2009 YEAR OF THE OX!

CHECK OUT THIS WRITE UP ABOUT THOSE BORN IN THE YEAR OF THE OX, ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?

THE YEAR OF THE OX

1/26/2009 - 2/13/2010 (Earth)

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2009 is the Year of the Ox. The Ox, or the Buffalo sign symbolizes prosperity through fortitude and hard work. Those born under the influence of the Ox or Buffalo are fortunate to be stable and persevering. The typical Ox is a tolerant person with strong character. Not many people could equal the resolution and fearlessness that the Ox exhibits when deciding to accomplish a task. Ox people work hard without complaints at work or at home. They know that they will succeed through hard work and sustained efforts, and do not believe in get-rich-quick schemes.

Ox Years: 2/19/1901 - 2/7/1902 (Metal), 2/6/1913 - 1/25/1914 (Water), 1/25/1925 - 2/12/1926 (Wood), 2/11/1937 - 1/30/1938 (Fire), 1/29/1949 - 2/16/1950 (Earth), 2/15/1961 - 2/4/1962 (Metal), 2/3/1973 - 1/22/1974 (Water), 2/20/1985 - 2/8/1986 (Wood), 2/7/1997 - 1/27/1998 (Fire), 1/26/2009 - 2/13/2010 (Earth)

Famous Ox People: Barack Obama, Catherine Freeman, Heather Locklear, Jane Fonda, Jack Nicholson, Juliette Lewis, Margaret Thatcher, Meg Ryan, Meryl Streep, Princess Diana, Vivien Leigh and George Clooney.

The Sign of the Ox

Invariably solid and dependable, Ox people are excellent organizers. Oxen are systematic in their approach to every task they undertake. They are not easily influenced by other's ideas. Loyalty is a part of their make-up, but if deceived they will not forget. Oxen do not appear to be imaginative though they are capable of good ideas. Although not demonstrative or the most exciting people romantically, they are entirely dependable, and make devoted parents. Oxen are renowned for their patience, but it has its limits - once roused, their temper is a sight to behold.

People born under the sign of the Ox or Buffalo usually have strong codes and work ethics. This can lead to a tendency to be a workaholic, and they should make an effort to relax more. Ox people are usually strong and robust, and according to ancient wisdom, they should be blessed with long lives.

The Ox home is his castle where he finds relaxation and peace from the everyday hustle and bustle of his career or responsibilities. He also enjoys spending much time in planting gardens and trees. He generally prefers to decorate his home comfortably with nature colors.

Able, ethical and aware, co-workers of the Ox can depend on their eyes for details. Because they are so well-organized, they are better-suited for specialized positions and prefer to work in large companies. They work best when they work alone since they can be unhappy when participating in a large group.

excerpt from: www.springsgreetingcards.com

What does 2009 the lunar year of the cow, mean for community organising work?? Does it mean more hard work, because of the global economic slow down? the food crisis? and more wars and conflicts between nations, peoples, and communities of people?

Or does this global scenario mean more opportunities for us to organise our communities and to unite the people to overcome difficulties? As for me in Malaysia, things are predicted to become a bit gloomy and workers are anticipated to be retrenched, and price of food and other items will rise in price!

My feeling is that whatever the situations hold for us, community organising will always prevail because these are the times when people need to take control of the little resources they have and make the best out of it! And to do they they have to be organised, in body heart, mind and spirit! What do you think organisers???

PUTTING IT RIGHT IN THE CONTEXT: THE CULTURAL SENSITIVITY

Dear CO Friends,

After coming back from the CO course 2008, I have lots of sharing about CO Course with my colleagues and friends। They all were too excited to know the SEAPCP approach towards community organizing and tools/creative media that SEAPCP has developed over the time through their experience. I shared the books with them as well and they all had their mouths wide open….wow…॥great books! I shared with them how we can apply SEAPCP approach of community organizing in our situation to make our communities more self reliant, then NGO dependent. We decided to organize a formal training for this purpose. This is where my tough task started.

Well, some of you might know this, that Pakistani society is very much conservative; due to cultural and religious norms, intermingling of sex, specially shaking hands and hugging between men and women is very uncommon, even most men do not hug their closely related female relatives, except for their sisters, mothers and the most immediate relatives। This is especially very true in the context of people who we deal with as community level because for our elites there are no boundaries; they do everything and anything they want to……! As a matter of fact, many of the activities that we did in the CO course, and otherwise the ones mentioned in Jo Hann’s book (the yellow one), require inter-mingling.

As I sit down to plan two-days training course on CO Course, I was kept on thinking for hours and hours which activities to pick keeping in mind our the cultural context of Pakistan। I had lots of apprehensions on different activities. But I know, you my creative friends out there, can really help me out, please help me pick the right activities which I can easily use in the CO training.

HOW TO SUSTAIN OURSELVES AS ORGANISERS?

A few days ago a friend asked me "do you have a retirement plan?" That question made me think hard....it's true many organisers like us who have already been involved in community organising for some time do not usually know how to answer this question!

Yes, we have strong "commitment and passion", we ourselves had decided to be an organiser and nobody had forced us! BUT we still find ourselves keep having to worry about the "day to day" living, especially those of us who have families... "What about money for the house rental? Paying telephone bills & putting food on the table? Children's school fees, books, and many other needs to keep us alive?"

Please share your thoughts, stories, experiences, and feelings! Come on and blog freely on this subject!

