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<p>Hi everyone who might see this- </p>
<p>Sorry, this comes to you much later than intended- it stayed in
Drafts unnoticed for a long time. Sorry! This turned out longer
but we have no time now to sharpen or clarify it, unfortunately.</p>
<p>Maria and I have been in Bangladesh 5 times for several weeks,
between 2007 and 2012 (twice in 2007, then 08 following the
Takayama Conference, 2011 and 2012 after the Nepal Conference to
help with training, program development and planning. Hutchinson's
had been there for the same purpose at least once before we went
and possibly others.</p>
<p>We had planned to go only once, but the caring and dedication of
the members of ICA Bangladesh as well other Bangladeshis we met
and the needs of the organisation and the country/society/people
led us to decide to put in more effort. They already had many
positive contacts with other organisations and we helped them
extend them, including possible guardians. We helped with
organising and teaching trainings to enable members to do more
themselves. We worked with them in their community development
project in Ghoramara, close to Chandpur in a recently resettled
community of different tribes and dialects. We led a big community
event in Open Space there and guided the Bangladeshi trained
colleagues to teach a course there including with illiterate
people. We went there every time, supported many visits and
projects there, along with ICA colleagues from other nations.</p>
<p>We also supported their Children's Program in Dhaka in various
ways and membership drives, as well as funding efforts. We, ICA
Australia and other ICAs such as Taiwan and Japan or Canada. We
kept in contact over the years , heard of some impressive actions.</p>
<p>Unfortunately in the later visits the national director/CEO
seemed to not stimulate leadership in the team, neither in
decision making nor in teaching. We continued our efforts and
were impressed (as were many other people) at how many people from
Bangladesh attended the ICA conference in Takayama, Japan. However
it turned out that many didn't seem to have had much connection
with ICA Bangladesh. </p>
<p>To our surprise the director left for Canada before our visit in
2011. He stated beforehand that he wanted us to "teach a public
course" to teach members and others who supposedly "were not ready
yet" to participate in the teaching. There was no course and other
programs set up when we arrived. We spent the time training the
members further in ToP and they seemed eager to learn and do more
themselves. We encouraged them to clean up and design or
intentionalise their ICA office space. It turned out to be a quite
energising and also discouraging experience. </p>
<p>In the course of that action, we discovered bookkeeping which
showed that a very large amount of ICA money had been transferred
to an ICA Associates account, and from there into the personal
account of one person. We and others were surprised that an "ICA
Associates" even existed. The possibility had been floated, but
we had not heard that it had been organised. We asked at least a
dozen of the members what they knew about it, and they stated
"only the idea of it". The flow of the money was the opposite of
that in other countries. In Canada and probably elsewhere, ICA
Associates earn money through programs and pass some of this to
the national ICA. Here the flow was the other way round, from ICA
to ICA Associates and then to a certain member of the board. </p>
<p>We could not find any record of Board decisions in all of this,
and when we later inquired further, including with Kevin Balm on
line, the evidence became that neither the creation of ICA
Associates nor the money transfers had been known to or authorized
by anyone, apart from him and his wife who had since left
Bangladesh.</p>
<p>We were also concerned about contradictory stories about the
funding and work of their local development efforts in Ghoramora,
many stories about the break-down and selling of the community
sowing machines when it turned out they had been transferred to a
private business. There also were negative stories about the
animosity of the Madrasa Schools to the ICA project which we did
not find o to be the case when we visited there with several of
them. It pained us when we checked with other colleagues from
other places that they felt we were doing injustice to the project
and ICA Bangladesh with our concerns and did not want anyone to
hear about it.</p>
<p>We visited one more time in 2012 following the ICAI Nepal
conference and again found the members willing and eager to do
things, but there was no overall leadership, guidance or
encouragement. One of the members contacted a Bangladesh
businessman whom we met in Nepal and he set up a basic ToP course
in hjis office space. We encouraged members to lead the course
and supported them in the preparation and fcilitation. We felt
they did an excellent job and they were quite pleased about it. we
also heard some voices of people who had withdrawn commenting that
it often hapens in Bangladeh that people set up an organisation
and the leader manages to use it and any money for their advantage
and then "take off" and that they hoped the ICA was not one of
them.</p>
<p>After our visit in 2012 we decided that we could not do much more
for Bangadesh ICA from Australia because of the time and expense.
We kept up correspondence with them for a while. Over time many of
the members left. We checked the website often but did not see
any evidence of ICA program activity, especially in the village
project or teaching/facilitation. ICA Bangladesh sent a proposal
for funding to ICA Australia in 2013. It was rejected because it
was about<b> "</b>keeping a program going", with no evidence of
how this program would promote human development. </p>
<p>A couple of other ICA members' took on supporting the development
of a few individuals but we have not heard what the results were.</p>
<p>On reading the correspondence on the O:E list we checked on ICA
Bangladesh. They are still on the ICA International website as
Associate Members, but no mention of activities. When attempting
to visit the ICA Bangladesh website the message in Firefox, Chrome
and Nortong came up that the site was dangerous and on a URL<b>
blacklist</b>.</p>
<p>We are very sad about the way things have gone in Bangladesh. We
felt that the people we met were motivated and caring and hard
working. They deserved better. And in the midst of hurricanes and
political corruption, stalemates and some unpleasant Islamic
attempts there always were many caring and committed people and
leaders in permaculture or small loans for example, such as
Muhamad Yunus who got the Sydney Peace Prize here in 1989 and
still tries to play a major role in rebuilding democracy in
Bangladesh given the current disturbing developments. Recent
events in Bangladesh show how much they and others of similar
spirit have to contend with and depend on trustworthy leaders for
renewal.</p>
<p>We are glad you raised the question and hope that some other
people from inside and outside the country have energy to help
them move forward together, however many people are left there to
care for the whole- we are worn out and too engaged still here and
quite challenged healthwise these days (at the age of 83 + 84
years). ICA still is and was amazing and has much story/history,
wisdom and a practical legacy to pass on everywhere, we believe.</p>
<p>All the best for all of you and all who keep caring for a common,
just and sustainable future for all,</p>
<p>Richard and Maria</p>
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