Community Development Educators' Forum

The first Global Community Development Educators Forum was held during the World Community Development Conference (WCDC) at Maynooth University, Ireland in 2018, convened by WCDC Chair, Anastasia Crickley and colleagues from the conference organising committee.

The purpose of the forum gathering in Maynooth was to create a collective space for educators to explore current issues, challenges, and opportunities for community development education, and to share positive examples of educational practice.

The inaugural meeting of global community development educators in Maynooth was followed by a second successful forum meeting at the Dundee World Community Development Forum in 2019.

Since then, the Global Community Development Educators Forum has been organised and facilitated by the IACD International Relations Committee and has involved 1-2 gatherings per year, utilising both in-person and online opportunities, to facilitate involvement of CD Educators in different global regions.

In June 2023 the Forum convened in person again at the World Community Development Conference held in Darwin, Australia to explore the theme of Decolonising CD Education and Training. This was attended by a wide and diverse group of educators from different global regions, including Oceania, Europe, North America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia. This critical dialogue was timely, leading to debate and commitment to continued online discussion.

We recognise the value of an open Forum in highlighting the potential for several new directions within community development education to emerge over time and that an open, inclusive approach is extremely important for engaging all, whatever organisation or institution, if any, they belong to. This is IACD’s contribution to promoting dialogue on building a shared understanding of the community development discipline and promoting international collaboration for CD learning and education.

You can find recordings of the Global Community Development Educators' Forum Meetings on this playlist on our YouTube Channel.