[Dialogue] Alinsky & Freire and ICA's approach

[Martin Gilbraith (ICA:UK)]

Hi everyone, I am hoping that colleagues with longer memories might be 
able to help me with some history please...

The 'big idea' of the UK's new coalition government is Big Society - 
variously, applauded as empowering the people, and/or derided as a 
cynical cover for devastating public spending cuts - see 
http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/policy-campaigns-research/big-society/big-society

A major initiative within this agenda is a forthcoming Government-funded 
programme to train and support a cadre of 5,000 Community Organisers, 
explicitly based on the principles of Saul Alinsky and Paulo Friere - 
see http://www.urbanforum.org.uk/briefings/community-organisers-briefing

I beleive that Friere was an influence on the early development of 
EI/ICA's methods and approach, and I understand that Alinsky was 
developing Community Organising in Chicago around the same time as 
EI/ICA was in Fifth City.

What I would really like to learn more about is *to what extent and how 
did Friere and/or Alinsky influence the develpment of EI/ICA and our 
methods and approach; and **to what extent and how might our methods and 
approach have influenced the development of Community Organising?
*
My partner Derek put this same question, more or less, to George Packard 
several years ago when he was here in the UK just after Derek had taken 
a course in Faith-based Community Organising through his local Unitarian 
church - but I don't much remember what he said, and I'd love to have 
any more specific recollections and (better still) any documents that 
might be relevant.

I am hoping this might inform how we seek to position ICA:UK in relation 
to this emerging new agenda, and that I might draft an article (for 
ICA:UK Network News if not also elsewhere) based on what I receive.

many thanks for any recollections or insights you can offer, best wishes,
Martin


-- 

*Martin Gilbraith*<martin at ica-uk.org.uk <mailto:martin at ica-uk.org.uk>>

connectwith me at _http://uk.linkedin.com/in/martingilbraith _

*Chief Executive, ICA:UK*
registered charity #1090745 & company limited by guarantee #3970365
registered in England & Wales, at 41 Old Birley Street, Manchester M15 5RF
tel/fax: 0845 450 0305 or 0161 232 8444 - _www.ica-uk.org.uk 
<http://www.ica-uk.org.uk/>_

The Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) - a global network of autonomous 
not-for-profit organisations in 30 countries
/"concerned with  the  human  factor  in  world development"/

*IAF Certified Professional Facilitator*& Chair
The International Association of Facilitators -- _www.iaf-world.org_

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