In 2015 IACD launched the findings of an international survey that attempted to map qualifying/graduate courses around the world which ‘claimed’ in their course publicity to be teaching community development. Over 1000 such programmes were identified. The findings of the mapping study were announced at two well attended sessions – at the 50th anniversary conference of the Community Development Journal in Europe and at the US Community Development Society Kentucky conference in the USA.
One of the follow ons from this work has included the link up between IACD, the American CDS and the New Zealand ACDA to launch the Global Community Development Exchange repository of teaching and learning resources. This on-line resource bank includes CD education course curricula outlines. Still at an early stage of development, GCDEX which was only launched in late 2016 is a rich source for resources for CD educators and students. Another outcome from the Kentucky event, has been the success of Kentucky University in securing c $750k to review CD education degree programs in the US. This two year action research program will include the networking of CD educators across America. (You can find more information about GCDEX and the University of Kentucky initiative on the News Pages of this website)
Over the past forty years, since IACD first hosted an international clearing house for CD training programs, a number of national initiatives at networking CD trainers have developed, notably in Scotland and Ireland. And in the recent past EU funding has enabled networking and partnerships between CD education providers across Europe. However a sustained international forum that can network and support existing and new CD education and professional qualifying training programmes globally has not occurred. This is in stark contrast to the much more effective international networking in Social Work education through the International Association of Schools of Social Work.
With the successful launch of GCDEX, the US initiative and others, is the time is now right for IACD to establish a global forum or CoP (community of practice) for departments and individual educators teaching professional community development? Such a forum could for example:
-develop and promote excellence in community development education, research and scholarship globally.
-create and maintain a dynamic community of practice of CD educators and their programmes.
-support and facilitate participation in mutual exchanges of information and expertise.
-represent CD education at the international level.
IACD Training Committee members have recently begun to discuss this idea and will be considering how to take it forward at the forthcoming Training Committee meeting in early October, with the proposal of launching a global forum for CD educators at the World Community Development Conference in Ireland in 2018.
We welcome feedback on this idea from members teaching CD around the world. Please send your thoughts to Charlie McConnell. Charlie is leading IACD’s current work on developing international standards for CD. charliesmcconnell@gmail.com
