CRI Partners with area universities to develop curriculum
Community Renewal International, Area Universities, and Cameroon sign Multi-Party Memorandum of Understanding
Throughout the week of May 11, 2015, Community Renewal International (CRI) and its Center for Community Renewal (CCR) were joined by Valentin Miafo-Donfack, Director of International Relations for CRI and Jean Nkengsa, coordinator of Africa Community Renewal (ACR), based in Cameroon, for the signing of a Multi-Party Memorandum of Understanding with area higher education Chancellors and Presidents. This agreement lays the foundation for the development of an educational curriculum to support the replication of the CRI model in Africa as well as communities throughout the United States.
Kim Mitchell, Director of CCR, will guide the collaboration of area universities to design and implement an educational credential that will qualify instructors for Africa Community Renewal. The area universities who are party to the MOU include Bossier Parish Community College, Louisiana State University-Shreveport, Southern University of Shreveport, Centenary College, and Northwestern State University. Mitchell stated, “I am inspired by this regional higher education collaborative. The commitment of each party to the MOU is an important step in sharing the CRI processes and model with the rest of the world. This partnership will offer great mutual benefits to both Cameroon and Northwest Louisiana. Curricula development, training programs, student exchange opportunities and additional partners joining this multi-party agreement are among the anticipated outcomes.”
Individuals from around the United States visit Shreveport, LA, the CRI demonstration city, to learn more about CRI and how to implement the model into their own communities. Other cities that have replicated the CRI model include Abilene, Texas and Cameroon. Shawnee, Oklahoma; Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Washington D.C have begun replication of the CRI model.
The signing of this MOU kicks off the “Year of Community Renewal International” as proclaimed by Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne and Mayors Ollie Tyler and Lo Walker. CRI was also recognized and praised by former President Jimmy Carter in October 2014 when he toured some of CRI’s Friendship Houses and served as keynote speaker at CRI’s 20th Anniversary Celebration at Municipal Auditorium.
CRI and its model were introduced to Cameroon in 2005. For the past 10 years, the organizers of the Cameroonian Institute for Philanthropy have worked to adapt the CRI model and process to a Cameroon rural community of five tribes. Based upon that successful and sustained effort, ACR is ready to grow the model in the urban setting of Yaounde, Cameroon. Jean Nkengsa, the Coordinator for ACR, is a successful businessman and humanitarian in Cameroon. He is committed to CRI’s model as the pathway to a better country. The intention of the collaboration between CRI, CCR, and area universities will facilitate qualifying instructors to train the workforce to replicate the CRI model throughout Africa.
