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 18^th to 25^th. 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.

By Jo Hann Tan

SEAPCP ADVANCE CO COURSE

The SEAPCP ADVANCE CO COURSE 2009 is already set in motion! This year its going to be organised in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, and Pusat KOMAS will be the local host!

So far, 90% of all the 21 participants have excitedly agreed to be part of this event. The selected participants were selected from a total of 42 participants who attended in SEAPCP CO course of 2007 and 2008.
To all those who have responded to SEAPCP, we wish you congratulations for having made it to this next level of CO course. This course will be designed a little differently from the past. Just to give you a peek into the programme.... participants will have to form small teams to conduct sessions with different groups of people in Malaysia, especially grassroots members from the indigenous people's communities, urban poor and plantation workers!

So you will have to master your facilitation skills and use of creative media because most of you might encounter language problems as well!

BUT of course we will guide you through this challenge which will be organised on the 3rd day of the course! That will leave us with the rest of the 7 days to review, evaluate, and explore different points of community organising that needs to be improved.

Well just a short note to keep you all excited! keep on blogging you guys,...its not that difficult! just register your email to google and become a blogger!

take care
Jo Hann