ENGAGE! Women's Empowerment & Active Citizenship: July Newsletter

July 2022

ENGAGE!

Vol. 1 Issue 2

Women's Empowerment & Active Citizenship NEWSLETTER

In this Issue: Working for change: three Engage partners share examples of their work intersecting with conflict resolution or peace building.

Research initiatives serve as both shareable learning and content for the program.

Kitchen Table Talks Revived

Coady Institute partners with five organizations to implement the ENGAGE program in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, and Tanzania. A key component of the ENGAGE program is learning. The ENGAGE Newsletter features updates, key lessons, and changes which partners are seeing. The July 2022 issue features a collaborative write up on peace building by Centre Haitien du Leadership et de l’Excellence (CLE), Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB), and Coady. It also provides updates on each partner’s research initiatives. Updates are for: CLE, CCDB, Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP), and the Organization for Women in Self-Employment (WISE) in Ethiopia and the Self-employed Women’s Association (SEWA).

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When people with different ideas, experiences, intentions, and expectations come into the same room, activity, project, or community conflicts can happen. At the same time, working for change (i.e., social justice, political, economic and gender equality) and in response to change (i.e. climate change and migration), can create or expose conflicts. How do we address these conflicts?

Addressing injustices and inequalities, as well as supporting networks and collaboration supports peacebuilding. How do we build peace in communities through activities and projects?

Recognizing that conflict resolution and peacebuilding are intended and unintended outcomes of development work, three Engage partners, CLE, CCDB and TGNP, share examples of their work intersecting with conflict resolution or peacebuilding.

CLE Submitted by Lucia de Poi In 2014, the Haitian Center for Leadership and Excellence (CLE) conducted an AssetBased Community Development (ABCD) and Community Leadership training program for five days for 50 community leaders from local government, community, and business sector from a rural town in the northeast of Haiti called Mombin Crochu. They were recruited by CLE’s close partner Partenariat pour le Developpement Locale (PDL), who had a large regional network and history of supporting community and agricultural development organizations, and also incorporated the support of a Coady associate.

While PDL already had close relationships with many of the participants, this training program brought in individuals from the government and private sectors, that were new to the partners, and who had not participated in ABCD-style development processes before.

On the first day, it was visible that a wall separated the people of the city, especially young professionals (doctors, professors, executives of city institutions) from the farmers representing the community organizations. The townspeople

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did not mingle with others and used language indicating contempt for the lesser educated farmers. At breakfast as at lunch, segregation was visible and manifest. This attitude paralyzed the participative process, which required the input of EVERYONE. The small working groups reflected the same divisions. The so-called “intellectuals” did not hesitate to deride the interventions of the peasants.

At this time, the facilitators had to intervene.

We threw away our agenda, and focused on

a process of appreciative inquiry, conflict transformation, and storytelling. We encouraged the community to highlight the commonalities that they had, the things they shared, and their specific priorities.

We used ABCD tools to underline that the farmers have an important role in the life of the communities: They produce food to feed the professionals, they pay the schooling of their children, they pay the medical expenses and medicines to the health centres, they know the realities of the commune as much or even better than the professionals and that no development of the commune is possible without the active participation of the peasants. In addition, all professionals or executives in the city are descended from peasant parents.

We worked to build a shared history of Mombin Crochu, one that recognized the role and

subsequently the importance that all classes, education levels, sectors, genders, and ages play in their community. We created space for historical conflict to be heard.

By recalling the principles of the ABCD approach, as of the third day, the atmosphere was totally different: the wall disappeared, the intellectuals mingled with the farmers, ate at the same table, took part in reflection workshops alongside the farmers. Better still, and by far the most important, on the fourth day, work plans including the different social categories of Mombin were drawn.

Impact evaluation results indicated that 80% of the participants cited improved relationships among sectors in their communities, and 70% had launched new community development collaborations. At the end we were unified in crying out that we had “moved mountains in Mombin Crochu, thanks to ABCD.

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CCDB Submitted by Sk Masudul Hasan I am Sk Masudul Hasan, Project Coordinator, CCDB, Bangladesh. I have completed the course on “Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding for Community Development” in 2021 under the ENGAGE project. After completing the training, I have applied the knowledge to my personal life, family life, and social life.

