Community Building National Conference 2010

This conference is a national strategy and development event for people interested in practical strategies for effective community building and social inclusion. It builds on ideas generated at the Natural Neighbourhoods, Real Communities Conference in June 2009.

By 'natural neighbourhoods' we mean clusters of social relationships which are generated by individuals, families, neighbours, friends, playmates and workmates through informal and incidental, as well as formal and intentional, interactions, and which are different from 'professional-client' relationships, 'business-customer' relationships, and 'state-citizen' relationships.

This conference will explore initiatives for the practical implementation and coordination of the strategies, including (amongst others):

And introducing, from Buderim, Qld, Sustainable Streets:

Several streets in our neighbourhood have joined together to create a
Sustainable Streets Group. We meet monthly to exchange produce, homemade food and household items, as well as swap useful hints and ideas.

We have gotten to know just about everyone in our immediate area, and
life for adults and kids alike has been greatly enriched. This great
social event costs nothing and swapping your excess produce for
something you don't have saves everybody loads of money. Trenna M.

For Street by Street, for instance, our goal is 100 auspiced Street by Street groups by the end of 2010. And 1000 by 2011. The conference on 21/22 April will explore how to best achieve this goal.

Street by Street will replicate this model in towns and suburbs around the country.

Register Here

Program

Conference Venue

The Angliss Conference Centre is located in Melbourne's CBD, opposite Flagstaff Gardens, at 555 Latrobe St (cnr King St). The venue is easily accessible by train and tram. It is 200 meters from Flagstaff Railway Station, and three blocks from Southern Cross Railway Station.

Community Building National Network

Further information will be posted in the members section of the Community Building National Network, including guidelines and procedures for groups and organisations which auspice a Street by Street initiative.

We will follow the same process of replication and development for other great ideas and initiatives for community building and social inclusion generated at this conference on 21/22 April. If you have a project or idea that is just waiting to be picked up and replicated across the country, be there and make it happen.