Jim Diers Of ‘Neighbor Power’ To Run Workshops Here

Jim Diers and Cormac Russell – two of the world’s leading community development practitioners – will be available to conduct workshops and other events throughout September 2011.

Both are currently working at the highest level with the British Government on the Big Society Initiative and with other governments, NGOs and communities around the world.

To Host a Workshop

If you would like to host either Jim or Cormac please contact Ted Smeaton of Inspiring Communities.

Tel 02 4362 3995
Mobile 0417 402 669
Email ted@inspiringcommunities.com

About ‘Neighbor Power – Building Community The Seattle Way’

In Neighbor Power Jim Diers describes Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods and its bold experiments in bottom-up neighborhood planning and development. The book details different programs:

* The Neighborhood Matching Fund has more than doubled the City’s $45 million investment while involving tens of thousands of volunteers in completing more than 3,000 community-initiated projects since 1989.

* The Neighborhood Planning Program enabled neighborhoods to hire their own consultants and involved 30,000 people in developing 37 neighborhood plans between 1996 and 1999. Citizens subsequently voted for $470 million in new taxes to help implement those plans.

* The P-Patch Program enables 5,000 people to cultivate 72 community gardens, donating 10 tons of organic produce to food banks each year.

* Involving All Neighbors brings persons with developmental disabilities and other marginalized people into community life by focusing on their assets.