My current residence is in Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh where I have been living with my family for the last three years. As you may know, in 2017, approximately one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar entered Teknaf and Ukhia upazilas of Cox's Bazar district bordering Myanmar. The Rohingya population is several times more than the local-host community population and this unexpected population growth has had a profound effect on the social, economic and political structure

within the local community of Bangladeshi Cox's Bazar. Although the initial reaction to the arrival was sympathy, it was later found that increasing competition for jobs and public services, environmental degradation, and fears of growing insecurity (both real and perceived) have critically weakened the patience in the

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local community. This is especially frustrating for local workers who rely on unskilled casual work. Unable to access job opportunities amid depressing wages and rising inflation, frustrated local communities are increasingly at odds with the Rohingya population. The youth, in particular, have expressed growing resentment towards the Rohingya and the humanitarian community, which, if left unchecked, the frustration could lead to future conflicts and marginalization.

After completing the training under the ENGAGE project, I formed a team of Peace Volunteers with young people between the ages of 14 and 35 in the community under my purview. In Teknaf Upazila, Ukhia Upazila, Ramu Upazila and Cox's Bazar Sadar upazilas under Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh, we formed four teams with a total of 120 members and each team has 30 members. Peace Volunteer members consist of 40% women and 60% men who are permanent residents and most of their homes are near Rohingya camps.

Skill Enhancement Training: 120 Peace Volunteers are divided into four groups and training on skill enhancement is organized for two days. In this training, the Peace Volunteers have gained expertise on Do No Harm (DNH) and Peace Building and later on they can contribute to the Social Change Maker and Promote Social Cohesion at community level.

Courtyard Meeting: Peace volunteers return to their communities after completing skills training, and each Peace Volunteer organizes courtyard meetings with 20 members from within their own community. In the meetings, they discussed peace building, social norms and behavior, child marriage, dowry, and covid-19 issues. This kind of courtyard meeting is going on at the community level.

Campaign: Peace Volunteers organize various campaigns in their community for their own benefit such as raising awareness about the dangers of drugs, the evils of child marriage, dowry system, social waste management, blood donation program, food distribution among the poor etc. Such campaigns are popular and ongoing in the local community.

International and National Day Celebrations: Peace Volunteers celebrate a variety of international and national days, such as International Women's Day, International Youth Day, National Youth Day, International Day of Peace etc., with rallies, discussion meetings and local government representatives participating with banners and festoons during the day celebration time. Such activities are common and ongoing in the local community.

Organizing different types of competitions: Peace Volunteers organize different types of sports such as cricket tournaments, football tournaments etc. Local youths participated in all these competitions.

Essay, Debate and Art Competition: Essay, debate and drawing competitions are organized at different times with Peace Volunteers and local youth jointly.

Establishment of clubs: four clubs have been set up in four upazilas where the local youth community including Peace Volunteers can make proper use of their time. From the library, they will be able to collect books and read and use the free Wi-Fi internet.

Implementation Special Plan in Secondary School-Madrasa: In collaboration with the Department of Education and the head teachers of the school, a special lesson-learning session is organized where peace building and social norms and behavior are clearly discussed. A total of 80 secondary schools and madrasas are implementing such special lessons in the classes of grade VIII and grade IX.

I hope that through my above activities, the conflict in the society will be reduced to a great extent and it will play a role in establishing peace in the society and eliminating social inequality. Special thanks to the ENGAGE project because without their support I might not be able to contribute as much as I do today at the community level.

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TGNP Submitted by Florah Ndaba, Peace Builder, Alumni Coady class of 2021 TGNP currently has managed to establish 94 Knowledge and Information Centers in 15 Regions under 62 Districts in Tanzania.

Being a peace builder and working with these centers I have managed to obtain stories of change and influencing issues around peace building and conflict resolutions as part of ensuring sustainability of these centers.

Kibuko is one of five knowledge centers in Morogoro District council. In ensuring that the agenda of having women in leadership positions is promoted, TGNP has seen a major impact of men’s engagement and being part of sharing stories of change. Gervas, Chairman of Mwanazi village in Kibuko ward since 2020, and among the youngest Local Government leaders in Morogoro District at the age of 32 has this to say.

“In Kibuko, political competition and rivalry has always been very high, therefore people who wanted to do any development projects or educate others on the same were considered by leaders and the community and political rivals in coming elections. Such people received very little to no support for the impact of their efforts. However, the established knowledge center is not a single person, or owed by one, so all the development work conducted through the center are considered to be collective effort for collective benefit, and this has united the community more through participation of different community groups in trainings and programs hence making advocacy works more understood and supported in the society.”

