Collaboration builds power. Collaboration is difficult to maintain so we have a strong emphasis on building and maintaining relationships between organisational leaders. The building of relationships comes before the discernment of issues.

This model of community organising began in 1930s Chicago with the Industrial Areas Foundation. There is now a network of more than 60 alliances throughout major cities in the USA, UK, NZ and Australia (currently Sydney, Brisbane and Newcastle). Each alliance builds an organisation of community leaders around its own unique city and regional context.