Thank you for visiting here — it most likely means that you have some vital interest in influencing and being part of Byron Shire’s course over the next ten years.  And THAT is fantastic!  Welcome!

Background

A Community Strategic Plan [CSP] is being developed here in Byron Shire over the next six months to guide us on our way through the next ten challenging (and opportune) years.  (The CSP is to be completed by 30 June 2011.)

The process for designing our CSP has been begun by our local council, as directed by the NSW Division of Local Government.  You can download the Draft Community Strategic Plan Discussion Paper from the Byron Shire Council website.

While there are issues and dissatisfactions certainly, overall we have enjoyed a progressive Byron Shire Council [BSC] for some years now and acknowledge and give thanks for not only its delivery of vital services (including maintenance of roads and community infrastructures, waste management, etc, etc) but also its active furtherance of various sustainability measures and transparent, participatory governance.

What’s Happening?

All shire residents are encouraged by BSC to register their participation in a CSP Community Focus Group at Byron Shire Council’s website, and to subscribe to Council’s e-newsletters.

The initial round of public submissions to the Draft CSP Discussion Paper has closed, but there is yet much to do.

The Role of Living Together Network

Living Together Network [LTN] is very keen to assist meaningful Community Engagement in the Co-Designing and Co-Implementing of the Community Strategic Plan.

Rationale:

We at LTN agree with positive change agents all over the world when we acknowledge:
The transition to a truly sustainable way of life - one that could ensure local resilience, community well being and conservation of bio-diversity - is ONLY achievable through a whole of community effort.

At this eleventh hour, with our planet tottering on the brink of economic and environmental collapse and our modern life-styles founded upon unconscionable injustices (social, environmental and inter-generational), the imperative and yearning for change is great indeed.  For our pivotal generation to accomplish the necessary radical changes requires both clear vision and (ASAP) on-the-ground working models.

The current opportunity to come together to design and implement a Ten Year Community Strategy Plan for a Sustainable Future is not to be missed!  However dedicated, informed, hard-working and progressive our elected representatives may or may not be, there is simply NO WAY that government can ‘deliver’ us plebs a sustainable future.  We - the community - must design a clear plan and through our involvement, KNOW OUR PART (however great or humble that may be) in this spectacular endeavour.

For the Community Strategic Plan to bear fruit, it must be Ours.  We, the community of the Byron Shire (inclusive of civilians, elected representatives and business people) must identify with Our Plan - we must value it, own it and implement it.

Significance of Byron Shire to the Planetary Challenge

The Living Together Network acknowledges the potential of Byron Shire to significantly contribute towards the great challenge of our generation - which is to avert irretrievable disaster by making the transition to sustainability and well being.  Once we in this shire have our Plan clarified, and we all know our part in it, then we can really get on with it.

Realising our goals and aspirations would of course impart enduring benefit - to ourselves, our home, our children and our grand children.  It would also be of immense benefit to our planet: the shift to a life-sustaining civilisation requires on-the-ground working models.  We of little Byron Shire are SO BLESSED - if we ran with it, we COULD offer a real working model.  There is MUCH to do.

Radical change can, of course, be a scary thing.  But the fact is that we are already living in
profound existential insecurity - reliant upon a collapsing global system intolerably based upon social and environmental devastation, wars, slavery, sweat shops, corruption, deception and duplicity.  ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!   The market fundamentalists have it right when they say that the people of the world vote for the world as it is - every day - with our pocket books.  ENOUGH!

Come Together

We can come together now with the wonderful sense of doing the right thing - by ourselves, our environment and future generations!

We could fulfill our shire’s promising potential… to be a model of a better way, to inspire hope in this pivotal time.

The Practicals

Let’s get to know each other, what we’re thinking, what we’re doing, what we value.

In the New Year, LTN will be holding regular get-togethers focussed upon the Community Strategy Plan.  Keep in touch.  Join our CSP Email list - click here.

Acquaint yourself with the existing governmental Plans and Policies - that flesh out the Community Strategy Plan. [See below.]

NOTE 1: The very good news is that almost all the state and local government plans for the shire and region revolve around sustainability and all that the community values.  The government has funds, employees and a wealth of great information and thoughtful, progressive plans: we can work with them - they are a part of us.  Let’s do it!

NOTE 2:  Many community members who are truly keen on a positive, bright future will have neither the time nor the inclination to read lots of documents.   Don’t worry - everyone will have a vital role to play for the realization of our common aims and goals.

Read LTN’s summary of Local Plans and Strategies for a Sustainable Future - click here.

