OIYP Voice
October 2005
This month's focus will be on Sustainability of Action Partners and their work. Action for change is at the core of the OIYP network. Sustainability, of projects, people and communities is a challenge for everyone in the network. A major challenge is maintaining the sustainability of activists in action – so that they continue to contribute to change overtime.
For you, what are the challenges in achieving sustainability as an activist, in a particular organization or project or as a community? How do we overcome these obstacles to achieve sustainability? These are some of the questions we will be looking at in this month’s Voice. We have updates from some of the OIYP 2000 Action Partners about the sustainability of themselves as activists and of their work. Our story of the month comes from Jose, OIYP2004 action partner from Venezuala about his HIV/AIDS project and making it sustainable by giving those involved control over the next stages. The Grants Program officer, OIYP Staff person, Robyn Higgins writes this month’s feature on changes to OIYP’s approach to funding. We have also included online resources which provide information on the best ways of funding a project. But the focus isn’t on money. As you read through Voice, you can think about your own sustainability as well as the sustainability of your work and your community.
Next month, OIYP Voice will focus on partnership and ways of working. How do you work? Through community decision-making channels, in an organization or in a loose group? Who do you work in partnership with? How did you make those partnerships? Email iypvoice@oxfam.org.auif you have updates, stories or thoughts on partnerships!
Please email any updates, ideas, stories, resources or opportunities to iypvoice@oxfam.org.au. This is your newsletter – make your voice heard!
See November’s Voice to read more about the great work of OIYP Action Partners in this area!
We hope you enjoy this issue.
The OIYP Voice Team
Editor: Catherine Loy
Action Partner News
Our Action Partner updates this month catch up with three action partners from 2000 – who have stories on how their lives as activists and their projects are going. If you have an update please send it to iypvoice@oxfam.org.au. .
Elnara Babayeva
OIYP 2000 Action Partner, Azerbaijan
Elnara received a grant for her work from OIYP.
My project is entitled “Be Ready!” and my Action Plan involves the empowerment of young IDPs (internally displaced people) by teaching them practical skills and organisational/project management. In the first stage of this project we held workshops on organisational management, workshops on project cycle manangement, basic computer training and a basic interactive language club.
The direct follow-up of the training sessions was the implementation of the Summer 2003 project, “Sunshine”. Through the contributions of French and local volunteers, we organised a one-month animation project at an orphanage for mentally and physically disabled children.
It was great to see that volunteers could use in practice all the skills they acquired on the “Be Ready!” project. The role of the “Be Ready” project’s participants was not limited by acquiring the certificates at the end (as it normally happens). We as organisers were surprised to see zeal and determination of those young people to keep on. Inspite of the unimaginable living conditions (lack of permanent housing, medication) those young people were empowered enough to believe in their future and power of education. The ancient principle: “Give and it will be given to you. Knock and it will be opened” really worked out. By helping in turn even more disadvantageous children from the orphanage they felt themselves and their contribution important.
We have now drafted a plan of action to be implemented by the year 2008:
to promote culture and tradition of Azerbaijan abroad (several exhibitions were already organized in Germany and Czech Republic)
- to build contacts with Azerbaijanian asylum-seekers abroad and lobby their interests (on a voluntary basis Azeri-language groups are organized for pre-school children in the Netherlands and Germany)
- “Book Project”: to conduct surveys in Western European Universities on the integration of Muslims in their societies. (Lighthouse are hoping to publish a book “In the Shadow of Religion”. At the time-being co-sponsors are desperately needed.)
Our project has already achieved much in the way of positive change. Our beneficiaries became more open-minded. For example, during the preparation phase we had doubts about whether the families of girl-participants would allow them to participate in such a “western-styled” non-formal education program. But a few days after the project started there were cases when the same families enquired about including more girls from their extended families. And now, years later, the same girls who learned to work with computers during the “Be Ready!” project are planning to create their own homepage.
You can contact Elnara at elnara@gmx.de.
Evans Musonda
OIYP 2000 Action Partner, Zambia
The title of my project is Child Rights Awareness. I have been working with the Youth Association of Zambia to create Child Rights Awareness in communities in order to create a better future for children. As part of this project we have held a number of events, including:
A Child Rights workshop. This was an activity that aimed at giving children a say and empowering them with skills and knowledge on the convention on the rights of the child. It also provided a platform for children to interact and share experiences and stories.
