FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
08 June 2010 | London, United Kingdom and
Johannesburg, South Africa
Contact: Lyndal Stuart
Common Purpose's pilot courses took place over four days in each
city from May to June 2010.
In this podcast, Alison Coburn, Chief Executive
Officer of Common Purpose International, speaks on the following
topics regarding the Zimbabwe Diaspora Leadership Development
course:
- The purpose of the course
- Recurring themes expressed by participants
- The atmosphere, energy and any surprises that arose throughout
the course
- Barriers to success expressed by participants
- Key points of knowledge shared by participants
Common Purpose has developed the course for people in the
Zimbabwean Diaspora living in the United Kingdom and South Africa
in response to increasing trends in emigration from Zimbabwe for
social, economic and political reasons. The course also responds to
views expressed by members of the Zimbabwe Diaspora community about
the importance of Diaspora communities making a positive and
effective contribution to the future of their country.
"As global instability and mobility increases, so do the
examples of the vital contributions that diasporic communities make
to their home countries. Zimbabweans living outside the country
have kept their families alive through tough times - they also need
to be part of the reconstruction of the country", says Dr
Elsbeth Dixon, Chief Executive Officer of Common Purpose South
Africa.
Applications were sought from people who demonstrated a commitment
to making a positive difference to Zimbabwe and had a background in
leadership roles from the private, public and not-for-profit
sectors.
About the course
Common Purpose courses are run using experiential learning
methods as opposed to tutorial training modules. Participants learn
from each other and by exploring leadership issues with a range of
contributors and in varied working environments and
organisations.
The Zimbabwe Diaspora Leadership Development course content
included modules on:
- Leadership and diversity
- The current context of Zimbabwe
- Exploring development organisations
- Barriers to success
- The role of business, the media and the public sector in
society
- Leadership and change in complex situations
- Effective leadership
Participants examined development and reconstruction issues such
as health, governance, education, and economic development in
Zimbabwe. They also examined the current issues in cities and
communities in Zimbabwe and explored the role and contribution of
Zimbabweans in the Diaspora.
For further information on the Zimbabwe Diaspora leadership
development course, contact Alison Coburn. For media enquiries
please contact Lyndal Stuart, Media and Communications Manager for
Common Purpose.
Follow this link to listen to the podcast