SHARE your ideas, your goals and strategies - click here.

Read other community members’ ideas, goals, strategies, CSP submissions click here.

More to Come

Living Together Network’s Katharine Dawn included in her CSP submission the suggestion of hiring facilitators versed in the powerful Technology of Participation to assist our community in clarifying our Community Strategy Plan and all our diverse roles in implementing it.  [See The ICA and the Technology of Participation below.]

NOTE: The Living Together Network website is about to be completely and radically renovated.  Many more relevant resources will be made available to the community after the site make-over.

We will be providing more summaries of relevant documents (see below).  [Any help with this job would be most appreciated.  Is such a forte of YOURS?  Please click here.]

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WANT MORE?  (Good on you!)

Until the site re-make, please keep scrolling for some more useful information.

You will find:

1)  Plans Marked for Development and Implementation in the Draft Community Strategy Plan

2)  A great summary of the challenges faced in the Northern Rivers Region entitled: Why we need a plan

3)  A great summary of the Northern Rivers Region’s assets and opportunities entitled: Northern Rivers at a Glance

4)  An Introduction to BALLE : Business Alliance for Local Living Economies

5)  Communities choosing the alternative : Sustainable settlements in Germany

6)  The ICA and the Technology of Participation

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1)  Plans Marked for Development and Implementation in the Draft Community Strategy Plan

Existing plans that are marked in the Draft Community Strategy Plan - Discussion Paper for implementation include the 2008 - 2018 Tourism Management Plan, the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy, the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, the Greenhouse Action Strategy and Climate Change Policy, the Disability Access and Inclusion Plan, the Affordable Housing Options Paper, the Youth Policy and Action Plan, the Byron Shire Cultural Plan, the Long Term Asset Management Plan, Flood Plain Management Plans,the Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy, the Integrated Waste Management Strategy, Council’s Long Term Water and Sewerage Business Plans and the Bike Strategy and Action Plan.

Plans marked in the Draft Community Strategy Plan - Discussion Paper for development and implementation include Coastal and Estuary Management Strategies, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies, a Local Growth Management Strategy, a Byron Bay Town Centre Urban Design Strategy, a long term Community Strategic Plan and Community Consultation Strategy Develop and a Community Safety Plan, a Positive Ageing Strategy, a Business Plan for Recycling and Waste Management Services, Urban Stormwater Management Plans, an Integrated Transport Management Strategy, a Cemetery Management Strategy, with Rous Water - the Regional Water Management Strategy, and Landscape Plans for towns and villages.

2)  A great summary of the challenges faced in the Northern Rivers Region entitled:
Why we need a plan
Source: Verbatim from the RDA / Regional Development Australia - Northern Rivers website

Why we need a plan
we need a plan because …

our biodiversity is at risk

* We have the highest biodiversity in NSW and third highest in Australia
* Our biodiversity is being impacted upon by high population growth, development pressures, land management practices

we are in the frontline of climate change

* Several major floods in 2009 highlight our vulnerability to increased and more intense storm events due to climate change
* Modelling of climate change impacts indicates potential for erosion in excess of 100 metres during severe storm events in some locations along the NSW coast – this will impact on some of our coastal towns and villages (such as Wooli, Ballina, Byron Bay and Kingscliff)
* Temperature increases of 0.2–1.8°C will increase our exposure to heat-related health problems, mosquito borne infections and bushfire risk

we don’t have enough jobs

* Our unemployment rate is 10% compared to the State level of 7%. Unemployment is
particularly high for our youth and Aboriginal people
* 60% of residents are employed full-time compared to 69% for NSW
* We have had consistently high unemployment rates for over the last decade, often with one of the highest rates nationally since 2000

we’re growing very quickly

* Our annual population growth rate is 1.6%, and as high as 2.6% in the Tweed, but it is only 1.2% for NSW as a whole
* Almost 90% of our future growth will be driven by net migration (compared to 40% for NSW) as opposed to natural increase

our infrastructure is ageing and our services are stretched

* Our infrastructure is not being replaced or maintained at a rate anywhere near our population growth. It does not have the capacity to cope with seasonal tourist peaks where population can triple in some areas
* There is a lack of understanding about changes in health services delivery and how it meets our needs
* The freeze on the Country Towns Water and Sewerage Scheme until 2012 will exacerbate this problem

we’re older than the rest of the state

* 38% of our working age population is 25-54 years, compared to 42% for NSW
* We have a larger 65+years age group (18% compared to 13% for NSW)
* It is projected that 65+ year olds will form 30% of our region’s population by 2036 compared to 21% for the State

we have a high aboriginal population
Our Aboriginal population is nearly double the State average

many of us don’t make enough money to live here

* The median household incomes in the region are 69% of the median household income for NSW
* 64% of households earn less than $1,000 per week gross income, compared to 48% for the State
* 6 localities in our region are identified in the 40 highest ranking postcode areas on the Vinson ’disadvantage’ factor (based on income levels, education and skill levels, access to services, labour force participation)
* 2 of our LGAs rank in the bottom 12 scores for NSW on the Index of Relative Socio-economic

