Community mobilisation Click to add name Pacific Sexual Diversity Network Leadership Development Suva, 1-5 June 2009

In this session… Revising basic practice and principles Identify community mobilisation Apply community mobilisation to specific activities Look at some of our own work and opportunities for community mobilisation that might be coming up

Community mobilisation A long term process, not a one-off event A way of working or method, not a specific activity Emphasises participation and involvement Seeks to bring people together in cooperation and coordination Is empowering and tries to involve many people, especially people marginalised from existing processes or structures Importantly, it involves action and social change, often to address inequality An (ethical) attitude, not just activities

Beginning of project End of project Community mobilisation strategy Project

Community mobilisation is not an activity in itself, but a way of working that can be applied to any activity Beginning of project End of project Project implemented using community mobilisation strategy

Benefits Supports communities to develop their own solutions and control their own affairs Builds trust within communities so they can work together effectively Provides opportunities for communities to develop capacity and build skills Supports communities to work with government and other sectors (health services, research etc.) Aims to create positive change, especially political and social change by addressing inequality, marginalisation and injustice through participation Reduces HIV/AIDS incidence

Some principles Welcome wide involvement even from people who disagree with you – aims to involve people with diverse perspectives Facilitation of discussion, providing opportunities for everyone to have their say Work together on issues everyone can agree on look for points of consensus Avoid top-down approaches where people in leadership positions make decisions for everyone else Process is as important as outcome even if it takes a long time (always)

Some extra pointers Participation should be for genuine reasons (such as wanting to contribute to change, wanting to support community action etc), not because there are false incentives such as money, free food, sex etc. Better to involve a few people with meaningful, rewarding participation than to involve lots of people with superficial, meaningless participation

For example Project A is a fundraising drive for a community organisation. The leaders of the organisation write some funding submissions, hold an auction and conduct some raffles. They organise a fundraising event with professional singers and dancers. The whole fundraising drive takes two months. Project B is also a fundraising drive for a community organisation. A working group of community members with little experience but a lot of interest in fundraising is formed and a training program in effective fundraising is provided. The fundraising drive takes six months to complete with no money at all raise in the first three because the group needs to learn a lot along the way. As well a number of other fundraising strategies such as writing funding submissions, holding an auction of donated prizes and conducting some raffles, the group puts on a fundraising talent quest for young performers.

Another example An organisation is holding a public forum. They want lots of people to attend so they tell everyone in the community they’ll pay them an ‘attendance fee’ to come. 120 show up. Another organisation is holding a public forum too. More experienced people from the organisation with established roles mentor less experienced people in getting the forum organised. The aim is to build the less experienced people’s understanding and skills so they can organise a forum themselves in future. 45 people attend the forum.

Smaller number of people with more rewarding participation Larger number of people with less rewarding participation More time, more effort Less time, less effort Meaningful community mobilisation requires time and effort (both for you and the community) – the more time and effort the more rewarding the participation

A point about power Community mobilisation attempts to distribute power more equally & fairly In decision making In implementing projects In representing community concerns … distributing power from being concentrated at the top to being shared among more people equally. POWER POWER  

How can community mobilisation be applied? Your organisation is producing a condom promotion poster. You are advocating for changes in police attitudes to MSM and TG. You are holding your organisation’s AGM. You are conducting outreach to MSM and TG communities. You are providing training to health care workers on MSM and TG issues. You are conducting research on MSM and TG people in your country.

In your organisations… Identify: an activity you have coming up OR an activity that is commonly undertaken by your organisation OR an activity likely to be undertaken as a result of the PSDN strategic plan Develop a community mobilisation strategy to apply to this activity

After this session… How will you pass on what you’ve learnt? Do you need specific assistance, resources or support from ACON and AFAO to do this?

Looking at what you’ve produced in this session… Do you want to take forward these ideas and put them into practice? If so, what support will you need from ACON and AFAO to do this?