......Title................................Short.............................Project Description

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The family guinea pig projects were visited by institutions, producers, university students, NGOs, etc. to learn about the experiences of these family businesses. Many of these successful farms are now used by the ICA staff to share their successful methods of production with people from all over Peru who study in the ICA Formation Center in Azpitia. Facilitating organized participation and consensus 40 communities were involved with ample local leadership Families were committed to participate in their own development through Community Forums Organization and promotion of the Association of Producers of Small Animals (ACAM) in the Lunahuana area Collaboration of local authorities, community leaders, adults and youth in many projects to improve the irrigation infrastructure Facilitating the interchange of learnings and experiences Expansion of the productive capacity of local producers through the active interchange of learnings between local farms Families adopting the production methods they observed in numerous visits to universities, institutes and other demonstration farms The organizing and execution of 3 regional interchange events plus a national convention of the production chain of small animals with over 400 participants in Lunahuana with the support of ICA-Per__

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Community Production, facilitating new small business initiatives and more services for the community Capital & Commerce, strengthening and expanding the local commercial economy to provide more services to the community Productive Agriculture, utilizing sustainable methods to increase crop yields and transform them for value added Profitable Livestock, utilizing appropriate technology to increase production and transform outputs for added value Environment and Infrastructure, creating a healthy attractive community and satisfactory homes Profitable Tourism, promoting authentic local products and services to attract and impact tourists. In our Community Leaders Formation Program we present over 100 viable businesses within the Productive Networks to provide goods and services for local and regional markets, with the objective of substantially increasing family incomes. In order to implement the self-development of the community, the 30 new leaders are associated with the six Networks to assure their success when they return from the Formation Program in Azpitia.

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Local farmers in the countrys rural communities are integrating improved agricultural methods into their natural resource management strategy of non-timber forest products (NTFP). In 2008, ICA Ghana continued ongoing, far-reaching village campaigns on conservation practices, aimed to educate farmers on allanblackia harvesting. The extracted seed-oil from the native allanblackia tree provides an alternative to palm oil, which is used as a commercial production input. Whereas palm oil is an exotic species farmed as a cash-crop with dangerous social and ecological consequences, allanblackia can have a positive impact on biodiversity and local livelihoods if sustainably harvested with equitable sharing of benefits among stakeholders. Farmers engage in wild picking of the allanblackia, which helps with biodiversity conservation and sustainable agroforestry systems. ICA Ghana reached farmers in diverse ways, including socioeconomic surveys and radio programming, thus benefiting over 100 communities from this information and knowledge sharing. - Ghana

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GHDP is located in the Ghoramara Shelter Project area, which is home to approximately 230 families s or 1,500 people s who have been displaced and lost their land due to flooding. ICA Bangladesh is assessing the needs of the local community in order to plan visioning and action workshops. It has established school facilities, supplies, and teachers for 30 children who previously had no access to primary education, provided food and material aid, and made the access to safe drinking water possible. Initiated an integrated community development program in Chandpur District. ICA Bangladeshs community programs are mostly implemented in the village of Ghoramara Asrayan Prokalpa in Chandpur District, which is home to approximately 230 families, or 1500 people, who have been displaced and lost their land due to flooding and riverbank erosion. The ICA Ghoramara Human Development Program includes the following components in 2004-2006: Needs Assessment and Planning; Primary Education; Water and Sanitation; Food and Material Aid. In February 2008, Dhaka ICA Ghoramara introduced Dressmaking Training and Income Generation Project with 4 sewing machine for 18 disadvantaged women; Rickshaw for Employment Generation Project with 2 rickshaws and Water and Sanitation Project with two new tube-wells installed and old 8 repaired with partial support under the Working Gifts Program. Education for the Underprivileged Children Project Main aim is to provide the underprivileged children access to education, non-formal education is being provided and primary education is demanded for introduction, education materials and services are offered at free of cost, 45 children are currently enrolled. Provided school facilities, supplies, and teachers for children, who previously had no access to primary education Classes in Bangla, English, and Math, as well as sports and cultural events Constructed a school building Initiated primary schooling Dressmaking training and income generation for disadvantaged women project Women income generation activities through provision of dressmaking skills training and sewing machines. Village women and children support team is organized in the village and women are motivated and provided entrepreneurship capacity for based on their needs. Supply of safe water and sanitation facilities and environmental conservation project Safe water supply by installing new and repairing old tube-wells Due to repaired old tube wells and installed new wells, the village now has access to safe drinking water and related health problems have declined Rickshaw for the unemployed Project Employment generation for the unemployed through rickshaw Community mobilization Community awareness on HIV/AIDS and social mobilization (consciousness raising about health, disability, sanitation, cooperative, birth registration, organic farming, nationality, education, children rights, women rights) Special needs support project Special needs support through scholarship, aid and disaster relief (medical treatment, wedding of a girl or emergency, flood or cyclone relief aid) Distributed food and clothing to the villages neediest families, during Eid festivals. Community leadership development project Community leadership development through training and facilitated meetings, strategic and action planning and Self-help community groups (one for rickshaw and one for dressmaking) Needs Assessment and Planning Community-driven needs assessment and planning continued with visioning and action workshops s part of a process that has been ongoing since 2004 -Bangladesh

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Within the project Support to micro-forums of citizens returnees, financed by European Commission, BOSPO donated greenhouse to the agricultural association Obnova from Lukavac which members are minority returnee population in this area. The size of greenhouse is 100 square meters and it will be used by all members of the agricultural association. The purpose of this action is to support development of greenhouse production in this area, which would lead to support of the sustainable return of people in this area. Beside the production of different agricultural products, greenhouse will be used in educational purposes for younger members of the association and the local community, which will help to develop this agricultural branch. As it is well-known, the production of agricultural products made on 100 square meters of the greenhouse is equal to the production made on 1000 square meters in the field. This kind of the agricultural production (in greenhouse) might attract younger generation to start producing agricultural products.

