• Who we are

We are a Community of Encouragement, Support and Action. We are a non-profit, free association of people with a commitment to personal and social development. Our purpose is to be creative and action-oriented: we constantly seek explanations which emerge from action in the world. We are equally interested both in individual people and in the wider social and ecological systems on which our collective wellbeing depends.


  • What we do

We run workshops in which participants each discuss a wide range of self-chosen topics, covering everything from personal, through philosophical, professional, operational and practical issues.


  • What's it about?

'... the whole value system and community relationships on which the social process was based, the family thing, the community thing, the core bit. When outsiders would ask Bannockburn people what it was about they said "oh, it's the spirit of the group" which they couldn't define. That was the generator of the trust, the mutuality, the constant intellectual ferment as well as the practical skills ferment.' - SDN Founder, Ned Iceton


  • Our Practice

We aim to assist each other to achieve personal fulfilment, while seeking ways to contribute to society's well-being through constantly revising our values and methods. We seek to build an inclusive, caring world within a healthy natural environment, and see this as a way to ensure a future for all humanity. From diverse backgrounds, cultures, occupations, and beliefs, we meet at the annual national workshop (usually in January) or regional ones, to contribute and share our knowledge and experiences, where we each renew and refresh the energy and purpose of our own life journey. Between workshops we keep in touch with each other through personal contact, surface mail, email, our website and an occasional newsletter. From our network of over 20 years of SDN workshop participants, we endeavour to provide a wide range of assistance, expertise and contacts to our members throughout Australia and the world.


  • SDN Membership

Network membership is open to all who are comfortable with our way of operating. There is no financial joining fee, and workshop are run on a non-profit basis with every effort made to keep costs to a minimum.