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GLOBAL − How We See the Constellation and How Others See the Constellation: Three Examples
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Taman Belajar (learning garden), in Ambon, Maluku province, Indonesia. Photo credit: Christine Lacroix.
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Belgian citizens who make donations to the Constellation receive tax relief on those donations. To receive this privilege, the Constellation needs to demonstrate that we run our affairs efficiently and effectively. At the end of last year, we qualified for this privilege for the period from 2015 to 2020. Recently we received a copy of a letter from the Belgian Ministry of Development to the Ministry of Finance that recommended that we receive this privilege. The letter stated that ‘the Constellation’s comprehensive, competence based approach complements well the Belgian Ministry of Development’s actions in response to AIDS and other diseases’.
During the week, Marlou was describing her involvement with Maluku Competence, a project that is very close to her heart. During it, she described the ‘Learning Garden’. This beautiful idea is a space where people can learn to grow things and, in fact, it has become a place where people can try new things. And it seems to me that the Constellation is a lot like a Learning Garden. It is a place where things that we have learned how to grow can bloom and prosper. It is a place where we can try new things. It is a place where new ideas can grow and flourish.
And earlier in the week, Luc was describing how one of the groups that we work with was having some problems. How should we respond to these problems? And in the conversation that followed, I understood why the Constellation has partnerships, rather than contracts. In the Constellation, our commitment goes beyond any agreement. We may not have a lot of resources, but we will work with our partners to help them through their difficulties.
All three events helped me to see the Constellation in a richer, rounder way. Thank you to all.
Phil Forth
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MAURITIUS − Only 8 Days before the Learning Festival in Mauritius…
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The preparations in Mauritius for the Learning Festival are taking serious forms. Autry Haynes, our man on the ground, is doing great in mobilizing forces and resources around him to make all the arrangements that will allow for global learning on local action. As the picture shows: Mauritius communities are planning us in!
The energy coming from Mauritius is radiating. Today we have a list of 27 international participants to the Learning Festival. All SALT practitioners from different corners of the world, ranging from Botswana, to India and Spain. The range of opportunities that come from there are just wowowow! …. If you needed this last little spark to make your final decision to come and join as well: contact Autry or myself!
Marlou de Rouw
This approach has changed many things in my personal and professional life. It promotes an authentic connection by integrating sensory, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual dimensions.
It really made a difference in my life. My Mother-in-law and I were not on speaking terms…….now we are close friends…..SALT conversation offered us opportunity to talk to each other while in small groups, and that changed everything.
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GLOBAL − WhatsApp Group for Those Interested in SALT and Community Life Competence
If you are interested, please send your phone number to either E Mohammed Rafique emrafi@gmail.com or Rituu B Nanda rituu@communitylifecompetence.org.
A good way to follow what is happening at the Learning Festival!
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BURUNDI − Maintaining Social Cohesion among Young People during the Post-election Insecurity
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“Some young people who initially viewed their peers as enemies have joined us and we discovered together a common humanity in small gestures of solidarity: visits of neighbourhood deemed inaccessible by some, blood donation, follow up of joint training, sharing of hot meals, etc.”
The local response to peace facilitated by the organization Roots of Hope places emphasis on SALT visits, dialogue and experience sharing.
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INDIA − ‘Putting Life into Lives' of Senior Residents of Champion Care Homes Using the Community Life Competence Process (CLCP)
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Three generations: from eight to eighty. Photo credit: Champion Care Homes.
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Almost a year ago, my supervisor [in UNAIDS India], Dr. Rafique suddenly informed me that he is moving back to his home state Kerala, to look after his mother. For Rafique felt that if he moved back she would not have to be admitted in hospitals. Subsequently, Rafique and his friends decided to set up a care home for the elderly.
Rafique also believes that we can learn many things from older people and vice versa. Rafique's children have contributed to the elderly care home. So, this care home is coming up not as a commercial initiative but as an endeavour of love and care, a fine example of inter-generational activity, and what different generations can do for each other.
Rafique and his team use Community Life Competence Process (CLCP) to ‘Put Life into Lives' of the Sr. Residents in Champion Care Homes.
“All the Residents identified their strengths, resources, and their dreams of “where I want to be”. However, three residents have done a self-assessment, to know “where I am”. Following this assessment process, residents will build on their sharing and learning relationships created during informal interactions in public areas of the home, room visits, and staff-resident meetings. Also, Residents connect with people who share what they have tried in their own context, thus gathering more experiences in response to aging and its attendant consequences.”
“Lessons Learned
*Social networking bridge across geographical, political, language and digital divides.
*Dignity is vital for Residents.
*Sustained Facilitation is required for maintaining Resident’s response.”
