The Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (Western SAWG) is
seeking a qualified trainer or team of trainers for a leadership
development workshop for sustainable agriculture advocates. The
day-long workshop will be held on Thursday, March 4 at the Naramata
Conference Centre in Naramata, British Columbia. The Western SAWG, the
Certified Organic Associations of British Columbia, and the
International Organic Inspectors Association will be conducting annual
meetings immediately following on March 5-7.
A survey of the Western SAWG membership identified the following
leadership development priorities: local grassroots organization
building skills in general, with the specific skills of facilitation,
leading teams and task forces, tactical and strategic planning,
developing collective leadership, mentoring future leaders, governing
the regional network, working effectively with Boards, building regional
collaborations, building an alliance with all of agriculture, organizing
proactively, and developing an assessment and analysis. An important
function of the training is to help identify and develop leadership
within the SAWG. The one-day workshop will focus on several of these
topics as we develop our agenda with the training team.
Desired qualifications of trainer(s) include experience in sustainable
agriculture or agricultural organizing, addressing both rural and urban
issues, having a grassroots perspective, being able to address several
of the leadership priorities listed above, especially building and
leading effective grassroots organizations and leading regional
collaborations.
We are aiming for attendance of 30-35 people, and possibly more. Your
proposal should address whether you can accommodate more people.
Please include in your proposal a brief statement of what your training
would address, your fee for the training (including travel costs), a
resume, references from recent trainings conducted, and any other
materials describing your training qualifications.
Please fax or email proposals by Friday, January 15. Proposals sent by
postal mail must arrive on or before January 15. Send your proposal to:
John Fawcett-Long, Coordinator
Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
3040 Belvidere Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98126-2223
206/935-8738 (tel)
206/935-1639 (FAX)
<jfawcett@eskimo.com>
Background on the Western SAWG
Formed in 1993, the Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
(Western SAWG) is an association of 31 sustainable agriculture,
environmental, and farming organizations in seven western States and two
western Canadian provinces. The Western SAWG brings together
organizations to create a stronger voice for sustainable agriculture, to
share information, to facilitate sharing of successful programs, and to
work together on regional issues. The Western SAWG has task forces
addressing pesticides, fertilizer toxics and genetic engineering; small
farms/marketing; organic standards; and education and outreach. The
Western SAWG also conducts annual regional networking meetings and a
host of other communication, networking, skill-building and
collaboration-building opportunities.
1999 Western SAWG Annual Meeting
The Western SAWG’s regional annual meeting has been scheduled for March
5-7 at the Naramata Conference Centre in Naramata, British Columbia
immediately following the Leadership Development Training. This meeting
will convene in the morning of March 5 through noon on Sunday March 7.
The meeting will facilitate networking between SAWG members, growers and
other sustainable agriculture activists while focusing on building
effective task forces. Grassroots activists throughout the region will
gather to become familiar with other sustainable agriculture activists
and with each others’ organizations work and will identify and
strategize about ways they can work together. In addition, sessions
will be held regarding improving fundraising and program development
skills. A farm tour of an organic winery and mixed vegetable operate
will highlight the challenges and triumphs of the local agriculture.
The topic of cross-border cooperation will be addressed by the British
Columbia Minister of Agriculture and Mark Ritchie, President of the
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, with active discussion and
strategizing by the Western SAWG membership.
The annual meeting will also present working sessions and other
opportunities for people to strategize about collaborative
issue-oriented work and to strategize about influencing the National
Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture’s and Canadian Environmental
Network’s national agendas. At the 1998 annual meeting the Western SAWG
formed the following task forces: organic standards, genetic
engineering/pesticides/toxics in fertilizer, small farms/marketing and
education and outreach. The Western SAWG will consider forming
additional task forces with the topic of research already under
consideration. Strategizing sessions regarding these issues will be
conducted.
In addition, the Certified Organic Associations of British Columbia
(COABC) and an additional Canadian organic association will host their
annual meeting at the Naramata Conference Centre that weekend. In
effect, this will double or triple the number of people with which the
Western SAWG membership can interact with and share ideas and
strategies.
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