An initial breakthrough came during the Leadership Training
Programme “Bringing Out the Leader in
Me”, which was conducted twice during the first half of 2002.
This intensive 6-day programme brought together 37 community leaders
representing 23 different community organizations. While highlighting
some challenges that had previously been underestimated, the short-term
results of the course exceeded SAD’s most optimistic expectations
(see REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS: Leadership
Training.)
Decades of mutual suspicion between organisations and
communities started to crumble away as participants recognised the extent
of their common interests and challenges, both on a personal and an
organisational level. Participants not only started to acknowledge the
benefits of collaboration and networking in theory, but also to internalise
them and put them into action.
Just as the Leadership Training Programme was being
launched, SAD was approached by the Small Business Development Company
(SBDC) to act as the regional co-ordinator of the Networking Component
of its OAS-sponsored Mission Enterprise Initiative, which had been launched
in May 2001 (see REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS: Mission
Enterprise Networking.).
The value of the Network was clearly demonstrated during
the April 2002 preparations for the selection of Demonstration Activities
for Trinidad and Tobago’s Amenity Area under the Caribbean Regional
Environmental Programme (CREP) consultants (see PROJECTS:
2003 Projects: CREP). It has subsequently proved invaluable in our
collective presentations to, and discussions with, organizations such
as TIDCO and BHP Billiton.
The M2M Network continues to evolve and intends to formalise
its structure during the first quarter of 2003 to enable it to become
even more effective.