Disadvantage
* Our population of people with disabilities is significantly higher than the State average
housing is too expensive

* Up to 67% of our renting households experience rental stress and are spending more than 30% of their income on housing
* The Richmond-Tweed house rents are the highest in the State outside of Sydney

it’s hard to get around

* Public transport is limited, except for some more frequent bus services in major centres like Lismore and Tweed Heads
* School buses provide the only form of public transport for many villages and outlying areas.   These do not run in school holidays and return from major centres mid- afternoon

we rely on volunteers for many of our services

* Our economy has a strong reliance on health and community services, many of which are delivered by community based organisations made of volunteer committees
* Environmental and social programs are predominantly delivered by volunteers and Community groups
* There is a perception that our volunteer base is ageing and that this does not motivate our youth

our communications are not up to speed

* Mobile phone coverage is still patchy in many parts of our region
* Broadband services are limited and impact upon the viability and growth of many of our businesses, especially the creative industries

we are a cross-border region

* We have a community of interest to the north of NSW, and often feel distant from Sydney.
* It is a challenge to maintain our distinctive decentralised rural /coastal village environment in the face of south east QLD’s centralised conurbation
* This location means there are many regulatory/legislative differences (e.g. taxes, daylight savings, freight differentials etc) that affect how we live, work and play
* A significant number of our residents travel over the border to work
* This location impacts of service delivery and access, particularly how we access and pay for our health services

Last Modified: 20/09/2010

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3)  A great summary of the Northern Rivers Region’s assets and opportunities entitled: Northern Rivers at a Glance
Source: Verbatim from the RDA / Regional Development Australia - Northern Rivers website

Northern Rivers at a Glance

* Australia’s premier business investment and lifestyle region.
* The Northern Rivers region offers a wonderful lifestyle in a region with dynamic working, learning and cultural opportunities and a superb and conserved natural environment.
* Fastest growing region in NSW: popular destination for visitors and residents in search of lifestyle and innovative businesses opportunities.
* Stretching from the Queensland border in the north to the southern end of the Clarence Valley and from the coastal plains in the east to the Great Dividing Range in the west, the Northern Rivers is one of Australia’s great wonders.
* The region covers a total area of 20,896 km2
* The region is dissected by three outstanding river systems - the Tweed, Richmond and Clarence. It contains National Parks and world heritage areas, rainforests and a magnificent and popular coastline. It has a superb natural environment and has created a dynamic social environment.
* The region has a rich indigenous cultural history.
* The area has a number of regional centres with good access to a growing population. These range from Tweed Heads in the north, Lismore and Ballina on the Richmond River and Grafton on the Clarence River in the south. These cities are supported by more specialist centres such as Murwillumbah, supporting sugar cane growers, and Casino, a base for the local beef industry. The diversity and vitality of the population is one of its most endearing qualities. The major centres are accessed by a number of vibrant rural, coastal villages and towns.
* The Northern Rivers is a great place for retirees and a popular place for young people.
* A wide range of living experiences, including Nimbin as an internationally renown alternative lifestyle centre.
* The expansion of Southern Cross University and the North Coast Institute of TAFE, along with the rich and diverse social and cultural activities and facilities enhance the liveability in the area. The region is increasingly populated by innovative and creative people.

Employment
The Northern Rivers is experiencing rapid growth in retail, building and construction, personal services and tourism and hospitality. Employment associated with health, education and community services is also growing. In the service sector, there is a rising prominence of higher skilled jobs for health and education professionals as well as hospitality workers, sales assistants and sales supervisors.

New primary industry jobs are emerging, particularly in high value added horticultural products, timber processing, wood products and aquaculture. Because of its lifestyle advantages, good access to Brisbane and Sydney, and Information Technology & Telecommunications infrastructure, the area is becoming a popular base for home based businesses, including multimedia, design, cultural industries and journalism. Many of the talented young professionals who tele-commuted to the Northern Rivers over the past decade are now setting up a more permanent base in the region.

