The community organising process

RECIPE FOR CHANGE

What does it take to make changes in the community you have been living in for the past many many years. Well to answer this question, we have to ask why the change? This will then lead us to discuss about the present reality.

All these sound heavy and complicated but yet it is not! Imagine your present community with all its imperfections and also the positive aspects. Then think about the ideal or dream image of your community.

If the the image is quite different from the present reality then its time to start thinking of how we can make the dream become a reality. Now you are planning an organising process.


It's actually like cooking...

Cooking a Dish	Organizing a community
You select a recipe	Identifying an issue
Imagine the end product	Projecting your dream
Start to make a plan based on your intended output	Analysis and strategizing for action
Then you start to identify the ingredients, and start to shop for them	Identifying strengths and weaknesses in the organising process
Finally you put all ingredients together and start to cook!	Taking action
Sometimes the final dish needs to be adjusted by adding salt, pepper or sugar or even to revise the recipe.	Reflection, evaluation and then plan action again

Recently my organisation PERMAS who has been working with urban poor communities in Malaysia for the past 20 years has been involved in a community called Kampung Railway (former railway workers housing and staff quarters). They are being evicted now to make way for commercial complex and hotel which are being constructed to give the are anew facelift!

The people have banded together (especially the younger members) and trying to negotiate for appropriate compensations especially alternative permanent housing. In the course of this struggle, they have faced many difficulties as expected, for instance a divided local community, political party interventions, an uncooperative city hall, and a desperate & powerful housing developing company with many strong connections trying to shake the community.


The key for the people to stand in this struggle is exactly that... "TO STAND TOGETHER"! They need to learn how to work together and go through a crash course on how to negotiate with the city hall, the railway department and the housing developer, all in the span of a few weeks or months.

The only thing that will hold them back is themselves. An organising process that fails is usually attributed to the disunity and unwillingness of a community to fight for their rights and seeing the process to the end.


But once the people have tasted the fruits of being organised and empowered, nothing can stop them, its like they have been given a new set of eyes, they will see and feel things differently. After all to build a new community, we have to be brave to dream and make sure it becomes our reality.



by TAN JO HANN, President, PERMAS Malaysia

SEAPCP RELIEF EFFORTS JAPAN

YELLOW UMBRELLAS TO THE RESCUE!

SEAPCP SUPPORTS JAPAN EARTHQUAKE-TSUNAMI RELIEF EFFORTS



In may 2011, almost 2 months after the tragic earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis hit Sendai and Fukushima City of Japan, SEAPCP contributed its support to the relief and rehabilitation efforts. Although in a small way but it was a meaningful contribution. SEAPCP network member in Japan, "SEAPCP HOKKAIDO" worked closely with SEAPCP Asia to buy 90 yellow umbrellas which was sent to Tsukitate elementary school (image below) in the disaster affected area of Kesennuma City in Miyagi Prefecture, Northeast Japan. The City located about 300 miles northeast of Tokyo was one of the worst hit areas in the recent Japanese disaster. (see map below).




Our Hokkaido partners were wondering what small ways they could help the relief efforts and were informed by the local contacts there that the school children needed umbrellas for going to school and returning home whenever it rained. SEAPCP Hokkaido (based in Yullfuru Magazine office, Tomakomai City, Hokkaido) immediately bought the umbrellas, packed them in Hokkaido and sent them to the school children on may 24th 2011. In April and May, SEAPCP Hokkaido working together with the Asian Regional SEAPCP collected messages from almost 20 of its partner organisations in 12 countries. These were published in a local newspaper in Hokkaido and also yull furu's latest edition (Volume 28, 2011, see scanned pages below in Japanese language).



page 1-2cover

page3-4

page 5-6

Another interesting effort by SEAPCP Hokkaido and Asia was the production of a set of 20 over drawings with messages of hope by 7-12 year old children from the communities struck by the 2006 earthquake in Jogjakarta Indonesia. (see samples below). These were sent to different parts of the affected areas in Japan and they are being prepared for display and also for publishing in local newspapers and other print media. We are hoping for the local authorities to mount these into a mini exhibition in schools and even the evacuation centers to inspire the affected people.







We hope that this small effort of SEAPCP HOKKAIDO and SEAPCP Asian Network will inspire others to also do likewise, because we believe small steps like these go a long way. GAMBATE JAPAN! (MORE POWER JAPAN!).

Story by Jo Hann Tan, SEAPCP REGIONAL DIRECTOR

THE SPIRIT OF C.O. IS SWEEPING OVER ASIA

SEAPCP community organising network conducted its 2011 strategic planning and review meeting in Bali Indonesia from may 11-15, 2011. The participants represented 9 countries and 14 organisational partners.

The event was intesive and of course fun as the participants update each other and also exchanges stories, success stories and also challenges in the world of community organising. Most important of all the network decided some simple but effective approaches to continue to strengthen the network!


Photos: Nani speaks, Fitri explains, group work, Jo Hann presents SEAPCP gifts to local Bali Government officials, "fight to the end" participants in group dynamics.

Some of the immediate steps were to set up a special facebook group exclusively for members of the network! This has been done by Mr Son of AIDS Programme of Vietnasm and is already up and running with 23 members and constantly increasing. A system of file sharing on line will also be set up by KOMAS Malaysia represented by Prakkash.

A mapping of possible regional sharing of resources was also mapped out to track the movements of the members across the Asian region for the purposes of maximising these trips to benifit the local partner in each country. For instance, when Jo Hann gost to Vietnam in July, he will also hold sessions with the AIDS Programme, this way there will be minimal expenses used for the activity which is attributed as a SEAPCP effort working with local Vietnam partner.

Another interesting development was also the agreement to delegate Timorese Partner HABURAS and Bali partner Wisnu Bali Foundation to develop a proposal for "climate change and environmental impact on communities". This proposal will involve partners on a regional level and the activities will be closely coordinated by these 2 partners of course with SEAPCP guidance and support.




Photos: drawing the context of community organising, welcome dinner, Jo Hann draws a point, Zola shows a face, deep in discussion, making a point, singing in celebration, music of the heart

It looks like the partners of SEAPCP has once again taken the reigns and moving hard and fast towards to promotion and enhancement of community organising approaches in the region. Watch out Asia, the fire of community organising is sweeping across Asia to organise and empower the poor and the marginalised to rise up and change their situations!