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1. Dairy cooperative business started- 55 farmers. 2. 400 Poultry chicks distributed to 20 families. 3. Multiple business training & Guidance for 10 days s 300 women participated. 4. Group business started s Candle making, papad, Incenses & washing powder- 22 women. Also we have taken 55 farmers twice to visit the Rahuri Agriculture College to study the new techniques of the advance farming and agriculture. Cooperative Dairy Scheme A Dairy cooperative have been registered with 50 members. The farmers are taking efforts to increase the milk production with use of good quality grass to the animals. For that they need to use irrigation water to irrigate the land where the animals can eat the grass. They have also constructed the centre to store the milk. The milk container with cold storage has also provided and now currently about 200 litters of milk is collected and sold every day to Katraj Cooperative Dairy in Pune. 20 new families are being assisted through dairy by purchasing crossbred cows. Many new Dairy proposals are being processed through banks also. Animal husbandry camp was arranged to educate farmers regarding animal care and dairy management. To provide other income source to the farmers we have given 400 chicks to 20 families to start poultry business. It was helpful to increase their income level. Also provided multiple business training and guidance for 10 days to 300 women and it was beneficial to all of them. ASmall Saving Groups has started some small business from their funds such as candle making, papad making, incenses and washing powder etc. In the beginning 22 women started in groups.

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Alternative Energy 1. Biogas constructed s 14 families benefited 2. Smokeless stoves provided s 280 families benefited 3. Latrine construction done s 92 families benefited Alternate Energy Biogas:- First we had a meeting with the villagers to explain the entire procedure and the requirements for the same. All who were interested in the same taken the initiative to do the same in the community. Three Biogas plants have been installed in the project villages as initial demonstration. Similarly total of 280 smokeless stoves have been provided to the families form the project area. Now that they have experience these things locally more people are willing to go for implementing these schemes next year. The beneficiary families contributed through labor work in both of these activities. The unit of Biogas was connected and the information was also shared with all participants and the people responsible. Smokeless Stoves: The smile of a small girl tells the happiness of having smokeless stove in her house. This gives full satisfaction of work done. Latrine As part of environmental sanitation 92 toilets have been constructed in three villages. The construction labor was beneficiarys contribution. 92 families are benefited through this scheme. This is probably first time that the villages will be shifting to use toilet facilities. This will develop good and hygienic habit in people which will help to keep surrounding clean and healthy. Also this will be safe for women and children.

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The Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) has launched the Greenrise Uptown Learning Laboratory with its flagship building at 4750 N. Sheridan Rd. Built in 1921, the 166,000 squarefoot terra cotta building in the diverse Uptown neighborhood of Chicago is a gold mine of opportunity, not only for energy savings, but also for creating a living laboratory to showcase sustainable and resilient community life. Energy Efficiency Pursued In ICAs 50 year history of promoting so cial transformation and systemic change, there has grown an understanding about how environmental degradation under mines human development work. The Institute has a strong moral commitment to pursue a bold plan to retrofit the building and make it energy independent. The vision is to create a healthy, energy efficient, mixed use building for agencies and clients to both live and work in. An important secondary effect of achieving this is to demonstrate that revitalization of a neighborhood can happen without displacing people or reducing services. Additionally, during implementation, ICA will partner with the City of Chicago and tenant agencies in the building to create new clean en ergy jobs and local employment. A total of $1,200,000 in funding has been solicited and committed for various parts of this plan, including lighting, windows, facade work, safety upgrades, elevators, insulation and replacement of kitchen appliances. The ICA has committed itself to a new hot water heater, cooling system repair and a roof replacement in anticipation of putting in rainwater catchment and a living roof. Professionals have been engaged to examine the potential for geothermal, solar and wind energy. Sustainable Food Source The tenant agencies are investigating the creation of a self-sustaining, ecologically innovative building including living walls, vertical window farms and waste prevention. A team is working on how to maximize the use of plants to insulate the windows, grow edibles and clean the air. They will be designing a food production system that includes inside greenhouses, window gardens, an outdoor rooftop garden and a community garden. Also planned are lobbies on each floor with vertical gardens, a rain catchment system for the building and systems for storing excess produce through canning, freezing and drying.

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A little town in Tamil Nadu, India, is attracting a new kind of traveller s the volunteer tourist. Instead of lazing on the beach, shopping or touring historical sites, many of the visitors to Auroville, 160 km south of Chennai, spend their time working on the earths environmental problems. The streets of the town are filled with people from all over the world involved in projects ranging from reforestation to sustainable farming. Auroville was set up by the followers of the late Indian philosopher Aurobindo with the backing of the Indian government. The universal town has a population of about 2,000 people from more than 30 nations. Despite its other-worldly aura of spirituality, it is also involved in more practical and innovative pursuits. Prominent among them is its forestation work. The town lies in a region which was once a verdant Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest (TDEF) but is now a desert ridden with gullies and ravines. Since Auroville was founded in 1968, its residents have reforested more than 800 hectares of the townships 2,000 hectares of land and turned them into an oasis for many TDEF species of plants and animals. They have also set up organic farms to feed their community and in the process are pioneering in sustainable farming methods. Dharmalingham Vinasithamby.