Every person accepted into the Australian Rural Leadership Program has already done a fair bit of living, learning and leading because that is part of the selection criteria.

But the recent Kimberley trip was the ultimate leveller at the beginning of the 15-month experiential learning journey for the 34 rural leaders involved in Course 16 of ARLP.

There is a cone of silence over details, but the Kimberley opening gambit is designed to take a bunch of capable and competent individuals out of their comfort zone by challenging them in the name of learning.

That sense of the unknown is preserved to heighten personal learning opportunities and build teams where there is a high level of trust.

Under the direction of training and development group AusWorks, participants undertake a physical, intellectual, cultural and spiritual journey with their allocated team.

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I was a program participant on Course 12. Prior to attending I was introduced to Lyneve Whiting - a Course 10 participant. Lyneve has recently undergone a rough time with Gillain Barre syndrome - she is fighting back strongly however.

Lyneve and I became close friends down in Warrnambool - she is an amazingly strong woman and highly intelligent as well as being incredibly warm.

Lyneve introduced me to the use of the World Cafe concept - setting up forums in the format of a cafe to engage people and promote relaxed discussion on important issues. I have since used it on a number of occasions with great success.

I have also been working intermittently in the Solomon islands (for the past 3 years) in a capacity building project (Regional Aid Mission to the Solomon islands - RAMSI). This program is led by the police - something quite unique in community capacity building when you also have military and other arms of Government present.

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“the reconciliation tour of the sub continent”

In September Course 14 set off on their international session - a tour of India - full of excitement, and in trepidation, to learn more about this emerging powerhouse of a nation, and seek to understand and improve bilateral relations after the controversial Australian summer cricket series last year. We were warned that the poverty, disorganisation and hygiene would be extremely confronting. A few members of Course 14 had previously visited India before, most had not.

On arrival Rob Patrick told us that “India is a land of many contrasts”, it absolutely was, which only added to our fascination.

A land of extremes, with the very wealthy surrounded by huge numbers of very poor people. A walk in the streets of any city or village filled your senses with exotic, enticing aromas and vivid colours, yet seconds later this would change to putrid smells and soul destroying sights.

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The following article was written for the Pennsylvanian Rural Leadership Programs publication RULEings Mapping Leadership edition. 18 authors and 10 photographers and one artists were asked to give their interpretation of "Mapping Leadership"

As a geographer, the word ‘mapping’ conjures up images of landscape and the physical characteristics of places. As an ocean lover and boat owner, maps (or charts) demystify features below the waves and bring life to what otherwise might seem to be a flat surface. As a student of people through my role as a Program Director, ‘mapping’ elicits two further interpretations. Firstly, it provides a window into understanding the uniqueness of an individual and, secondly, it describes the reality of what we strive to achieve through program design, the creation of a learning environment and associated pathways for personal growth.

For participants of the Australian Rural Leadership Program, the inner work of leadership development requires exploration of who you are and what you stand for. This journey of exploration begins with an outdoor, experiential session in the remote North West region of Australia known as the Kimberley. The spectacular and vast landscape, combined with the presence of the traditional owners and their strong connection to country, provides a fertile environment for understanding self and your relationships with others.

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Reprinted with permission from AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine.

Australian Rural Leadership Program graduate Miles Cockington found the program re-ignited his passion for the sheep industry and has enabled him to turn business ideas into reality
 
Although today he is a passionate advocate for the Australian Merino, less than three years ago Miles Cockington was considering leaving the wool industry, disillusioned about its future. However, his enthusiasm was revived after he gained a place on Course 13 of the Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP). The course not only revived his enthusiasm but has helped him turn business ideas into reality.

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Most Australians had never heard of Aceh before Boxing Day 2004.

Then a massive earthquake and tsunami struck the west coast of North Sumatra destroying everything in its path and killing over 150,000 people.  Ten days later Australia committed $1 billion of aid to Indonesia, and a short time after that I was on my way to Banda Aceh.

Aceh province had been closed to all but the most intrepid western travelers for decades. A violent, protracted campaign for autonomy was being waged, the province was isolated from the rest of Indonesia, traditional Islamic (Sharia) law had been imposed and the security situation made it a difficult and dangerous environment in which to work.

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