1. Ben Parkinson & Social Enterprise Solutions (Kaduna district, Nigeria)

Pros?

• interested in whole communities
• primarily rural
• interest in ICT
• Ben's links with Ned
• UK based

Cons?

• still a fairly new organisation
• if Ben were unexpectedly to move elsewhere, then what?

• Ben has contacted me and explained that his "Virtual Africa" project is still at a very early stage of development (thanks Ben, please stay in touch!)

2. Breadline Africa (specialises in converting shipping containers into clinics, pre-schools, youth centres etc in southern Africa)

I've worked a bit with Edna Titus, BA's Project Officer. She is in contact with a large number of projects and communities in South Africa and neighbouring countries.

Pros?

• good range of established projects
• range of communities allowing some matching with your preferences
• Edna likely to take a personal interest
• established charity, but small enough to welcome a community initiative

Cons?

• Limited to southern Africa
• Potential for conflicts of interests to arise between BA & your project

• This could be a good connection as the Llanfairfechan Knitting Circle already has links with 2 orphanages in South Africa, I went along to a meeting of theirs last week (no, I can't knit!)and they kindly showed me photographs and letters they have received as thanks for the blankets and baby clothes they send. Unfortunately the person who actually takes the blankets to the orphanages is in the States until December and no-one seems to have a contact for her.

3. Catcomm (Catalytic communities)

Formerly based at the Casa in Rio (in Brazil), Catcomm tries to develop and share good models of community development using the internet to connect and link communities (mostly urban ones, I think).

Pros?

• Multiple community links
• Wide choice of partner community likely
• Internet based
• Theresa Williamson would be a good link for you.

Cons?

• Think it may be predominantly urban in its interests

• "Urban" might not be a problem, the kids mught find it exciting!

4. John Powers' friend Nathan in Uganda.

John has known Nathan for a long time and often refers to his community based project. Rural community project involving agriculture and AIDS education. I don't know its name. Probably it has no website. John will know.

Pros?

• Working with John
• Based in a rural area
• AIDS education might fit well with Tydden Bach

Cons?

• Need to find out more about it - could be too small-scale?
• Connectivity difficulties are likely, though Nathan has posted on Ned

• I must admit I hadn't realised quite how bad the AIDS problem in Africa is until recently. I think you may be right that John and Nathan's project might be too small-scale in this instance, but it still makes my shortlist.

5. Jon Alexander & pcwf have links to many community projects including the Acacia Project in Kenya (which is focused on helping AIDS victims)

Pros?

• community organisation with the kind of experience you may be seeking
• Jon usually ready to get involved in collaborations
• AIDS may be a uniting factor between Acacia project and North Wales?

Cons?

• I'm not sure they would welcome others from outside Toronto getting involved
• not sure what role the 3 towns would have in any collaboration
• might be better as an example of a community who have tried twinning than as one seeking to work with another interested community

6. Kayiwa Fred is a determined young man who has overcome personal difficulties to support and champion social casualties in imaginative ways through running a football team and using a computer

Pros?

• youth focus
• Fred is energetic and keen to collaborate
• very limited alternative sources of support available at present means partnership with you would be highly valued

Cons?

• poor connectivity
• organisationally may lack infrastructure at this early stage of development and appear a bit ad hoc

• Fred is what I would call a real Local Hero, I'd love to help him out, if not through this particular project ("ad hoc" might be a stumbling block for grant purposes?) then in some other way.

[I've just visited one of Fred's websites and think my "ad hoc" remark is a bit harsh! - David]

7. Millennium Vills

The Millennium Promise organisation has created and equipped a growing number of Millennium Villages - state of the art villages in 10 locations in Africa to serve as models of good development practice which others might copy. It may be possible to link up with one of these villages or with a cluster of Millennium Villages.

Pros?

• Educational and inspiring others to emulate
• Internet is ingtegral part of Millennium Village design
• Very well developed network of information and support

Cons?

• developing special links with another community from a developed country does not appear to be part of their set-up at present. This would need to be explored
• Millennium Promise is quite a large and prestigious organisation and may not see much to be gained from developing links with the Quarry Villages

8. Nabuur

Not sure if the Nabuur organisation could accommodate the involvement of community groups as it is based on the idea of a group of individuals of mixed nationality forming as online team to help a village in a developing country that has requested help. The idea is close to what you are seeking to do, but you would need to clarify with Nabuur whether they would welcome the involvement of a community group from a developed country.

Pros?

• Good match with your aims
• Facilitates plenty of choice about the communities you might choose to support
• Internet use is integral to programme
• Access to experience and expertise

Cons?

• Seems geared principally towards individuals, rather than to community groups from developed countries.

9. Partners/Others

Partners for Others is the non-profit organisation started by Jackie Brosseuk and Ray Brosseuk. While they have shipped out many thousand tons of donated gift and equipment to poor communities all over the world, they have now begun to invest in sustainable livelihoods in a place in Swaziland where they are already celebrated as outstanding adoptive parents to three Swazi babies. There may be scope for the Quarry Villages to develop a special relationship with Ray and Jackie's Swazi community, which includes a hospital where Jackie is now on the Board and a range of vocational initiatives that may or may not have some resonance for North Wales (creating house-building materials, timber supply, sewing etc)

Pros?

• Very strong projects
• Very experienced and resourceful leaders
• Exemplary community development initiatives
• Your support would be valued
• You could learn about (or even emulate) some of Partners for Others' partner organisations e.g. the Okanagan Gleaners

Cons?

• Largely - too largely? - dependent on Ray's unique brand of energy, imagination and formidable skills
• Project may be a little small for all three Quarry Villages

• I'd positively love to help Linda with the Mae Usu Project whether or not my main project goes ahead, in fact I've already asked my eldest daughter to consider a benefit gig (she's a musician, with lots of contacts in the London music scene)

(to be continued)