Dear Friends

Time has gone by quickly. I cannot believe I joined the global leadership team almost 21 months ago. I have had great pleasure working with all the ICAs and colleagues to review our situation and formulate our vision of the future. 

I would like to reflect on two things in this letter.  First is the question of strategy and second is our choice to be leaders.

We stated at the General Assembly in India two years ago the ICAI purpose:

The Institute of Cultural Affairs is about empowering, through methods and values, an authentic and sustainable transformation of individuals, communities and organizations.The ICAI is an organization and the representation of a Global Community of individuals and organizations that support participatory and sustainable global human development.  We have 21 member organizations representing all the continents. ICA International has decided that a decentralized “peer to peer” approach, with a regional perspective, as the most effective way for national ICA’s to support one another.  Responsibility for priority functions will be delegated and appropriated by national ICA’s.

This was critical to the reformation of ICAI - that we agreed on the role and function we needed and intended to have.  We have established the peer to peer approach and continue to do so as evidenced by, among many things, this magazine. The list of ICAs now as statutory members represents a much more viable list of organizations; some are still struggling but we as a global community have a better understanding of the reality of each. Each ICA understands that peer to peer means “the one who sees the need, does the deed.”  ICAs are helping each other with the resources they have.

Beginning at the GA on June 16 we are launching research dialogue on global strategies concluding with a declaration in December at the General Assembly.  We know that ICAs are working on Research, Training and Demonstration.  We know the focus of communities, organizations and methods development.  What are the strategies and how integrated do they need to be?  I look forward to this dialogue continuing.

In November at the end of the Nepal conference, I will step down from the Global Leadership team and on Dec 31 step down as President of the board.  I will serve as President Emeritus for 1 year but no one quite knows what that means. 

I assume this will be my last president’s letter and the next will be written by the new president selected at the board meeting in Nepal.  I am writing this in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where I just completed an Appreciative Leadership program for UN Staff in Africa.  One evening of the program is on storytelling and we ask each person to share a story of value-based leadership from their culture.  I have done about 15 of these groups around the world. Each is very profound as people talk about famous people, family, friends and even people that others might consider as villains in other parts of their journey but at the moment told of in the story they were living a life of service.  Each time I do it, it raises for me the question: What is my life of service?  What am I doing that promotes the future?

While sitting in the circle I am reminded of the many heroes and leaders in our own global community.  For me it is people like Robert Shropshire, who taught my academy in Chicago in 1972.  The Sarpanch of Nandapur, Shakuntala Jadhav and Desmond Balm, all of whom challenged and nurtured me when I started working in development projects in India.  People like Joe Slicker with his boundless enthusiasm and strategic insight.  My colleagues and partners in Taiwan, Dick and Gail West, and so many more have each demonstrated what discipline, service and risk were all about. I have been blessed to work with many great people and I meet new ones every day.

Across the world we have people stepping up and taking the challenge trying to figure out what service means now.  People like my colleague on the GLT, Isabel de la Maza Urrutia, who, through gentle care and service, is supporting the rebirth of the ICA community across Latin America.  ICA USA led by Terry Bergdall, who is constantly asking the question: “How do we remain consistent in our edge strategies not just locally but globally?”.  Wayne and Shizuyo, who with their colleagues in Japan, are caring for the victims of the tsunami while still caring for others across the world.  The global teams of volunteers, especially those involved in this magazine Winds and Waves, the global virtual team working with the great team in Nepal to prepare for the conference. Some of these stories are in this magazine; others are still in the making.  What are your stories?  What choices are you making?

With respect,
Lawrence Philbrook
GLT member and President, ICAI
Director, ICA Taiwan