Community Child rights awareness drama shows. These shows were meant to raise community awareness on the rights of the child. It depicted Child Rights issues in the community which made people realize the importance of Child Rights and how these rights can be protected by the community.
Talk shows. This was a useful tool to bring together different stakeholders to discuss human rights issues affecting children and how the community can protect these rights. Among the stakeholders were the police, teachers, church leaders, school committees comprised of community leaders and parents and area counsellors. This kind of forum also promoted networking among different players in the community for collective action.
Football tournament. This activity was to further raise community awareness on the rights of children. It was an opportunity to also distribute to the spectators flyers bearing different massages on the rights of children.
As a result of these events, the project has achieved a number of successful outcomes. Fifty children have been trained in Child Rights issues such as the right to protection, education, clean water, shelter and medicine, assertiveness and conflict resolution. 150 people, both children and adults, were reached through the drama shows. 35 children registered to join the child rights club which up to now is working. According to our field visits more children are going to school and cases of children in child labour related activities have decreased. Children and parents now understand what Child Rights are and how to protects these rights.
The project components such as child rights awareness have continued in schools. The children are now able to design their own activities with the help of field officers from Youth Association of Zambia. The project has further incorporated exposing children to how the laws including child rights policy are made and enacted in Zambia by taking the children to the Zambia’s National Assembly. Children conduct debates in Parliament and have an opportunity to meet Members of Parliament in different Parliamentary sub-committees and ask questions.
Morse Flores
OIYP 2000 Action Partner, the Philippines
Morse Flores- IYP 2000 participant has participated to the 2005 UN Indigenous Fellowship Program - an initiative of the UN Office of the High Commssioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The Fellowship Program was held for 5 months with other 4 Indiegnous fellows representing the Africa, Latin America, the Pacific and Artic. The Fellows were based in Geneva, Switzerland.
As a Fellow, Morse has the best chance to work with the Indigenous and Minority Unit of the OHCHR and be a part of the Secretariat of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations, Orginizer of the UN Internationla Day of the World Indigenous Peoples Celebration and participated during the 4th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York.
Apart from working with the OHCHR, Morse has also worked with the ILO and UNESCO (Paris) for 2 weeks and UNITAR and WIPO for 1 week. After the Fellowship Program, Morse was offered a short contract with ILO as external collaborator.
At the end of the Fellowship Program, Morse and his co-fellows developed a Training Manual on the UN System and Human Rights for Indigenous Peoplesas a gift to their communities when they get back and to the next generation of Indigenous fellows and advocates.
Inspired by his expereinced as a Fellow at the OHCHR, Morse has decided to pursue a deeper understanding of the the UN system and Human Rights. Since the last week of September, he decided to pursue a Master's in International Law and Human Rights at the UN University for Peace in San Jose, Costa.
You can contact Morse at morsef@hotmail.com.
STORY OF THE MONTH
Jose Guillen
OIYP 2004 Action Partner, Venezuela
My action project "Talking among friends", is a proposal that began as an answer to the incorporation of the youths in the prevention of the HIV/AIDS. This program is aimed to form young community leaders and the creation of young brigades who, next to their communities and schools, undertake an educational process with their peers, through educational sessions, theatrical and cultural activities. This way this program adapts to its culture, its language, its realities, making them participate in the topics that involve the program in a pertinent way.
Now we have created 7 clubs. The clubs are located in the participant schools of the project. Today these clubs together with the community leaders make educative work in schools and communities. So far, the young community leaders and the young brigades have held 186 educative sessions with young people, where 1 930 women and 1 790 men have participated, this produces a total of 3720 young people and adults educated in Sexuality, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and Pregnancy in Adolescents. Similarly they have participated in other activities like: long walks, cultural takings at schools, shows in public squares and streets and other events, candlelight memorials, civic acts, exhibitions of billboards, etc.
An activity proposed for the second stage of the project, but initiated in the first stage because of the motivation of youths, was the creation of the Theatre Group. During 4 days the youths were trained with educative strategies based on theatre and HIV/AIDS, following the experience made by the “Project Clown” of Guatemala. One Sociedad Wills Wilde volunteer was trained in the “Project Clown” between February and May 2005, and she trained the mentioned theatre group. Today this group has made 5 presentations in public squares and theatres of Ejido and MÃrida Cities, and every time they are improving the show. An important point to mention is that this group was qualified thanks to the savings made in other activities of the project, but today is difficult the finding of resources to continue with the training of the group, but we are satisfied so far since it is an activity of the second stage of the project and that will give fruits as soon as the second stage initiates.
