SEAPCP Community Organising Network (CON) Reflection & Strategy Planning 2011
SEAPCP has been advocating, and practising community organising for the past 20 years since its inception in 1991. This grassroots network consists of 20 or so solid community organising movements in the Asian region working closely with grassroots communities such as the indigenous peoples, fisherfolks, farmers, urban poor, women, children and others.
This May 2011, for the first time in the history of SEAPCP, we will bring together 22 senior partners and the more recent partners of the SEAPCP Community Organising Network (CON) to reflect on our organising work in the light of the current global trends. The participants representing 15 local grassroots movements from 10 countries will identify strategic approaches for local context as well as on a regional level. The network will try to address urgent issues faced by our respective countries and in the Asian region.
We will also take into account the regional and global political economic, social & cultural trends to see how the SEAPCP CON should align itself with the changing trends in the practice and promotion of community organizing.
The 5-day event will also serve to monitor and evaluate the tools and mechanisms used by SEAPCP and its network to attain human rights, democracy and justice in our respective countries and the Asian region.
Note: The event is not open for observers
Friday, April 30, 2010
VIDEO FOR COMMUNITY!
community video activists from all over Asia!
Field work screening and discussion of video with community
Preparing the shots for screening
shooting community member in the field
Role playing to help participants learn interview techniques
Participants come from 8 Asian countries
Actual community discussions in the field
Jo Hann emphasising that video is a tool for community organising
Interviewing organic farmer during field work
Anna Har sharing about developing a video story
Participants engaged in group dynamics in training sessions
Arul Prakkash sharing about the elements of community video
Participant share his views about developing a story
Yoga leading the field work team in urban poor area
Intense discussions continues during the 7 days workshop
Field work interview in the urban poor community
collecting data from community member during field work
It was obvious that in “COMMUNITY VIDEO”, the emphasis is on the word “community” and then the word “video” 20 participants from 8 Asian countries gathered in Kuala Lumpur for 7 days to exchange experiences and learn new skills and perspective on Community Video from 18th to 25th. April 2010.
The event was organized by the South East Asia Popular Communications Programme (SEAPCP) an Asian regional network of community organizers and it was the first of its kind to be organized by the organization.
Local host KOMAS is a Human Rights NGO in Malaysia with 17 years experiences in advocating for human rights issues together with grassroots communities. They use creative media approaches such as video, photographs, group dynamics, and other means to design and mount human rights campaign with different groups in Malaysia.
Participants from Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Burma, Timor Leste, Pakistan, India, Mongolia intensively picked up skills and approaches in using the powerful medium of video film to facilitate and support community issues.
The event also included a 1-day field work experience in 4 communities namely the urban poor longhouse community in North Jinjang, Poor communities in Banting, Refugees in Kajang area, and an organic farm in Batu Arang.
The idea of the field work was to have a first hand experience in using video to document an issue and immediately to screen it to the community for discussions and feedback. This powerful approach did not require much time for editing and other technical demands as in the usual production of a film.
Community video employs simple approaches where the medium is used as a tool to capture images, interviews and live action, which can in turn be shown back to the community to provoke discussions, analysis, planning and ultimately to spur them to actions in addressing their issues.
Facilitators for the workshop were experienced and skilled community organizing and video experts. Anna Har, an experienced community videographer and professional Director has been very involved in supporting and training communities to use video for their issues. Arul Prakkash is presently the Coordinator of the KOMAS Community Video Project.
Jo Hann Tan, SEAPCP Community organizing Coordinator and Executive Director of KOMAS was also there to conduct several sessions especially in discussing the perspective frame and concept & practice of community video. Yoga Atmaja from Kawan Nusa Bali Indonesia was invited to share his ground experiences in using community video to organize grassroots farm communities in Bali.
At the end of the workshop, most participants felt these skill and approaches are very crucial and relevant to their work. Since this workshop could not include many others from each country, it was suggested to conduct echo workshops or replication sessions in different respective areas of the participants.
Meanwhile all participants were asked to continue their work and to share their experiences and short community videos through the internet streaming utility so that all can view their stories and videos. This is expected to happen within the next 2 months until end of June.
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!
for the first time in the history of SEAPCP, we will bring together 22 senior partners and the more recent partners of the SEAPCP Community Organising Network (CON) to reflect on our organising work in the light of the current global trends. The participants representing 15 local grassroots movements from 10 countries will identify strategic approaches for local context as well as on a regional level. The network will try to address urgent issues faced by our respective countries and in the Asian region.
y event will also serve to monitor and evaluate the tools and mechanisms used by SEAPCP and its network to attain human rights, democracy and justice in our respective countries and the Asian region.
