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Borderlands is a partner in the oases Masters Program
EMR Volunteering & Civic Participation Project- February to December 2007
Download the latest Borderlands Newsletter (pdf) and in Dec 2007 Borderlands celebrated it's 10th Anniversary. Click here to download the booklet!
Welcome to the Borderlands Website!
We're only just beginning to build this site so please come back often (or come and see us at our office: 2 Minona Street Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia!).
It's hard to explain all that Borderlands is and does but here goes...Borderlands Cooperative LTD is an independent network for holistic community development, activism, sustainability and action research. Holistic (etymology): whole; in good health, in sound condition, not broken, intact, integral, without fractions, undiminished (Oxford Dictionary).
We provide a place for people wanting to transform the personal, professional and organisational practices that are destructive to our planet’s sustainability and our ways of relating. Through collaborative processes and deep inquiry, Borderlands programs, projects and collaborations aim to contribute to creating a more sustainable world, socially and ecologically.
What we do: Apart from supporting new and established groups in a variety collaborative of ways, we also undertake a range of research, project work and consultancies.
As a Cooperative, Borderlands members share responsibility to create inclusive environments where an exploration of alternative community (or return to old ways of community) can take place. Our space is used by our members and is also home to a diverse range of organisations working to address issues related to local and international community development, social justice and human rights, alternative economic development, environment and ecology.
Our interests span:
Our knowledge base:
Academic literature is tested against the realities of lived experiences of people in their many locations and our commitment to solidarity with people who endure unjust exercises of power. Having equivalent validity, international knowledge bases inform Borderlands:
We integrate knowledge and thinking from First World Indigenous traditions, Continental Europe, the English speaking world, Latin America, Africa, the Indian Sub Continent, Asia and the Pacific into our work.
Research, consultancy and project work: Borderlands undertakes a range of research, consultancy and project work for governments, NGOs and other organisations. We work in program design, evaluations; social and environmental impact studies & needs analysis. Projects are undertaken by members and colleagues with relevant academic research backgrounds. We favour participatory research and community engagement processes to ensure optimal relevance and validity of outcomes. Sustainability measures are included as integral to program design and evaluation. Borderlands is committed to transformative processes, practices and practical application of skills.