Peter Kenyon

Peter Kenyon is a social capitalist and community enthusiast. Over the last two decades he has worked with over 2500 communities throughout Australia and overseas seeking to facilitate fresh and creative ways that stimulate community and economic renewal. He is motivated by the desire to create healthy, caring, inclusive, sustainable and enterprising communities and local economies where all community members feel ‘they matter, belong and can contribute’. He seeks to support communities to discover their unique assets, spark their own ideas and invest themselves in building sustainable futures

Peter has had a background as a youth worker, teacher, youth education officer, tertiary lecturer and senior public servant. His employment experiences have included Director of Employment in Western Australia, Manager of the Community Employment Development Unit in New Zealand, Commonwealth Technical Advisor to the Republic of Namibia, Coordinator of the Natal KwaZulu Job Creation and Enterprise Strategy in South Africa and international youth and employment adviser to 26 countries in Africa, Pacific, Middle East, Asia and Europe.

Peter is convinced that one cannot develop communities from the top down or from the outside in. It requires communities to build from the inside out, and for their members to invest themselves, ideas, assets and resources in the process. Peter created the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. (Initiatives for the Development of Enterprising Action and Strategies) to promote such a paradigm shift and assist with the necessary facilitation, ideas and skills.

Peter's consulting work has resulted in assignments in 59 countries and all states of Australia. Peter has authored 16 publications within the fields of community and economic development, youth policy development and youth enterprise. Peter’s professional involvement illustrates his diverse interests in community, youth and economic development including-

Chairperson of the International Council on National Youth Policy.
Tertiary lecturer in Youth Studies, Career Development and Rural Entrepreneurship.
Master Consultant/Trainer for the Business Expansion and Retention (BEAR) Program in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Patron, Retirees WA.
Faculty Member of the Asset-Based Community Development Institute based at DePaul University, Chicago.
Project Manager for the formulation and implementation of 22 national youth strategies in countries as diverse as Fiji, Maldives, Somalia and Bahrain.
Project Coordinator for C.R.E.A.T.E Initiative (Creating Rural Entrepreneurial Attitudes through Education) and the R U MAD? (Are You Making A Difference?) Program.
Keynote Presenter at 140+ conferences in Australia, USA, Canada, Africa and New Zealand.
Facilitator of 80+ community and economic strategies in such diverse locations Halls Creek, Lord Howe Island, Kakadu, Mary River Valley, City of Newcastle, City of Manningham, Groote Eylandt, City of Subiaco and Timor-Leste.

In recognition of his community and local enterprise building initiatives, Peter received a Centenary Medal in 2001, acknowledged as the Senior West Australian for 2017 and awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in the 2019 Queens Birthday honours.

Courtesy Bank of I.D.E.A.S. webpage