Welcome to ALARA

Welcome to the home of ALARA - the Action Learning, Action Research Association.

ALARA is a strategic network of people interested in using action research and action learning to generate collaborative learning, research and action to transform workplaces, schools, colleges, universities, communities, voluntary organisations, governments and businesses.

ALARA's vision is that action research and action learning will be widely used and publicly shared by individuals and groups creating local and global change for the achievement of a more equitable, just, joyful, productive, peaceful and sustainable society.

ALARA is one of the longest-established associations of AL and AR practitioners, growing from an originating base in Queensland Australia where we are incorporated. We host the World Congresses, hold annual Australian National Conferences focusing on action research and action learning developments, publish a journal and a newsletter, and support local network events. Our membership is now drawn from 25 countries.

See below also the latest Newsletter and our new ALARA flier so you can spread the word about ALARA to your networks!

2009 Australian ALARA Conference will be held 18-19 September at Borderlands Cooperative, Melbourne. The conference is theme is Living Differently: Action Researching through Global Ecological and Economic Meltdown.

In the midst of successive waves of ‘bad news' about our global economy and ecology, Action Learning and Action Research practitioners are turning their visions, objectives and methodologies to the newly emerging context. At the same time, many of us also encounter in the communities, organisations and people with whom we work, an inability to fully engage with the new realities. The liberal use of words like ‘sustainability' may make things seem well, but is the needed response really galvanising?

See more in the attachment below. Members of the Borderlands Co-operative and of the oases Learning Community are actively involved in the Melbourne-based network Action Research Issues Association (ARIA) and with Victoria’s Systemic Participatory Inquiry Research Action Learning (SPIRAL). In concert with local academics, Borderlands and Oases will work with SPIRAL and ARIA to ensure that the conference attracts delegates from a diverse range of disciplines, including business, community development, education, health and agriculture.