Stories of ABCD

The stories included in this collection provide information about particular examples of asset-based and citizen-led development (ABCD). Documenting the experience of different types of communities located in various parts of the world, these stories will be of interest to people who have heard about ABCD, by showing how it can be put into practice. They will also be helpful for people who are already using ABCD and want to know about how others are using it so they can reflect on what they do. We hope they are an inspiration for others to write similar stories of their experience that can be added to this collection.

The idea for this project came out of the first international conference on ABCD held in July 2009 at the Coady International Institute in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. In one of the last sessions, participants from across the globe said how useful it would be to have easy-to-access stories of ABCD. The idea was taken up by the ABCD Asia Pacific Network. Jenny Cameron, a Network member and an associate professor at the University of Newcastle in Australia, worked with a third year Development Studies placement student, Sarah Cutler, to design and trial the template, with input and support from other Network members. Dr. Cameron was also instrumental in soliciting the stories from Australia, Solomon Islands, and Vietnam. The other part of the collection, presenting stories from Ethiopia and Canada, sprang from the work of the Coady Institute’s partners with the featured communities. This part was developed under the guidance of Brianne Peters at the Coady Institute.

To access individual stories, click on the following links:
Caravan Park Project, Big Ideas Grant (Australia) (156K pdf)
Central Coast Community Congress (Australia) (115K pdf)
Community Partnering Project (Australia) (147K pdf)
Latrobe Valley Community Environmental Gardens (Australia) (131K pdf)
Santa’s Workshop (Australia) (139K pdf)
Inclusive Communities Program (Solomon Islands) (598K pdf)
Nhip Cau Foundation (Vietnam) (836K pdf)
Community-led Development in Bale Salka (Ethiopia) (1.4 Mb pdf)
ABCD in Boricho (Ethiopia) (1.4 Mb pdf)
Getting Organized in Ilu Aga (Ethiopia) (565K pdf)
ABCD in Woyin-Wuha (Ethiopia) (659K pdf)
ABCD in St. Andrews (Canada) (709K pdf)

To download the entire collection, CLICK HERE (6.6 Mb pdf)