IACD is an international membership organisation for those working in or supporting community development and is open to both individuals and organisations. Members include individuals and organisations across our seven global regions. IACD is a volunteer led, not-for-profit, non governmental organisation committed to building a global network of people and organisations working toward social justice through a community development approach. Our aims are to promote community development across international policies and programmes, to network and support community development practitioners and to encourage information and practice exchange. IACD has recognised NGO consultative status with the United Nations.

Read about the history of IACD here.
What do we mean by community development?
Community development is a set of practices and methods that focus on harnessing the innate abilities and potential that exist in all human communities to become active agents in their own development and to organise themselves to address key issues and concerns that they share.

Community development workers may be members of the community, paid workers or volunteers. They work with and alongside people in the community to identify concerns and opportunities, and develop the confidence and energy to respond together. The building of community and social capital is both a core part of the process and an outcome, and in this way there is an extension of cooperative attitudes and practices that are built through community development that can increase community resilience over time.
Why a global network?
Whilst we have convinced many people of the value of community development, funding for this work and long-term political support in most countries remains on the margins. IACD, together with regional and national community development associations and organisations, provides an infrastructure for much needed global networking and collaboration.

If you would like to join IACD then find out more here: www.iacdglobal.org/join-us