Dear colleagues and friends,

Welcome to our first global newsletter of the ICAI network. You have the opportunity to read and explore our work across the world and hopefully find a connection into our world of research, development and training. ICAI is a community of unique, locally-driven organizations with a global perspective. Here are my current reflections on three areas of interest to our global community and I hope to all of you.
How do we discover and share the learning of the ICAI community? This is about respect for the experience and learning we need to share, while opening ourselves up to new ideas and images now available in the world. We have been working for the past fifty years in community and personal development. Our research and experimentation has been demonstrated through our community projects, in our work with organizations using the Technology of Participation and in ourselves by deepening reflective processes to reveal blind spots and social contradictions. ICA-USA started an archives project almost 20 years ago and has now moved that into a new level of intensity with the University of OKC. ICAs around the world are actively collecting and documenting our work in Community Development and Organizational Change. Next year we are hosting our 8th Global Human Development Conference in Kathmandu, Nepal October 29 – November 2, 2012, Working Together Unleashing and Promoting Human Capacity for Sustainable Development.
Second, peer to peer collaboration on cross national programs and global support systems. We are

working together globally and locally in new ways, collaborations are being developed by each ICA: Regional Sub-groups forming in Southern and Eastern Africa; A Spanish Speaking community of practice bridging the continents; Specific projects like ICA Japan working with ICA Chile to deal with earthquake relief; and broader projects like the Nepal conference preparation being coordinated by Nepal but assisted by ICAs across the world. This is an ongoing experiment and is still in development; however we have clear evidence that member organizations are willing and able to pick up more responsibilities. We even have 4 new ICAs being mentored toward becoming full statutory members in a year or two.
Third, developing our virtual communication and decision-making process so that all member ICAs have a way to participate and own the future of the organization. This year the Global Leadership Team has facilitated two rounds of regional dialogue along with monthly news emails, called “ICA Buzz” and letters from the Global Leadership team. This newsletter is the final piece of our communication strategy, we are hoping to share our learnings and invite collaboration toward the future.

I trust you will join us on this journey.

With respect,
Larry Philbrook, President of ICAI

On behalf of the Global Leadership Team of ICAI : Sabah Khalifa, Shankar Jadhav, Gerald Gomani, Richard Alton, Isabel De la Masa, and Kevin Balm