Home based businesses and other self-employed occupations are likely to be strong growth industries over the next decade. Investment opportunities are driven by population growth, natural resource endowments, infrastructure, industry and investment prospects, lifestyle opportunities, knowledge and skills.

Population
Population growth is shifting the region onto a high investment and employment growth path. It is bringing demand for infrastructure such as building and construction of houses, roads, schools and hospitals and shopping centres. It brings demand for retail and financial products, medical and health services, teaching, libraries and other community services. The Northern Rivers is forecast to be the fastest growing region in NSW over the next twenty years, with population forecast to grow at 1.2% per annum (0.4% above the state average). According to the Australian government Department of Health and Aging, the northern Rivers region is projected to grow from 283,615 persons in 2007 to 359,720 in 2027.

At June 2008 around 20% of the NSW population (1.38 million people) lived in coastal LGAs outside the Sydney SD. The largest and fastest population increase was in Tweed, on the far north coast, with an increase of 2,200 people (2.6%). Other coastal LGAs experiencing fast population growth included Byron Bay (1.6%) and Ballina (1.5%) on the far north coast.

Natural Resource Endowments
Since white settlement, the natural, agricultural and timber resources of the region drove settlement and employment growth. Some of these industries, timber and wood products, sugar, horticulture and cattle remain internationally competitive and important sources of wealth for the region. They will continue to be important sources for investment and jobs. The two major manufacturing industries are wood products and processed foods, which have developed around the region’s natural resource base. On the other hand, new opportunities are emerging in niche products - herbs and natural medicine, horticulture, aquaculture and high value added timber products. The region’s magnificent natural attributes of National Parks, world heritage areas, rainforests and popular coastline are a
driving factor in the growth of the tourism industry.

Infrastructure
Improvements in roads, rail, airports and telecommunications networks are opening up the region to new investment opportunities.

Improvements to the Pacific Highway have cut travel times. Improvements to the rail line to the north and south will cut travel times and help make it a competitive option for transporting goods to markets. Airport infrastructure has been boosted by the emergence of Coolangatta International Airport. Local stakeholders established Norlink to examine the use and dissemination of electronic services in the region, along with increased telecommunications investment by the federal government. Information Technology & Telecommunications is driving new investment opportunities.

Industry and Investment Prospects
The capacity of regions to create jobs is correlated with the competitiveness of its industrial structure. Economies of scale plus the clustering of competitive and complementary firms, have traditionally been a driver for employment growth.

With the strengthening of global production systems and developing linkages to global economic opportunities, the digital revolution and improvements in transport infrastructure, strengthening networks of small to medium local businesses to build economies of scale, firms have greater flexibility regarding their location, enabling the choice to locate within the regions as opposed to a large metropolitan centre. This allows people to live and operate their businesses from the northern rivers region whilst taking full advantage of global market opportunities.

Lifestyle Opportunities
The unique lifestyle attributes of the Northern Rivers - specifically good climate, beaches and waterways, quality and affordable housing and proximity to entertainment and shopping facilities - is a key driver for growth. Retirees are attracted by the climate. Younger people seeking alternative lifestyles are attracted to rural and coastal areas of the Northern Rivers by affordable housing and a creative social environment. The diversity of cultural and social opportunities (eg music, festivals, markets arts etc) attract creative people from all walks of life, bringing new skills to the Northern Rivers. With improvements in information and communications technologies, more professional people are moving out of metropolitan cities and setting up home based industries in the Northern Rivers.

Knowledge and Skills
We are moving towards what is termed the knowledge economy. Increasingly, Northern Rivers firms and educational institutions are creating new knowledge and utilising it in new applications and ways of doing things.

The basic change associated with the knowledge economy is a shift to networked and more flexible and knowledge intense production and employment. There has been a dramatic shift in the number of knowledge workers in the Northern Rivers, from 2,000 in 1986 to over 5,000 in 2004. This shift has been driven by improvements in transport and communications, the upgrade of local education facilities, and, most importantly, the preferences of high skilled people to move to an outstanding lifestyle region because of its quality of life.
Last Modified: 17/03/2010

4)  An Introduction to BALLE : Business Alliance for Local Living Economies

NOTE:  While BALLE is currently a North American alliance, in LTN’s Katharine Dawn’s CSP submission, she advocated for Byron Shire to join the alliance.

