Building Community Centred Economies – Dialogue For Action

In June 2009 a Brisbane conference run by the International Association of Community Development and Community Development Queensland will consider where our traditional boundaries between social, environmental and economic issues are breaking down.

Foresters, Australia’s only Community Development Finance Institution are the convenors.

The conference organisers say:

• “Business is working with communities on social and economic outcomes
• Communities and businesses are trying to create sustainable environments
• Environmentalists are creating business opportunities while caring for the planet

The Question

We are all aware of the links between the global economic system and growing inequalities between rich and poor, climate change and environmental degradation. The question is, what do we in the community, government and corporate sectors do about this situation. Answering this question lies at the heart of this conference.

Local Answers

Global changes to address these questions are important, but inspiring, thought-provoking and practical answers are also being developed in local communities around the world and are supported by people of good will across all sectors.

A Few Examples

local food systems
community and social enterprises
social investment
strong and ethical local businesses
local energy production
fair trade opportunities
community gardens
corporate-community engagements
micro-finance institutions
local currencies and exchange systems
community banks and local credit unions
federations and consortia of non-profit organisations to leverage common good

People from over 30 countries from the Oceania Region and around the world. The future of our planet, our economy and our society lies in the new spaces and ideas we create together. These partnerships are at the heart of sustainable communities.”

About The Conference

The conference is designed to attract a diverse local, national and international audience including:

• community organisations and NGOs
• large and small business
• all spheres of government
• academics
• social enterprises and philanthropic trusts
• writers
• artists
• community development practitioners
• policy makers
• environmentalists

Submit A proposal?

Below are listed the conference themes. You are invited to submit a proposal and to be part of this conference with a difference – a think, talk and do conference focused on how we can build strong, creative and sustainable local economies into the future.

CONFERENCE THEMES
Building Sustainable Livelihoods:
Examines the creation of real jobs, living wages, working with dignity, local employment, social enterprises, microenterprises, and examines the opportunities for local, ethical and social businesses.

Promoting Human Scale Economies:
Examines the notion of human scale economies, their benefits, the size of participatory economies, and the role that organisational structures and governance models play in supporting human scale economies.

Engaging and Leveraging Community Development Finance:
Examines micro finance, social investment, ethical finance, community finance, credit unions, local banks and local currencies and looks at the relationship between community finance and affordable housing, sustainable livelihoods and community regeneration.

Exploring Government, Corporate and Community Relationships:
Examines current cross-sector partnerships and what is working, as well as the development that still needs to occur in cross-sector work.

Protecting the Right to Local Security and Sovereignty:
Examines the models, methods and approaches that can be used to ensure that communities have long-term, sustainable access to and ownership of key resources such as food, water, housing, energy and natural resources.

Breaking New Ground on Old Issues:
Examines current work being done to link community development with community centred economies, what is happening in communities that is breaking new ground on old issues, and the innovative, creative and exciting work that is being done by participants.

For more info or to register your interest please contact Ingrid Burkett at:

ingrid.burkett@iacdglobal.org