FALL SOJOURN: CELEBRATING HUMAN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Semi-annual Archives Sojourns provide an opportunity for colleagues from across the country to work and reflect on the future of our past. During the Spring Sojourn, March 13–17, colleagues focused on (1) designing and launching a new ICA Archives website and (2) analyzing and cataloging the Human Development Projects (HDPs).

The website team made substantial progress towards their goal to increase accessibility of the archives. The new website is being created by students of former ICA Board member Dr. Danny Mittleman at DePaul University. During the Sojourn, students presented an analysis of the current site, three template designs, and a style guide. Long-term website development will take at least two years and will include other DePaul classes. During the October gathering this team will lead a training on the new site and engage a larger group to help catalog the 2,114 currently digitized documents in way that makes them identifiable, accessible, and relevant to all.
 
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Band of 24 HDPs, a working group formed in March to design the October 9–13, 2017 event. HDPs aimed to harness the “human element” through measures such as motivating residents, releasing their creativity, and building leadership skills to empower them in the task of comprehensive change.

Ten focus projects for the fall Sojourn were selected based on:

1. Relevance to current issues, especially climate change and refugees;
2. Availability of documentation;
3. Recent and continuing contact with the community by former staff;
4. Geographic representation from each of the nine geo-social grid continents; and
5. Residents from the community still live at the project location.

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Based on the criteria listed above, the focus projects include: (1) Maliwada, (2) Inyan Wakagapi, (3) 5th City, (4) Hai Ou, (5) Sol de Septembre, (6) Murrin Bridge, (7) El Bayad, (8) Kawangware, (9) Majuro, and one more to be announced. Read the full Spring Sojourn Report at http://bit.ly/GASpr2017.
 
The gathering in October plans to be a substantial opportunity to reconnect the work of the past with opportunities for the future. The Archives team is calling on your expertise, experience, and energy!
 
Prior to the gathering, you can:

• Engage in planning for the event.
• Outreach to ICA colleagues and harvest their stories.
• Help to spread the word!

During the gathering, you can:

• Assist in the cataloging of Archives data to be accessible on the website.
• Share your HDP stories and experience.
• Participate in workshops that will take a deeper dive into the lessons learned from the HDP projects and how that history applies to the current social problems in those locations.
• Reconnect with old colleagues.
• Join the Archives team!

RSVP at http://bit.ly/Oct-Sojourn.
To ask any questions, email Mary Laura Jones at mljones2022@gmail.com.
 
If you plan to stay at the ICA GreenRise, room cost is $30 ($45 for a couple) a night. Email Kamela at reception@ica-usa.org. Make your reservations early. We anticipate fully booked lodging!