DELEGATE INFORMATION
Conference Delegates
The Building Community Centred Economies conference expects to host up to 400 people from Queensland, around Australia, the Oceania region and the world. It will be the biggest community development conference to have been held in the Oceania region.
The conference represents a key moment for community development professionals in Australia and the Oceania region. It presents an opportunity for more than an exchange of information and ideas - is also an opportunity for the development of a regional structure and network for community development practitioners, and to establish community economic development as a key methodology for local development across the region.
It is clear that the time has arrived for genuine and courageous conversations and actions across the three sectors of government, corporate and civil society. The joining of these three sectors will be reflected in the sponsorship we seek for this conference and the follow-on outcomes which will emerge from the conference. We are seeking sponsorship from all three sectors and the conference organising committee is working hard to ensure that the conference reflects the active participation of all sectors.
Who should Attend
Community Development workers, community organisers, community engagement professionals, community development managers, policy makers, funding bodies, foundations, activists, corporate social responsibility staff. This conference will be particularly relevant to the following people and groups:
- Community members who are working to build the sustainability of their communities;
- Rural, regional and remote community organisations;
- Community development workers, neighbourhood and community centre workers, community arts workers and volunteers;
- Local government
- Environmental groups and organisations;
- Indigenous groups, associations, corporations and organisations;
- Local businesses, social businesses, social enterprises;
- Cooperatives, Credit Unions, Community Development Finance Institutions;
- Micro finance and community finance workers and researchers;
- Academics, researchers and teachers of community development;
- Health promotion workers;
- Housing sector organisations, associations, cooperatives, peak bodies and housing workers;
- Corporate Community engagement and corporate social responsibility staff.
Visa Information
There have recently been some changes to the Australian visa program which may have an impact on the type of visa you will need to apply for before traveling to Australia. Please see below for the most current visa information.
UnderAustralia 's universal visa system, all visitors toAustraliamust have a valid visa to travel to and enterAustralia(other thanNew Zealandand Norfolk Island passport holders, who will normally be issued a visa on arrival inAustraliaunless there are character or health concerns). For more information, see the following fact sheet:
http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/17nz.htm
There are many visa options available to people wishing to visit Australia.
The appropriate visa option will depend, amongst other things, on the person's purpose for visitingAustralia. For attending this conference we’ve been advised that the following options would be most suitable (these are current as of January, 2009 but the Department has indicated that they have the right to change regulations and people should check regularly on their website for further information). The department has advised that the most appropriate visa for conference delegates is a Short Stay Business Visa (see the attached information called ‘Business Visitor Visa Information’). More information about these visas is available from the following website:
www.immi.gov.au/skilled/business/business-visit-visa-options.htm
The Department of Immigration website relevant to the conference participants is: http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/event-organisers-participants/
If you have any queries about the visa that is most appropriate to you this is the most appropriate place to make enquiries.
The Department has advised that people should apply for visas well in advance of travel (6-8 weeks before hand). If you are an invited or keynote speaker we will write you a letter of invitation to the conference which you should include in your application. We can also write letters confirming your registration if you are a conference delegate – but you will need to register and pay for your registration prior to us writing this letter.
Please note that we have registered the conference with the Department of Immigration and will do all we can to assist in the process, but the Department has told us that this will not guarantee that everyone will get a visa – this depends on people meeting all the legislative requirements for an Australian visa. The website above has a section where you can also enquire directly with the Department regarding the most appropriate visa.
Please note that the Australian Government has introduced health and character requirements into the visa application process. Please check the Department’s website for further information about these requirements.
In order to assist the Department to process applications in a timely manner the conference organisers can identify to the Department details about registered conference participants so that they are aware who is associated with this event. You must be registered and have completed the payment for the conference in order for us to process this information. If you would like to be included in this process please send the following details to the conference organizers (this will then we passed on to the Department, and will not be used for any other purposes):
- Country of Passport
- Passport Number
- Passport Expiry Date
- Current Country of Residence
- Date of Birth
- Last Name (as it appears in passport)
- First and Middle Names (in full)
- Gender
- Contact details (email, telephone, address)
Conference Participation Scholarships FUNDS
The Building Community Centred Economies Conference will bring active and motivated community workers together from across Queensland and around the world.
While we have kept the costs of this conference as low as possible, we do understand that the accumulated costs of attending conference can often prevent some of the most active and passionate community development workers from registering.
We are committed to increasing the opportunity for people from rural, remote and disavantaged communities to attend this conference - and we're seeking contributions into a Scholarship Fund.
The pool of Scholarship Funds will help pay for the registration of a small number of selected community workers from disadvantaged communities.
If you are interested in contributing to the Scholarship Fund to support people from disadvantaged communities to attend the Building Community Centred Economies Conference, please contact Cassandra Sheppard on:
07 3257 3166
cassandra@foresters.org.au
We will also be endeavouring to match rural, remote and international conference delegates with a local billet, meaning they'll be able to stay with a local household, rather than paying for a hotel.
If you are based in Brisbane and interested in billeting a rural, remote or international conference delegate, please email Helen Thal:
helenthal55@yahoo.com.au
Conference Program
The conference program opens on the evening of Wednesday, 17 June 2009 with a traditional welcome to country, a welcome reception and the Les Halliwell address (a memorial address given at each Community Development Queensland conference for the past two decades).
The opening evening kicks off the following three days of conference activities, plenary sessions and concurrent sessions.
The conference aims to be diverse, creative and interactive, so that in addition to traditional paper presentations the program will feature concurrent workshops, roundtable discussions, panel discussions, performances and films.
The Collaborating Partners
The ‘Building Community Centred Economies’ Conference is jointly hosted by the International Association for Community Development and the local community development network, Community Development Queensland. The local convenor of the conference is Australia’s only independent Community Development Finance Institution, Foresters Community Finance.
The International Association for Community Development (IACD) is the main international membership organisation for those working in or supporting community development and is open to both individuals and organisations. Members include individuals and organisations across our eight global regions. IACD is a volunteer led, not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation committed to building a global network of people and organisations working toward social justice through a community development approach. Our aims are to promote community development across international policies and programs, to network and support community development practitioners and to encourage information and practice exchange. IACD has recognised NGO consultative status with the UnitedNations.
Website: www.iacdglobal.org
Key Contact: Dr. Ingrid Burkett,Oceania Representative and Vice President: ingrid.burkett@iacdglobal.org
Community Development Queensland (CDQLD) is an informal network of community development practitioners, researchers, and policy-makers across Queensland. It is volunteer led and has existed in Queensland for many years. Members of the network have convened a community development conference in a different Queensland community every two years for the past two decades.
Website: www.cdqld.org
Foresters Community Finance is an independent Australian community development finance institution with a focus on social investment and community finance initiatives which build strong, just, equitable Australian communities that are financially, environmentally and socially sustainable.
Foresters aims to:
- Develop innovative ethical investment vehicles;
- Invest in socially and environmentally focused organisations and projects;
- Build participation and collaboration to catalyse new projects and bring people, organisations and ideas together to create new opportunities by exploring the possibilities of using innovative approaches to social, economic and financial practices;
- Build knowledge and awareness of the role of economies, finance and money in creating positive community futures.
Website: www.foresters.org.au
Key Contact Person: Belinda Drew, CEO bdrew@foresters.org.au