"Mr Project" from Laos

Dear Friends,
I am (you gave me the name) "Mr. Project", he he, until now it's true that Jo Hann reminded us during the course that I (from CIDSE) look like or act like a shopper to travel to rural communities and select definite criteria to set up the activities and yet we still can't get the communities based on those criteria!!! It's quite a different situation in Laos if compare to your country contexts. We can't work independently. Every time NGO's work at any levels, we should cooperate with the government, and every time when we say something, we should b careful...!!

It's true that we try to analyse the root cause of the issues as the central and NGO network and for example to provide information on land issues (concession). We recognised that the root cause is not only the transnational corporations investing to plan industrial trees in large scale but also the weak (corruption) government officials or the policy makers. We try to persuade local villagers to recognise their basic rights on communal or private properties particularly the land tenure right.

I still travel to rural communities to discuss and interview the village chiefs or local authorities in different districts and provinces to start the projects (Rural Community Land Project and Law Dissemination Project) as I had presented during the CO course in Bali. We hope to get Memorandum of Understanding MOU with them in April!

Story of Agung from Bali

Sorry I did not active on email when I was in Poland to joined COP 14 UNFCCC. My finger was freezing on -2 C so I couldn't put it on my computer in last whole month. Now, my body is trying to adapt with 32 C in Bali....(I think a good time to swim in Sanur Beach,,.does anyone want to join me?)

Two days ago myself and Bali Collaboration on Climate Change team went to Lembongan Island. We have a research program on climate change impacts in small island. We started to organize young peoples become local researchers. We need to explain about our program and climate change issue..We were confusing to find an effective method when we heard some elders and teachers said that young peoples in Lembongan island are lazy with lack of motivation to learn something...

So, we used monologue (role play), pictures, games and other creative media to explained climate change issue (which is very technical and high level) into grass root level, and the result was a dynamic meeting!

It was very great experiences to using popular communications on CO process that I have learned from SEAPCP...

Thank you,
Agung Wardana

welcome community organisers!

Hey everybody! Wow, we have already 8 organisers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan signing is an members of our SEAPCP COMMUNITY ORGANISING blog!! Great! Old and new friends...let us get to know each other through the blog...especially what we have been doing in our respective areas of organising work! This is fantastic...!

Now to the rest of our friends especially the graduates of the SEAPCP CO Course 2007 and 2008, sign up and be part of this dynamic blog to share your stories and experiences in community organising!!!

Blog Editor: Jo Hann Tan, Malaysia

Take a read everybody, this story from Hem Nareth of Cambodia YRDP! She really sounds excited to share her story with all of us! BUT Nareth please blog in so I don't have to process your letter to all! Write directly into the blog! Friends please comment on Nareth's story!
Blog Editor: Jo Hann

Dear everybody, Do you know? I shared the CO to my colleagues at YRDP on 29-31 of Dec 08. Do you know what is the result? It was quite great result, Because:

1. Some of them who are not ever think about the sustainability by our own, but now they start thinking and support how to sustain our project / program by our own.

2. Before they thought that they choose the right entry point for our project or program, but now they have found out that we better try to find out the entry point again.

3. The important point is that , now in the meeting not only me who talking about CO concept and new strategies, but now they understand and support me to fingh for a better solutions always! I'm so happy.

To those happy , I would love to thank Uncle Sivutha, and Sothun who help me a lot in plaining, designing to share all of this CO concept that we learnt from Indonesia.

* In another sharing with other 10 different NGOs who working in empowerment women in Cambodia, I did sharing to them on 2nd of Jan 09. Do you know what? they said that this CO is quite really interesting and also very good in helping them in their work.They said that, before they work only them being the outside COer, they work very hard and not empower the inside people to be inside COer , that this point made them rethinking about their strategies to make sustainable by empower local people to be COer. IT's quite effective and sustainble.

Another, thing that they said, before they thought that thier project why not so actively involve from the people because of they don't have gift for people. but now they start understand that because not so involve not about that, it about our wrong strategies which didn't involve people to understand and analys issues / problems by them selves. So now they start to thinking about how to engage people to understand and analyze the problems by themself.

Do u know what! ? they invited me to facilitate this CO concept again, they want to learn in detail. I never ever see their passion to learn like this, I work as network with them 1year and a half already, just only this time, i can see they really interested in this CO concept.

Oh, my god , how powerful of CO! ok, now is enought for sharing the sucess!, but now pls take a look my challengess when I did sharing:

Challenges:

1. As Johan said, how u choose the right game to let them act and reflection. Especially Island game, when ur participants are not so active and creative, pls becareful! it will not work!

2. Becareful how u can make them can analyse problems by themself?

3. Participants confussing what are the steps of CO?? or what kind of perspective of COer should focus? And also what is cycle of analysis!

4. Entry points is should focus on economic or ...?

Alone, the task is heavy...




But when people get organised, miracles happen!

POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

Welcome to all community organisers! This blog is hosted by the Southeast Asia Popular Communications Programme (SEAPCP). We are a network of community organising movements and organisations in the SEA region with key contacts in different parts of Asia, Pacific and the rest of the world!

A lot has been happening in the world of community organising and this blog is meant to provide a platform and space for organisers to share their stories and experiences (not forgetting photos, graphics and even resource materials!)

Take a look at these shots and get excited to actively use this blog with your peers in community organising. More power to you and to all community organisers all over the globe! Community Organisers of the world, UNITE!