planning and service delivery. Transparency on issues identified by community members, as well as elected Councillors, ensures that Council is addressing the priorities of the community. Citizens informed of Council operations and able to have input in a balanced and appropriate way can lead to community
support and collaboration.
To strengthen their commitment, the City has produced a set of Community Engagement Guidelines and Toolkit. Click here to see.
Sport is a major tool for promoting social inclusion and social cohesion. The 2011 Sports Without Borders Conference in Melbourne will bring together sportspeople, sporting clubs, government, local government workers, sports administrators and educators to learn the facts, hear the stories, and learn about new practices and next practice solutions.
The stellar list of speakers includes Sports Without Borders head James Demetriou; journalists Paul Kennedy and Martin Flanagan; academics Justen O'Connor, Sue Dyson and Ruth Jeanes; politicians Mark Arbib, Kate Lundy and Hugh Delahunty; media experts Brett de Hoedt, Chris Gillard and Raef Akehurst; and inclusion, volunteering and sports administration experts Paul Fleay, Jason Mifsud, Carmel Guerra, Judy Flanagan and Sue Vardon. If you play, work in, administer, umpire, coach, or care about sports and communities, this conference is a must.
Click here to find out more here.
On 30
April 2009 13,500 people joined together in Trafalgar Square and sang
'Hey Jude'....there is something about that type of of crowd connection.
If you have not seen it,
click here.Thanks to Gordon Morris for constantly sharing such cheerful moments!
Renew Newcastle aims to find artists, cultural projects and community groups to use and maintain these buildings until they become commercially viable or are redeveloped. Renew Newcastle is not set up to manage long term uses, own properties or permanently develop sites, but to generate activity in buildings until that future long term activity happens.
Click here to view a video on Renew Newcastle.
Peter will return for a third occasion this year to New Zealand in late July for a series of workshops and presentations. If interested in using Peter’s services, contact him at pk@bankofideas.com.au.
Click here to discover more.
It
has been a privilege for the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. to work with a number of churches on post earthquake redevelopment. Memories of this disaster no longer capture the interest of the media, and it is easy for people elsewhere to forget that many residents and local businesses continue to struggle. 40,000 people are still without basic water and power services.Click here to see recent photos by Lachlan Keating of the extent of the damage in the central district.
"To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!"
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)
To access visit the following website.
For anyone who missed the royal wedding, might enjoy this alternative courtesy of Gordon Morris in the UK. Click here to view.
(Michael Jordan, Basketball Legend)
This is a great tool to promote the stories that are part of the heritage fabric of any community. For a good example, click here to see details of the Local History Awards program of the City of Subiaco.
Click image to enlarge.
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‘The Evaluation Toolkit for Community Youth Programmers’ produced by the
‘Hands Across Canada’ Project of The Offord Centre for Child Studies provides a guide to creating your own survey or questionnaire . Follow the
link and check pages 36-41.
- ‘SurveyMonkey.com’ - provides a website to help you create your own questionnaire and calculate basic summary statistics.
This is an exciting opportunity to learn about the 'nuts and bolts' of living and working well together while residing at an intentional community - Commonground. To focus our efforts towards building just and sustainable futures, we will need to work in close collaboration with others. Now, more than ever before, we need to work together to pool our wisdom, skills and resources.This is an opportunity to engage in such a learning experience . It is being convened by the Groupwork Institute of Australia at their centre on the outskirts of Melbourne.
Click here for more details or contact Ed McKinley on 03 9443 8500.
Here are a few highlights:
- Inclusive Australia: Is there a place for profit in social enterprise? with 2011 Australian of the Year, Simon McKeon
- Crowd sourcing: How do you engage those on the edge? with Tom Hulme from Open Innovation Platform, OpenIDEO
- Raising the bar: Does it take a whole community to educate a child? with Indigenous education advocate, Waverley Stanley
- Homelessness in Brisbane: Is poverty a necessity? with Anthony Ryan from Eddies Street Vans
- True blue: What does it mean to be un-Australian? with John van Tiggelen from The Monthly
- Predicting happiness: Does life give second chances? with 2009 Young Economist of the Year, Paul Frijters
- Carrots and sticks: Are we managing ourselves to death? With Miriam Lyons, CEO of the Centre for Policy Development
Click here to view a powerful YouTube video on this theme.
Click here to read more or contact Fiona Wilson, Manager, Economic Development at Cairns Council at economicdevelopment@cairns.qld.gov.au.
This conference was held earlier this month drawing together a wide range of speakers, from high profile
experts and academics to those actually involved on the ground in community food enterprise to share their
knowledge and experience with delegates from across the food and social enterprise sector.The event was streamed live from the Making Local Food Work website and is still available to watch. Presentations from the day, along with a full write-up, are also available.
Click here to read about their story.
The City of Greater Shepparton (Victoria) are organising an amazing community development event in September entitled “Inspiring communities- Building the Community from the Inside Out”. It is guaranteed to be quite an unconventional event.
Click here to get more details.
Click here for a recent edition entitled ‘Crowded Out by Good Intentions’. It should make most of us squirm a little about our failure to learn.