This program aims to access the information and education of the youths, where they are the main characters of its own educational process. We state the active participation of the youths in the making of decisions, where together with their communities they are the coordinators of an educational, formative and pertinent work. A team of young community leaders and representatives of the communities are members of the coordinating team of the program, making a participative process in the making of decisions that affect the lives of those involved. This program has achieved changes in the youths, such as now they are more critical and they assess the situations of risk that affect their lives, and it allows them to respect the rights and to cohabit with those who live with the HIV/AIDS in the communities, taking away fears, taboos and discrimination.
You can contact Jose to offer support, ask questions or collaborate at joguillen@cantv.net
October FEATURE
Our October Feature is about OIYP’s approaches to sustainability by OIYP staff member, Robyn Higgins
Each morning I sit in front of my computer and watch the daily emails streaming in and wonder where they have come from. When someone presses the send button half way across the world and steps out onto the street, what do they find? What world do they step back into?
I often think about what keeps OIYP, as a diverse community, together, what captures the minds and hearts of all of us as different as we are.
My conclusion is that it isn’t what we do(although that is incredibly important)but more about who we are. The individuals that make up OIYP are a special part of the global community, an amazing group ofyoungpeople around the world acting for positive change. As a long term activist told May and I recently, it is the individual behind the activity that is the real catalyst for positive change. To be a part of this community is a privilege and opportunity that I do not take likely.
What make this network of individuals important?
To me the OIYP network is a group of people that are actively seeking the tools they need to put their vision of a fair and sustainable world into practice. They are people who share ideals and are committed to living out their dreams despite the challenges life may present.
The reason that I was inspired by OIYP is that it strives to support the individual activist, who is in every sense the core of change, as a catalyst and change maker in communitiesaround the world. To me, OIYP makes an important commitment to this by partnering with youth activists internationally. It is a holistic approach that acknowledges that change is only as strong as the individuals behind it. It acknowledges that a projects’ effectiveness is in the people that conduct it, rather than the activities, timeline or budget.
Change works on a continuum and our commitment to you is to build individuals as change makers for life through the OIYP community.
So what does this have to do with sustainability?
Havingbeen a staff member of OIYPfor almost half a year now I am only just starting to grasp the complexityof the network - this intricate web of activists and action! It is not simply a series of action plans in different stages of development but an amazing community of change makers active on many levels, juggling many action plans. Thinking about sustainability for such a group is not just about the maintenance of one particular project, however important. It is a broader awareness of the sustainability of individuals.
My approach to supporting the network is the sustainability of activists in action. One useful approach is that of Ashoka, an organisation committed to the idea of supporting social entrepreneurs, “Social entrepreneurs go beyond the immediate problem to fundamentally change communities, societies, the world” (http://www.ashoka.org/fellows/social_entrepreneur.cfm). They see the power of individual change makers being their creative big new ideas, their commitment to change, their skills and knowledge to effectively implement their ideas and an ethical basis for their work. They see that the life of a change maker will also change overtime and their action with it. As such, they support the continuation of an activists work as it adjusts and develops overtime.
To OIYP this means the support of people who want to do something and have great creative ideas, who are committed to the ethical ideals and values, who have the skills and knowledge to turn ideas into action and who will see the work through, engaging with community change and social justice for life. OIYP commits to a cycle of action for three years with young activists to support them to become sustainable activists with a sustainable approach to action for change.
So what are the processes that OIYP try to use that support this idea of sustainability? And what are we trying to do with the grants program?
OIYP is trying to change the grants program to reflect this approach.
A focus on Ideas and Partnership
OIYP wants to partner with action partners – not to be simply a funding body. The Festival of Ideas that is currently being held on the skills forum is our way of assisting you to develop your ideas and to build your effectiveness with the support of others.
Funding what you identify as needed – not just projects
Funding from the grants program is open to proposals beyond a project or action plan focus. It is open to your creativity and to your identification of the financial needs that you have in your action for change. This means that if in your work you identify further training, the purchasing of some relevant equipment, or the organisation of a meeting or group gathering as the most effective thing to do for the changes needed in your community, please don’t hesitate to apply with a proposal that is not traditionally project focused.
Your support – formal organizations & other ways of working
You do not necessarily need to be linked to an organisation or have formal support to apply to the grants program.
