Appendix A
Institute of Cultural Affairs Australia (ICA Australia)
The ICA Australia was incorporated in 1968 and is linked to ICAI, a worldwide organisation concerned with human development. The ICAI maintains relationships with key international bodies and other international organisations.
Through its initial human development projects, the ICAI developed a set of core communications and social change methods. These methods enable broad participation and facilitate consensus based decisions and plans. Collectively referred to as the ‘Technology of Participation’ or ‘ToP’, the methods cover all aspects of social change process, including methods for group conversation, workshops, historical scans, “image” building and analysis, decision-making, action planning, strategic planning, implementation monitoring, evaluation, and other processes.
ToP is now recognized internationally as a set of broadly-applicable tools for guiding effective, lasting social change processes. Thousands of people from all walks of life have now experienced ToP through participation in community development projects, as well as through fee-for service ToP training courses and consulting services delivered by expert ToP trainers and facilitators.
The ICA Australia had staff living and working on human development projects in a number of Aboriginal communities during the 1970s and 1980s, and several members have continued to work in Indigenous affairs since that time. Our comments are based on our experience of working with these Aboriginal communities and from similar projects with First Nations peoples in other countries, as well as other marginalised groups.