Carl Ditchburn (COMMACT UK) writes (posted September 2007):
COMMACT UK – EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Name of Chapter:COMMACT UK EUROPE
Country or Countries covered by the Chapter: England/Wales/Scotland/Northern Ireland
History of the Chapter: The chapter was formed in the wake of the first Commact meeting held in Goa (1988) and has had a presence at all subsequent international conferences and has provided a representative to the executive committee and the current International Consultative Committee.
Main past activities undertaken by the Chapter:
Conferences/Workshops:The chapter has hosted a series on annual gatherings bringing together chapter members and colleagues from other chapters and networks from across the globe.The chapter has hosted workshops on Social Auditing which have linked with other chapters from across the network,through the work of one of our most active members Mr John Pearce.
Exchanges/ Links/ Projects undertaken (refer to links with other chapters here):The chapter has built up a series of long term links with other chapters/commact members/ngo’s across the network over the last decade.This has led to the development of linkages to facilitate mutual learning, understanding and exchanges of staff which has brought about some larger scale development initiatives.
South Africa Social Economy Task Force (2002) – Commact UK and the Stutterheim Development Foundation established a task force of commact members to examine the potential of the local social economy for the creation of sustainable and economic opportunities,this task force built upon the linkages forged vat the 5th Commact International conference held in Stutterheim (1999).
Commact UK/Commact India –exchange and study tours- through the Commact International network strong links have emergedbetween ngo’s in India and the UK.As a response to this,the two chapters developed an exchange programme which created opportunities for local development activists to visit local development projects to see local action and development in the social,economic,environmental and cultural context that members are engaged in .So far 8 Commact colleagues have benefited from the exchange programme.This has also led to the development of one or two more substantial programmes funded by the International Grants arm of the UK lottery programmes.
Community Building Ventures – is collaboration between Commact members in England/Scotland and Southern India.Its aim is to create opportunities for young people with construction experience from disadvantaged communities in the north east of England and Scotland to utilise their building skills for the benefit of communities in the south of India.
The idea for Community Building Ventures emerged at a Commact gathering held on the back of a social economy conference in Liverpool in 2003.Commact members from various chapters hit upon the idea of a transnational project that would deliver practical action.In 2007 young people from Middlesbrough and Glasgow travelled to Bangaloreto work with the READ Centre to build a classroom and office at a school that serves the slum area in the south of Bangalore.Commact Uk are now sponsoring two teachers at the school and facilitating links with local schools in the UK.We now intend to look at further projects with Commact partners in Sulthan Bathery and once again with the READ centre in Bangalore.
Chapter publications/newsletters: The chapter publishes a quarterly newsletter in conjunction with Community Business network Scotland,the newsletter is circulatefd by e-mail and posted on the CBSN web site<www.cbs-network.org.uk>
Current or currently planned activities:
Community Building Ventures in currently planning phase II of its development.
Commact member Patrck Boase is helping to deliver a project aimed at promoting tribal self rule in Rajasthan linking with Commact India members-a report on the project is enclosed in the latest newsletter.
Main contact person(s)/organisation(s)
Carl Ditchburn
Community Campus
76 Brunswick st
Stockton
TS18 !UU
England
Email: carl@cc87.co.uk
Tel: 01642 357364
Fax: 01642 355620
John Pearce
CBS Network
45-47 Albany St
Edinburgh
Scotland
EH1 3QY
Tel: 0131 558 3040
Website: info@cbs-network.org.uk |
