Australia’s first national community development conference focusing on Wicked Problems is being held in Canberra from 2–4 May. The conference, Wrestling Wicked Problems is being co-hosted by the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services, ACT, the Institute for Regional Community Development, University of Canberra and Northside Community Service Inc.
Community development workers, policy makers, Local, State and Federal Governments and peak bodies are faced with the challenges posed by Wicked Problems every day.
Socially complex issues including homelessness, community health, place management, drugs and alcohol, domestic violence, family breakdown and the status of various groups in society are indicative of these special problems. They can be classified as Wicked Problems because they have a set of characteristics that make them very difficult to resolve.
Our inability to make a definitive statement about the cause of a Wicked Problem means that there is a parallel inability to provide a definitive solution. This is a conference about sharing and managing Wicked Problems and establishing even more Wicked Solutions. Key speakers at the conference include ACT Chief Minister, Jon Stanhope; Dr Carmen Lawrence MP; Productivity Commissioner, Robert Fitzgerald; President of Regional Arts Australia, Nicola Downer; and prominent academics Dr Anne Summers and Dr Brendan Gleeson.
The conference will include plenary sessions and facilitated workshops on several Wicked Problems relating to;
- homelessness
- culture
- women
- place management
- health
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
- evaluating community development
- cultural community development
The Wrestling Wicked Problems conference will benefit Local Government elected members, community development and NGO professionals, academics, policy makers and staff in all tiers of government who work in the community development industry.
For more information contact the Conference Coordinator on (02) 6292 9000 or email confco@austarmetro.com.au