Nocturne: Art at Night is an annual and signature festival event that brings art and energy to the streets of Halifax, Nova Scotia between 6 p.m.-midnight. The completely free event showcases and celebrates the visual arts scene in Halifax. Nocturne, designed and planned entirely by volunteers, is an opportunity for everyone to experience the art of Halifax in a whole new light.
The Nocturne Program Guide provides details about exhibitions in galleries and public spaces throughout the city. Last year, 15,000 people took part. How it simply works- The Nocturne program, map, and walking tours guide residents and visitors alike to a variety of exhibitions in galleries and public spaces throughout the city.
Click here for more information.
For more on the Year of Cooperatives, click here.
This is the name of a great publication that has just been published by the Inspiring Communities organisation in New Zealand. The document captures wonderful stories and community building experiences from across New Zealand as well as shares a summary of the bigger picture thinking and approaches to societal change and innovation that currently influence the world of Inspiring Communities.
Click here to download a copy.
Thanks to Adrian Pyle for sharing a great YouTube
video about his community and the use of intentional conversations to explore imaginative possibilities around the concept of neigbourhood.
Simply an inspiring tale. Click here to view.
(M Scott Peak, in "A World Waiting to Happen")
Many thanks to Alan Greig of the Mercury Centre for this wonderful article on the role of community cooperatives in Australia. Besides being a great overview, it gives details of three communities who have used the model to return a hardware service to the town (Casterton, Victoria) , establish Australia’s first community owned renewable energy farm (Hepburn, Victoria) and create a community health service (West Belconnen, ACT).Click here to read.
This is a biennial learning program where youth social entrepreneurs from all over the world are immerged for 30 days. The objective of the program is to get participants to return to the communities inspired, armed with efficient techniques to work in groups. In a strengthened cooperative spirit, they will be able to act in their own communities.
In order to awaken and cultivate this spirit, the program emerges the participants in a local community, such as a slum, a urban ghetto or a community of traditional fishermen. Participants work hand-in-hand with the community to plan, design, and build something such as a day care centre or plaza.To view an actual program, view this YouTube.
This is a great new publication by Kylie Fitzmaurice from the South Sydney Youth Services containing stories about young people and mental health. Great resource on a vital theme.
Click here to discover more. Cost is Aust $20.
Click here for more details, or contact the AusIndustry hotline on 13 28 46.
Thanks to Gordon Morris from UK for notification of this interesting initiative - the dotCoop Global Awards for Cooperative Excellence which have been created to recognise the application of cooperative values and principles to drive cooperative and business success.The Awards seek to encourage cooperatives from all sectors to examine their processes in order to compete for the award and will provide other cooperatives the opportunity to understand how cooperatives can best use their differences to positively impact their business and their communities.br>
Click here for more details.
The Bank of I.D.E.A.S. has just discovered this incredible resource. Check out their website and especially the very useful 'Toolkit'.
Tonic Conferences are always great times and of inspiration and practical hands on advice for effective community and organisational development.
This year's November Conference again will be held in the Historic Village, Tauranga.Click here for more information or contact Kerri or Tracy at Tracy@exult.co.nz.
Barry Green of Western Tourist Radio operates an amazing suite of websites designed to be highly cost effective at promoting
small tourism businesses in Western Australia. All are part of the WA Visitor information Portal
www.touristradio.com.au that is promoted on an network of tourist radio stations, in printed tourism
literature and ranks highly on search engines.The sites are:
- Holiday in your own back yard
- Farm and Station holiday experiences
- A network of producers and holiday providers along the South West Highway
- A network of friendly Bed and Breakfasts across WA
- Holiday ideas for gardeners
- A network of caravan parks around WA
- Experience some special WA country pubs
- Find the local operators with a passion for their area Community organizations can be listed free of charge if they include a link back to the tourism radio site
(Ernest Hemingway)
This is an excellent down to earth newsletter to receive. Always full of business development inspirational quotes and stories. The last edition gave the classic Lord Robens’ quote –
“We should never be allowed to forget that it is the customer who, in the end, determines how many people are employed and what sort of wages companies can afford” and a wonderful small town business story –
“ Three Sure-Fire Ways Small Town Businesses Can Lose Customer Loyalty”.Click here to subscribe.
The Bank of I.D.E.A.S. acknowledges Ray Goldie as one of the great community and economic developers of Australia. Over the last 30 years, Ray has undertaken a number of iconic initiatives following his belief in
"enabling people and communities to look past what is and see what could be".To see more of his achievements and skills click here.
This important event is being held in Hokitika, on the West Coast of the beautiful South Island. Theme of the event is “Where size doesn’t matter.” Dates are 17-19 July, 2011.Click here for more details.
Ric is another community development legend who has taught the
Bank of I.D.E.A.S. much about this field of endeavour. His work with Inclusion Works in Townsville has provided wonderful
inspiration for other others working with people with disabilities. Ric
recently captured his beliefs and experiences in a wonderful set of
short papers. Click here to read.
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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.
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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