From the Abstract for the National Seminar
“Healthy Aging – A Life Span Perspective”,10th March, 2016,
by Nittin Johnson and Feroza M.I.
Meet Rafique and Rituu at the Learning Festival in Mauritius!
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FRANCE − The Amitoyens, "Gardeners of Smiles - Creators of Future"
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"Gardeners smiles - Future Creators", illustration of the song of Lorenzo on the dream of the Amitoyens. Blog of Marlou de Rouw.
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− "What prerequisites are required to be part of the co-housing project?”
− "We need to trust each other, take people as they are, there is no prerequisite, but members must adhere to the modus vivendi."
− "You really cannot choose people. Compared to what? How? The project actually focuses on ensuring that a group is formed, despite the differences and especially thanks to the differences. We feel that very strongly."
Excerpt from the project presentation
at the public meeting of the Colibris du Pays de Gex,
the 3rd February, 2016, blog of the Amitoyens.
The Amitoyens’ dream is to live in co-housing with a diverse group of families and individuals. Careful: this is much more than bricks and a roof. Being Amitoyen is an art of living where actions of daily life are consciously in respect of people and nature around you. This is about growing your vegetables, cooking together. This is about singing and about sharing. Materials and emotions. Living together, really.
"The Amitoyens have been working with local communities for 7 years. Today, they want to expand and to welcome new families in their co-housing project." The 12th March, 2016, the Amitoyens organized “something more than just an information meeting: a creative workshop where everyone could bring their ideas to enrich the Amitoyens project." "Come with your dreams!" could you read on the invitation. The evening facilitated by four Amitoyens, Marlou and Loli, allowed 14 new members to join the group. Another session will take place the 2nd April, 2016.
“The group has entirely adopted SALT and CLCP to create a real ownership of the dream of cooperative housing and strengthen the capacity of the group to face the numerous challenges which are still ahead.”
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Request for Help and Contributions:
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Do you have experience on stimulating young for entrepreneurship and employability skills? Request by Eric Uwintwaza.
Have you used the SALT approach to facilitate Participatory action research? Request by Rituu B Nanda on behalf of Ian Campbell.
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What else is Happening in The Constellation?
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INDIA − Keeping Communities Aspirations Central in Interventions Programming
Care India organised an event on poor women in urban India " Women's Day - Women and the city - Making the invisible visible- Interventions with urban poor : Opportunities for high impact CSR. Rituu B Nanda shared her experience of facilitating community life competence process with domestic workers around HIV and decent work in cities of Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai . The consultation included representatives from non-governmental organisations, Corporate sector employees and researchers. There was a rich discussion around collaboration for high impact strategic CSR interventions with NGOs. Nabesh Bohidar from Care India and also a SALT facilitator shared powerful stories about how Care India's work has centred on priorities of the community. A memorable quote from the meeting by Moushumi from Care India "CSR is beyond philanthropy...it is about working with communities keeping their aspirations central in programming."
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BELGIUM − "Let’s Dream the World: the Jobs of Tomorrow!" with BelCompetence and the Interactive Teaching Centre (ITC)
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Dream for Education and Culture
The spiral illustrates the path. Everyone needs to find purpose in life. There are multiple ways to do that: writing, dancing, crafts, service... These means allow us to choose a life that allows us to express our potential. Everyone is encouraged to open up to the world, to meet others, to share his or her culture and learn from that of others. Then return to share his or her experiences. Society is open to other cultures.
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In collaboration with BelCompetence, the ITC organized a workshop "Let's dream world: the jobs of tomorrow!" the 27th February, 2016. What will tomorrow's world be made of? What will be our place, our job?
Last year, the ICT participated in a SALT workshop organised by BelCompetence and it now wishes to offer SALT to future educators. The forum is part of the common desire of both organizations to deliver the approach in schools, and it will allow the ICT to have experience of facilitating the approach.
The process was addressed to the dream stage to boost team spirit and collective intelligence, and help open a space to dreams and creativity. Nathalie Sisto, Anne Brouha, Philippe Swennen, Marie Christine and Monique Swennen Prignon facilitated the event.
The participants were amazed of what they accomplished in no time. "Today, we shared values that make me believe in tomorrow," said a young mother in revolt against today’s world. Another participant added: "I was looking for motivation, I received it. Sometimes we feel alone and it feels good to meet people who share the same desire of change."
Report of the ITC Interactive Forum,
the 27th February, 2016, in Louvain-La-Neuve,
available from Anne Brouha
NEDERLANDS − A Dutch Facilitation Manual
Dutch facilitator Mariska van der Hoek would like to make a first Dutch version of a Facilitation Manual. In India, a group will also be working on a manual in the coming period in the context of the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie).
