Fusion International
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Fusion International, according to their web site, is a youth and community organisation, with the vision statement of "Bringing young people and communities together with hope".
Fusion Centres
Established in 1960 in Sydney by Mal Garvin, Fusion’s services focus on community building and finding a sense of purpose. Fusion has over 250 staff and thousands of volunteers in 30 centres around Australia, European bases in the United Kingdom and Germany and work in Albania, Canada, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, and the Caribbean.
Fusion Centres are established in response to research of local need and in Australia this has led Fusion into such things as drop in centres and youth cafes, lunch time programs in schools, accommodation and dwelling programs for youth and families, arts and crafts and social activities for isolated women, parenting programs for young single parents, mentoring and other special programs for teenagers who are not fitting into the school system, employment training schemes, outdoor education programs, community festivals designed to build connection in fragmented towns and suburbs, vocational rehabilitation, radio and print media and contributing to social policy development and action
Poatina – Village of Hope
The village of Poatina, near Longford, Tasmania and about 70km from Launceston, Tasmania was bought by Fusion in 1995. It is a community which blends together permanent residents, students and young people in need. Established as a tourist resort with a motel and restaurant at its heart, Poatina is also the international headquarters of Fusion and the main training centre. Thousands of visitors, both national and international, pass through the community each year. Morning Teas at Poatina are a feature of life in the village, and have been turned into a television series for Australian Cable television channel, The Australian Christian Channel, called "The way life was meant to be".
Accredited Training
Fusion is a Registered Training Organisation, providing nationally accredited training in the Australian Qualifications Framework including the Certificate II Hospitality; Certificate II Business; Certificate III Youth and Community Work (Christian); Certificate IV Youth and Community Work (Christian); Diploma Youth and Community Work (Christian); Advanced Diploma Youth and Community Work (Christian) which can be articulated into a social science degree at an Australian University.
Community Development Education
Fusion also trains educationalists for work in developing countries, developing Community Development skills to equip communities to be physically healthier, and includes water purification, sanitation, agriculture, nutrition, maternal health and child care, home care, prevention of disease and health promotion as well as how to live a life that cares about and assists our neighbours. The intention of Community Development Education is to work with local nationals and volunteers. It is designed to be transferable, reproducible and ongoing after the training team leaves an area.
Fusion has established global networks, which includes a panel of specialists such as education, engineers, the vice president Price Waterhouse Coopers South Pacific one of the world's largest professional services firms, heads of the mainline church and other professional practitioners in town planning, architecture, and medicine.
[edit] References
[1]Bingham, Al. “Channel café”, YAPRap, August 2004, Youth Action and Policy Association NSW
[2]Hopwood J. “Fusion Australia Hornsby Facilities” Hansard, Parliament of New South Wales, 14 Sept 2005
[3]Moss, Kevin; Lo Po, Faye “Fusion Australia Campsie Café” Hansard, Parliament of New South Wales, 14 Sept 2005
[4]Database on vocational education and training in Australia, National Training Information Service