OIYP recognises that Action Partners communities are as diverse as the individuals themselves and there are vastly different ways of working in different communities. We want to respect and honour that. Working with an organisation can be a useful tool. It can also be a constraint. You are the person best placed to know what can achieve effective, sustainablechange for your community. If partnering with an organisation is important to you OIYP is committed to supporting you in that, but if it is not, then there are many other ways that OIYP is committed to assisting you.
I recall an idea I heard several years ago: Effective action is guided by a compass and not a clock. That looking beyond our immediate activities to a longer term vision will help us establish the best approach to working. To me this means having a broader and longer term perspective of change. That is looking beyond the immediate problem, ideas and activity into the future and approaching change strategically. In this light we can consider our resources and using them most effectively, expanding the change beyond us as individuals and ensuring that the change is most appropriate to the community.
You Action Partners are the change makers, the individuals living the way you want the world to be and whilst all the NGO jargon, frameworks, log frames, action plans and professionals in the development business are useful tools, they are not the point, you and your communities are.
Thankyou for continuing to inspire and be inspired!
Robyn
You can email Robyn directly at robynh@oxfam.org.au or email the grants team (Robyn, volunteers and interns) at iypsgrants@oxfam.org.au.
Letters to Voice
Following on from last month when we heard about the Shiwa YAku – Jacinta Isaacs tells us more.
DEFENDING ANCESTRAL LANDS
By Jacinta Isaacs
The community of Shiwa Yaku in Ecuador`s Napo province in the canton of Tena is facing a battle not only for their land but also for their freedom and personal security. The 181 member Kichwa community is fighting to stay on its land and win a legal battle to reclaim its ancestral territory despite pressure from influential foreign interests. Indigenous local non- government organisation Coordinadora de Comunidades Kichwas de la Amazonia (CORCKA) is spearheading the campaign.
The battle over the 158 hectares of contested land emerged after the arrival of colonists in 1940 and thereafter the government`s agrarian reforms of the 1960s and 1970s, in which the state refused to recognise the citizenship and land rights of the nation`s indigenous people. Instead, the land was sold under various private land titles, without the consent or knowledge of the land´s traditional owners. Gold was discovered on the property in 1980 and The Porter Brothers, a wealthy American mining company, bought the title to the land. They have since onsold it to Ecuadorian businessman Gerardo Moscoso. Since the 1990s there have been repeated incursions into the traditional territory of Shiwa Yaku and on many occasions community members have been threatened, injured or murdered.
Such acts have left scars on the landscape and have been etched into the memories of the Shiwa Yaku people. They will not forget.
The land is not only central to Shiwa Yaku`s way of life, it has also been an intrinsic part of its historical, cultural and spiritual heritage for more than 110 years. Even the community`s name Shiwa (palm trees) Yaku (rivers) signifies the importance of the tierra (land) to this most unique of cultures.
The community takes all its food, medicinal plants and resources for building homes and tools from the surrounding landscape. Yuca and plantano (banana) in particular are two plants of prime importance to the community that were also cultivated and protected by the community`s forefathers.
Shiwa Yaku community member Julia Andy explains the land`s significance in a recent interview, ´´This land is important for us to live, to cultivate the ground and medicinal plants, to do our traditional activities in the same way that our ancestors did. This land is very important for us and we will fight until the end.``
In fact the community was recently forced to turn to the land once more, undertaking a minga (community activity) to uncover gold in its search to cover the legal defence of its land.
As Gabriel Cerda Grefa, the community`s president, explains; ´´We are defending the land for our children. They also struggle for the future. They will continue to struggle for their land like their parents, to have respect and to stop outsiders manipulating us and losing respect for the rights of the Kichwa people.``
Shiwa Yaku community member Carlos Ashanga Andi agrees; ``We need to reclaim this land for our children, for the futures of our sons and daughters and for our grandparents who have worked here for years looking after our mountains, looking after our medicines and looking after our environment.´´
For more information contact the Indigenous local Non Government Organisation CORCKA Coordinadora de Comunidades Kichwas de la Amazonia at: Telephone: 00593 (0) 62 887 865
E-mail: recoka@recoka.org; Web page: www.recoka.org
Endnote
“Give and it will be given to you. Knock and it will be opened”
Elnara Babayeva,
OIYP 2000 Action Partner, Azerbaijan
The contents of this newsletter do not reflect the views of its subscribers or Oxfam Australia.