Source: wikipedia entry for BALLE - The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies

The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) is a growing North American alliance of nearly 60 fully autonomous local business networks with their own names, missions, and initiatives, representing about 20,000 US and Canadian entrepreneurs. All networks share a commitment to Living Economy principles.

BALLE works to catalyze, strengthen and connect these local business networks dedicated to building Local Living Economies.

BALLE envisions a sustainable global economy made up of local living economies that build
long-term economic empowerment and prosperity through local business ownership, economic justice, cultural diversity, and environmental stewardship.

BALLE’s building blocks include sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, zero waste
manufacturing, independent retail, green building  and community capital.

Principles

A local living economy ensures that economic power resides locally, sustaining healthy community life and natural life as well as long-term economic viability.

A living economy is guided by the following principles:

  • Living economy communities produce and exchange locally as many products needed bytheir citizens as they reasonably can, while reaching out to other communities to trade in those products they cannot reasonably produce at home. These communities value their unique character and encourage cultural exchange and cooperation.
  • Living economy public policies support decentralized ownership of businesses and farms, fair wages, taxes, and budget allocations, trade policies benefiting local economies, and stewardship of the natural environment.
  • Living economy consumers appreciate the benefits of buying from living economy businesses and, if necessary, are willing to pay a price premium to secure those personal and community benefits.
  • Living economy investors value businesses that are community stewards and as such accept a “living return” on their financial investments rather than a maximum return, recognizing the value derived from enjoying a healthy and vibrant community and sustainable global economy.
  • Living economy media provide sources of news independent of corporate control, so that citizens can make informed decisions in the best interests of their communities and natural environment.
  • Living economy businesses are primarily independent and locally owned, and value the needs and interests of all stakeholders, while building long-term profitability.

Living economy businesses strive to:

  • Source products from businesses with similar values, with a preference for local procurement
  • Provide employees a healthy workplace with meaningful living-wage jobs
  • Offer customers personal service and useful safe, quality products
  • Work with suppliers to establish a fair exchange
  • Cooperate with other businesses in ways that balance their self-interest with their obligation to the community and future generations
  • Use their business practices to support an inclusive and healthy community, and to protect our natural environment
  • Yield a “living return” to owners and investors

Practices

Members of local BALLE networks have a direct stake in the future of their communities and bioregions and include local business owners, non-profit leaders, government representatives, and engaged citizens.

Members of Local Networks work together to:

  • Support the growth and development of community-based business
  • Encourage local purchasing by consumers and businesses
  • Create opportunities for business leaders to network and share best practices
  • Advocate public policies that strengthen independent local businesses and farms, promote economic equity, and protect the environment

To support Local Networks, BALLE:

  • Provides Local Networks with tools, business models, and other resources
  • Links Local Living Economies to share best practices
  • Promotes Local Living Economies through media, public forums, and partnerships
  • Develops pilot initiatives to strengthen Local Living Economies

5)  Communities choosing the alternative : Sustainable settlements in Germany

Source: Gabi Bohnet, Architect (Dipl.Ing.) and Sustainability consultant, gabi.bohnet[at]gmail.com

Sustainable urban development and land use planning is an urgent topic in the light of continuing population growth and the need to reduce our primary resource consumption and pollution.

In the German city of Freiburg, sustainable settlement has become the basic principle underlying political action. Policy makers there were among the first to realise the interdependency of urban development, transportation and ecology. Freiburg adopted the sustainability guidelines of the Rio de Janeiro United Nations ‘Earth Summit’ in 1992 and developed a local Agenda 21 together with the residents. These new local guidelines were applied in the development of 2 new districts: Freiburg-Rieselfeld and Freiburg-Vauban.

In both projects the concept of the ‘city of small distances’ or urban village has been implemented. This concept addresses the need for a settlement to combine living, working,
recreation and leisure activities in the same place, thus avoiding private car usage for everyday life activities and its consequent negative environmental impacts whilst at the same time creating a diverse and vibrant culture with the neighbourhoods.

Setting new standards

New mobility concept
Preventing all avoidable traffic and boosting the ‘ecological alliance’: Priority to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport, traffic calming and reduction, car pooling, rationing of parking space, car-parking-free settlement, car sharing, incentives through discounts to use public transport.

Renewable energy concept
All houses are built at least with low energy standard equivalent to 4.5 star rating, passive solar houses with equivalent to 8 star rating; extensive use of solar energy via photovoltaics and solar collectors; some buildings designed as ‘plus energy houses’; short distance district heating system – co-generation plant.

Water conservation
Storm water flows over ground; turf covered roofs to retain water; porous surfaces; grey water recycling; waste water free house.

