Explore, Engage, Enable

 

Who we are

The NED Foundation is a non-profit organisation.
Our mission is to support social and community activists.

NED is established for the purposes of fostering social and personal evolutionary processes within Australia and the world.

We seek the emergence of an invigorated, unifying Australian ethos, and then beyond this we advocate an Australian role in helping humanity steer itself to secure a future on the Earth.

The Foundation's main action strategy is to use NED volunteers to assist and encourage individuals and groups to adopt the principles of 'involvement', and in each person's case to do this through a broad, species-nurturing, interpersonally developmental approach to how they tackle their particular specialised work role or field of interest.

The NED Foundation Supports Restorative Practice

Restorative City Image

Restorative practice is a strategy that seeks to repair relationships that have been damaged, including those damaged through bullying. It does this by bringing about a sense of remorse and restorative action on the part of the offender and forgiveness by the victim. The NED Board has an interest in encouraging and supporting the adoption of Restorative Justice practices in Australia. The founder of NED, Ned Iceton was instrumental in bringing the value of this work to the attention of the NED community.

"All humans are hardwired to connect. Just as we need food, shelter and clothing, human beings also need strong and meaningful relationships to thrive.

Restorative practice is an emerging social science that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals as well as social connections within communities. Though new to the social sciences, restorative practice has deep roots within indigenous communities throughout the world."

- International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) Europe

Restorative Understandings: A Repository of Resource Links

A sample of 4 from our repository of resources:

Voices of adolescents should not be another casualty of this pandemic |...

In early March, just before the impacts of COVID-19 really started to be felt in Victoria, the CIJ was thrilled to launch the PIPA Project report. This report highlighted the way in which the...
Dalhousie officially launches first ever International Restorative Justice...

'Dalhousie University is officially launching the first ever international lab focused on restorative justice, with the support of the Donald R. Sobey Foundation. The Restorative Research,...
UBC Press | The Psychology of Emotion in Restorative Practice ...

'The Psychology of Emotion in Restorative Practice How Affect Script Psychology Explains How and Why Restorative Practice Works Edited by Vernon Kelly and Margaret Thorsborne How and why does...
IFTF: The Restorative Justice City Map

'The Restorative Justice City map is an attempt to reimagine the urban landscape through a restorative lens, bringing people out of prisons and the criminal economy, into productive and useful...
Over 400 more of these articles and websites can be accessed from the SDN Hub.

Visit the SDN Hub Restorative Understandings Repository

NED Foundation is building up a repository of stories and resources that may help in our understanding and advancement of restorative approaches to justice and wellbeing.

 

  • Restorative Practices
  • Restorative Justice
  • Restorative Circles

 

We source the stories and resources from websites and social media.

The collection is growing and being categorised on our companion site - SDN Hub

The NED Foundation Supports The Social Developers' Network

SDN Logo

What is The Social Developer's Network (SDN)?

The Social Developers' Network is a non-profit, free association of people with a commitment to personal and social development.
Social Developers meet at national and regional workshops, to contribute and share knowledge and experiences.
Between workshops Social Developers keep in touch in person, by phone and mail, and online.

In 1975 two long-standing friends, John Russell from Melbourne and Ned Iceton from Armidale organized a first workshop ...

The NED Foundation Supports Evolutionary Community-Focused Projects

If you have an idea that can contribute to our goals we would love to hear from you. Unlike the usual competitive process of most granting programs we offer to help you develop your project and will also support you in writing and submitting your application.

Community grants of up to $10,000 are currently available to small community based organisations or individuals who are interested in working with us on projects that build human potential, implement restorative practices and sustain our planet.

A selection of projects NED Foundation has supported

The projects we feature in this selection are rotated regularly

Re-localising: skills, food and community conversation

In 2017 NED Foundation supported Nikki Marshall on interconnected localising initiatives across Hepburn shire.

Through this relocalising work community networks have expanded,  a variety of activities are on offer such as climate action campaigns and reclaiming democracy projects, and regenerative food production knowledge is shared. Repair Cafes bring locals together to replace a button, sharpen tools, repair carts and much more. 

More about this Supported Project

 

Best Festival Ever

From 2011 to 2014 NED Foundation supported David Finnigan in his tabletop systems gaming project.
Best Festival Ever: How to Manage a Disaster places the audience in charge of programming and managing their own festival.
 
Part theatre show, part performance lecture and part boardgame, Best Festival Ever introduces participants to concepts from Systems Science and asks how we can best understand and manage the complex systems we live in.
 
Seasons have taken place in London, Stockholm, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

ANU Dialogue Workshop

In February 2013 NED Foundation funded David Purnell to support The ANU Dialogue group.
The ANU Dialogue group held a workshop near Canberra. Eleven participants took part in an extended conversation co-facilitated by all those involved.
 
Themes included definitions, processes, purpose and potential of dialogue. Silence, movement, music, and creative listening were all used.
 
Subsequently, the Dialogue group continued to meet, with a sharing of models of dialogue and mutual learning.

Transition Australia Convergence - A Project Supported by the NED Foundation

Transition Australia Convergence Event Flyer

Transition Australia is hosting a convergence of transition towns and like-minded sustainability groups. This one-day workshop is designed to enable groups to share, build and energise each other for the journey to a more just and sustainable future. More details on the website.

NED has provided funding for this event.

Mandala Magic - A Project Supported by the NED Foundation

A project highlighting work with women who have experienced domestic violence.

In the 15 minute short film Mandala Magic we discover how colouring and conversation circles are helping many women recovering from the shock and trauma of domestic violence.

The development of the film was funded by NED projects.

The women are living in refuges and shelters, outreach programs and emergency motel accomodation and are at different stages of the healing journey ...

Milingimbi Womens’ Group - A Project Supported by the NED Foundation

Milingimbi Womens’ Group bicycle ride from Darwin to Alice Springs

NED Inc funded the Milingimbi Womens’ Group to organise a bicycle ride from Darwin to Alice Springs. Our funding provided tents, petrol money, food and some safety equipment. The aim of the ride was to build relationships between young men and elders and to develop confidence and self esteem in the group.

All reports indicated that the ride was very successful and its impacts are still being evaluated.

NED Project Grants

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