NICARAGUA − First Blended Learning Module with the Team of Facilitators Based in Nicaragua
The 3rd March , 2016, Maria-Jose Vazquez and I had the pleasure of facilitating the first Blended Learning Module in Spanish with a team based in Nicaragua.
It was a wonderful experience, very rewarding, which allowed us to know a little more of our Nicaraguan friends.
Every story that was shared has a community work background.
Thank you to Jose Miguel, Johanna, Ana Patricia and Karla for their sincerity, enthusiasm and desire to learn.
Following soon with stories on Ning.
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A peak in the calendar of Jean-Louis Lamboray…
Monday, 7 March 2016
How to spice up the collaboration between citizen and the politicians?
I met our city’s mayor. I sat down and told her straight away: “I don’t come to you with any requests; I just would like a free conversation.” She loved it and we came to discuss quite an array of ways in which we can spice up the collaboration between citizen and the politicians… Stay tuned!
Tuesday, 8 March 2016
“The issue is not whether care is people centred, but rather who is in control”
Last Tuesday, I participated in a technical meeting initiated by Be-cause Health, the Belgian Platform of organisations working in poor countries. The theme was People Centred Care. I made the point that firing squads are people centred too! The issue is not whether care is people centred, but rather who is in control. I wrote a two-pager about People Led Care to illustrate my point. First reaction was positive. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, 9 March 2016
The Lyons Club of Wiltz explores the idea of funding local responses and starting a facilitation team in Luxembourg
Last Wednesday I gave a presentation to the Lyons Club of Wiltz, Luxemburg. My cousin is a member: we have a common ancestor in… the 16th century. The future president of the Lions Club Luxemburg district (900 members) was in attendance. I started the presentation at 10 PM and some of us were still discussing at 1 AM! A good indicator: fifteen books sold to 18 potential buyers. We should hear soon from the Lyons Club on two directions: funding for local responses (we had prepared 4 one-pagers, thanks Luc!) and collaboration on a LuxCompetence team starting with the youth!
Saturday, 12 March 2016
Mothers transform their family drama to offer to the Belgian society their experience facing violent extremism
SALT was once again showing its power last Saturday. Members of BelCompetence visited Save Belgium. S.A.V.E. stands for the Society Against Violent Extremism. Saliha ben Ali leads the association. Her son died in Syria. Other mothers’ children were also seduced by Daesh. We did not enquire about the details of what happened to each family. Rather, after our introductions as humans, we set up groups of three to share stories of human strength. Later: “We are now touching reality”, said Louis Marie. “We did not know each other just minutes ago; now we can feel that love is uniting us” said a mother. We proceeded with drawing our personal dreams for Belgium in thirty years. The meeting inspired us all. We’ll meet again to continue our journey together!
Monday, 14 March 2016
Community life competence process in Vilvoorde
Monday was another high point! Together with Celine who applies CLCP in our village Grez-Doiceau, we responded to the invitation of the mayoral team of Vilvoorde. The team wanted to know more about our proposal to accompany every division of the city in its use of CLCP to stimulate local response. This is a three-year proposal which would culminate in a city wide learning festival and in the development of a refreshed image of the city. The mayoral team was excited! Celine’s testimony was powerful, as she stated that CLCP emboldened her to reach out to neighbours for a wide set of citizen activities. We will proceed as soon as administrative matters are settled.
Wednesday, 16 March 2016
Proposal for a more participatory practice within the Actiris agency
Wednesday was exciting too! Marlou, Joke and I responded to the invitation by Actiris, the Brussels employment agency to discuss our proposal for a more participatory practice within the Directorate for Employment Seekers. A good conversation in our view. Constellation is one of four organisations that responded to their call for proposals. Actiris will soon let us know of their selection decision. Stay tuned!
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More information here: http://aidscompetence.ning.com/profiles/blogs/global-learning-festival-2016-in-mauritius-other-details-here
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SALT Facilitation Workshop in Amsterdam
From the 15th to the 17th April 2016, Joke D'haese and Birgitta Schomaker will facilitate an ‘Impact through Appreciation - Facilitators Workshop’ at the Instituut voor Interventiekunde, Amsterdam:
How do you get people excited to work together?
How do you support them to realize their own plans?
How do you ensure that they convert their power into action?
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This Newsletter is produced with input from members, facilitators and coaches of The Constellation.
The blogs referred to in the Newsletter are posted on the Constellation’s online community at: http://aidscompetence.ning.com
Previous Newsletters are posted on the Constellation’s site:
http://www.communitylifecompetence.org
Some articles of this newsletter have been translated with the help of Google Translation and Linguee.
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