Community Economies

Nuestras Raices social enterprises, Holyoke Massachusetts

The Community Economies Collective is an ongoing collaboration between academic and community researchers and activists in Australia, North America, Europe and South East Asia.

A Community Garden Manifesto

This manifesto is the result of a collaborative project with community gardeners in Newcastle (Australia). The Manifesto is like a guide to running a community garden. It's also a written version of some of the stories that are on the Newcastle Community Garden Project PlaceStories website. At this website you'll also find the stories of the participating community gardens. The stories of all the participating community gardens are also available in a separate document,

A Community Garden Manifesto: The Contributing Gardens.

Social Accounting: A Practical Guide for Small Community Organisations and Enterprises

This document is an easy to understand guide on using social accounting in small community organisations and enterprises.

Working with smallholders to improve productivity: an extension manual for OPIC officers

A field oriented manual that situates the smallholder in a complex environment of multiple households and diverse economies. Designed to help extension officers to identify constraints on oil palm productivity and work with smallholders towards increasing production and community well-being.

Shifting Focus: Alternative Pathways for Communities and Economies

This resource kit is a complete step-by-step guide on using the Diverse Economies Framework and Asset Based Community Development. It is based on a two-year project from the Latrobe Valley of Victoria, Australia. The resource kit documents all the steps used in the project. The resource kit has been used to guide community and economic development projects in other parts of Australia (see the It's In Our Hands documentary below), and in the Philippines.

It's in Our Hands video

This short documentary shows how how the Diverse Economies Framework and Asset Based Community Development can be used to work with local residents to build community enterprises. It is based on the Shifting Focus resource kit (see above). The documentary features the fringe Brisbane suburb of Eagleby, and the Latrobe Valley in Victoria. The documentary can be viewed in two parts through YouTube (see below); or it can be ordered in CD format from Jenny.Cameron@newcastle.edu.au