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While talking about the knowledge centre’s impacts during feedback sessions and field visit in respective wards, Mr. Gervas explains that one of the main transformations in Kibuko ward since the establishment of the knowledge centre in the transformation of the community’s perception and knowledge on leadership, and well as the rights and responsibilities of leaders.

He shared that for the longest time it was very difficult for women and youth to participate and be accepted in leadership, something that is slowly becoming history due to the current increase of women and youth participation in leadership.

“This KC has brought a lot of changes in our village such as cooperation in solving community problems and the reduction of political disputes. There is also great progress in women's participation in leadership in governmental and non-governmental positions.

Example as of 2020 in my village the general that these issues are being included and secretary and finance committee chair are addressed effectively. women, out of the 25 village councilors, 15 are Lucia, Hassan, and Florah’s stories highlight that women, seven out of 11 economic groups in addressing conflict, problem solving, building Kibuko, have more women than men in top shared understandings, and experiences, as well leadership positions such as the secretary as teaching and learning conflict resolution and general, assistant chairman, and accountants peacebuilding are necessary of these groups are all This KC has brought a lot of for community development. women. On average in all 11 groups not less than five out changes in our village such Building relationships, particularly across social divides, of nine leaders are women. as cooperation in solving such as class, gender, and In my financial group the community problems and the groups. Conflict resolution and chairperson, secretary reduction of political disputes. peacebuilding are both intended general and all the guards and unintended outcomes, even are women. A few years when they are not named as such. Pausing to ago, this is a situation that would have not see the conflict resolution and peacebuilding been possible, especially because most of these that exists, can bring deeper awareness of what new leaders are between the age of 28 to 40.” we do and the impacts our projects have in Gervas adds. individuals, communities, and societies.

The increase of women in leadership position Contributions by: Robin Neustaeter, Lucia di Poi, has been one of the ways to promote peace and Sk. Masudul Hassan, and Florah Ndaba. resolving gender related conflicts by ensuring

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ENGAGE Research Initiatives Over the last six months, ENGAGE partners began to identify, plan for and, in some countries, undertake research with community members. As part of the learning agenda for the program, partners proposed research initiatives that can produce publications and videos that can serve as both shareable learning and content for the program.

CCDB After participating in the action research course with Coady institute, the team at CCDB began to work closely with an experienced research consultant to develop a proposal to understand the coping skills of women affected by climate change in Bangladesh. The purpose of this research is to inform policy and practice that enhances the abilities of women and their families to become more resilient in a context of climate uncertainty.

CLE The team at CLE is identifying social entrepreneurs to interview on leadership and social enterprise experience. The team at CLE will use the research findings to have both documentation on successful women entrepreneurs and video content for use in their program with the participants as a way to provide examples and share insights on starting and building a business as well as community leadership.

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SEWA Working with its members, SEWA is seeking to inform policy and practice on adapting to shocks such as COVID-19. Working with a strong research partner, SEWA seeks to capture learning on how a sample of its members were able to adapt to the months of restrictions and adjustments necessitated to cope with COVID-19. Learning from this research will be published and shared with both ENGAGE partners and more broadly.

TGNP TGNP will document its work on feminist community mobilization. This powerful work, including the gender festival, promotes reflection and dialogue on gender equality and social justice. TGNP will interview a range of stakeholders and capture their perspectives on the work undertaken by this organization in Tanzania.

WISE WISE is undertaking action research with communities participating in Asset-based community development. WISE team members have facilitated training on ABCD, developed new modules, supporting group formation, and provided specific support based on the identified issues of the communities.

Furthermore, WISE has been liaising with stakeholders to facilitate local support to initiatives. Coady staff will support the write up of this research.

Kitchen Table Talks If you have come to Nova Scotia, you will notice that we often do a lot of our talking and decisionmaking informally at our kitchen tables. The Antigonish Movement was organized around them and Moses Coady and Jimmy Tompkins, our founders, were known for them. We wanted to revive these discussions around the burning issues that are keeping us up at night about ABCD approaches.

Our Kitchen Table Talk online series provide provocative, candid, and critical discussion circles on how to deepen our practice and thinking on ABCD. We’re pleased to share two written briefs from our most recent talks. The first was on how ABCD engages with feminism and gender, and was hosted by TGNP, who have recently started contextualizing ABCD to their longstanding work in transformative feminism. The second was a reflection by Coady’s recently retired Executive Director, Gord Cunningham. In it, he spoke about the history of ABCD at Coady, provided examples of how ABCD has been adapted around the world, and spoke to the future of ABCD approaches.

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