Resident participation
Future residents of the newly proposed urban developments were key players in the planning process from the start, continuing in their decision-making capacities through-out development and occupation.

“Adaptive Planning”
Preference to owner or tenant co-operatives instead of developers; citizens working groups on new mobility and energy concepts; resident involvement in the design of their buildings / apartments and of public green spaces.

Local and resilient economy
All the required infrastructure, shops, services, workplaces, educational, cultural, social and daily activities is located within the settlement. Sustainability policies inevitably create a renewable energy market.

Web links

http://www.vauban.de/info/abstract.html info about Freiburg Vauban
http://www.forum-vauban.de/life-en.shtml info about Freiburg Vauban
http://www.nachhaltiges-wirtschaften.net/english/reloadfo.htm?projects/nahvis.htm new mobility concepts
http://www.rieselfeld.freiburg.de/download/rieselfeld_en_2007.pdf info about Freiburg-Rieselfeld
http://www.istp.murdoch.edu.au/ISTP/casestudies/Euro_Field_Trip/eft2002-ch-7.pdf  Research on community participation in Rieselfeld and Vauban
http://www.wien.gv.at/english/leisure/bike/index.htm
http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/www/html/1618-renewableenergy.asp
http://www.tuewiki.de/index.php/Startseite
http://www.bee.qut.edu.au/research/projects/ldsac/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/mar/23/freiburg.germany.greenest.city
http://www.cleanenergyawards.com/top-navigation/nominees-projects/nomineedetail/project/26/
Clean energy awards for the City of Freiburg  article on Vauban and Rieselfeld  solar cooling research  info on Tuebingen French-Quarter  Sustainability Victoria  City bike Vienna
www.iclei.org ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability
www.kgurban.village.com.au Kelvin Grove urban village in Brisbane
www.epa.qld.gov.au/publications/p01350aa.pdf/ Sustainable Urban Development Program.
www.sarkissian.com.au  Dr Wendy Sarkissian has extensive experience in Community
engagement and social design

6)  The ICA and the Technology of Participation

The Australian Institute of Cultural Affairs is affiliated with ICA International.  ICA has developed the Technology of Participation.

From the ICA Taiwan website

The Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) is a private, not-for-profit, organization concerned with the human factor in world development.  We facilitate positive change in communities, organizations and individual lives by helping people find their own solutions to problems and the means to implement them.  We discover what is useful and look for relationships beyond current recognized limits. We integrate approaches which make transformation practical, appropriate and accessible. We operate as partners in change, learning with our client groups and help others learn how to do our process.

Finally we operate with an open spirit enabling ourselves and others to move to simpler, more effective ways of thinking.

What Do We Offer?

The ICA uses highly participatory techniques to foster creative thinking, consensus-based
decision-making and team building. Its methods produce ownership, create clear goals, open lines of communication, broaden perspectives and motivate people to adapt to their changing environment while honoring the cultural traditions and diversity present in any group.

Where Did We Come From?

ICA International (ICAI) is centered in Brussels, Belgium. ICAI acts as a coordinating body for the 35 independent ICA affiliates located throughout North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. ICAI has Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (Category II) and with UNICEF.

ICA has helped effect change within governments, local communities, corporations, volunteer organizations and community development groups. We have helped demonstrate that a program’s effectiveness increases when the people affected are part of the development and implementation process.  ICA acts as a catalyst in areas such as leadership mentoring, education, training, organizational transformation, democracy building, neighborhood improvement and particularly in fostering the art of facilitating diverse often conflicting constituencies.

Why Choose Us?

Nearly thirty years of methods testing and refinement enable ICA to create and sustain a variety of programs which invoke one common principle–to release the creativity of the people involved by allowing them to help shape their own destiny. ICA facilitates this creative process in such a way that people can learn for themselves how to think, plan, lead and implement.

ICA’s experience in participatory problem-solving and our unique background and understanding of cultural diversity fully qualifies it to work in today’s environment of change.

Edited from the ICA Australia website

TECHNOLOGY of PARTICIPATION

The Technology of Participation (ToP) is a collection of team or group based facilitation methods developed by the Institute of Cultural Affairs.

The ToP process tools most applicable to our the CSP process are the ToP Action Planning Method – a series of steps that translates a project idea, strategy or task into a focused actionable timeline, and the ToP Strategic Planning Process – a 4 or 5 session process that focuses a group’s attention on the underlying contradictions in their desired vision (outcomes) versus current reality as the means to determining strategic directions and developing implementation plans.