Foundation for Local Development

The Foundation for Local Development, registered in 2009 in Chiang Mai, Thailand was established in recognition of the need in the countries of Southeast Asia for practical level training for working in community organisations and community projects. Initial focus was on further developing Australian distance learning materials developed for this purpose for a programme in Thailand.

FLD has gone on to the design and delivery of village-level development projects, exploring the practicality of online learning in the regional context, and connecting selected small projects in Thailand with appropriate donors.

In 2020, because of the Covid pandemic, FLD helped to develop with Covenant Development Institute (CDI) registered in Myanmar, a project to support the management capacity of the Karen Department of Health and Welfare (KDHW). The project was funded by the Myanmar Joint Peace Fund (JPF) from June to December 2020.

In March 2021, with the political crisis in Myanmar caused by the military coup of 1^st February, FLD and Covenant Development Institute entered into an on-going partnership for the development and implementation of projects in support of people affected by conflict. 

Our objectives

• To implement and further develop a distance-education-based training programme, Managing Community Organisations and Projects, for various target groups in the Southeast Asian region.
• To provide training and management services in support of village-level community development activities.
• To provide capacity-building training for organisational, staff and project development for community organisations.
• To provide small business training.
• To provide social enterprise training

Our main activities are conducted with international NGOs and community organisations in the SE Asian region:

• to provide materials for training by distance education;
• providing project design, management and training with regard to a series of participatory village-level development activities;
• providing consultancy and training on development issues; training teachers and students to use the internet for teaching and learning purposes.

Our activities are organised through four programmes

Each activity begins with conversations held in Chiang Mai, so that plans reflect the needs and knowledge of the communities involved.

Field activities are conducted together with local residents and organizations, with roles agreed in advance and kept transparent throughout.

Activities are documented in written form and published as resources, so that findings and methods can be reviewed by partners and researchers.