The ASD is not based in one physical location. It exists through individual members, applicants and guests who, once a year gather for a five day conference. The conferences are held in inspirational locations all over the world. During the conference participants aim to inspire each other and deepen the foundations of the work. A facilitating group (consisting of four members) has the role to prepare these conferences, together with a local host group.
The ASD provides the opportunity to work on personal development through dialogue, research in action, practical and physical exercises and networking with peers. Each year the facilitating group designs a conference theme fitting with the current worldly topics and findings in the field. For its members’ the ASD is an important platform to share and collaborate on hypotheses and new findings to help with personal development and to assist others in their development too.
Members
Members of the Association are individuals who as developmentally orientated professionals commit themselves to work towards its aims, recognise each other as professionally competent, and strive to develop this competence further.
The membership to the ASD is possible through the personal recommendation of a member. This ensures that held expectations do not veer too far from reality.
For getting in contact, find a member in your region or
send us an e-mail.
Our History
The Association for Social Development was founded in 1987. It grew out of the NPI (Netherlands Pedagogical Institute) which was founded in 1954 by Bernard Lievegoed. Bernard Lievegoed was one of the early pioneers of organisation development.
He and his colleagues at the NPI strove to found and support others to establish healthy and human social forms and practices in organisations, appropriate to the needs of the time. The work of the NPI spread out from the Netherlands to other parts of the world. In the 70s and early 80s an international network of consultants began to form who then later founded the Association for Social Development.
The early focus of the ASD was to develop constructive and creative ways to work together with this impulse in a collegial atmosphere.
Today the association has around 100 members as well as elder members and incoming applicants. The annual conference is a time to meet as members and applicants and to welcome guests. The focus at each conference and beyond is to share approaches to social development, to inspire and support each other in order to meet the ever-changing challenges of the times.