Looking Beyond Borders

Youth Leadership &

Community Development

Understanding Communities That Aren’t Ours(Involving Youth in Facilitating Community Development)

ERNESTO C. CASIPLE, JR.19.March.2011/ Mindanao State University, General Santos City

Presented to the 40th Anniversary of Youth Community Service Club

This presentation

• Less input, less definitions • More and more sharing of ideas • More suggestions… NOT ADVICE• No “Doctor’s Prescription” • More stories • More sharing of experiences• Key words only… all to set same

understanding on terms • Facilitating… not teaching… not coaching• Encourages participation and networking

Youth

• Energy • Enthusiasm • Groove • Idealism• Steadfast • Noble • Gutsy• Modern

Leader

• Passion• Mission• Outcome• Empower• Team• Intelligent• Risk

ComDev

• Improve • Help • Make • Needs • Develop• Assist • Understand

Cartoon Credit: http://cesdev.blogspot.com/

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poor

children

youth

projects

activitiesimmersionoutreach

lessonsTARGETStravelfaces

places

leadervolunteer

member

Teams

Reflect and Comment on This!

• “Thank God for that a panel of experts!”—development cartoon

• “Mr. Director General, why is it that you people from UN agencies when you come here, instead of asking for our experience and skills, our thoughts and our dreams, you give us lessons and advices? Why do you not come here to listen first, then give us advice based on what you heared?—a teacher in a village from Burkina Faso to Frederico Mayor, Dir. Gen of UNESCO.. .Source: UNFPA Website

Adapted from: Kettle, KC & Saul, L (2006). Guidelines for Managing the Integration of Culture into Development Programmes

Questions in Community ServicePonder the following cartoon:

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• Participation: Is it required? My GF/BF/ crush is their?

• Delivery: Did we ask their needs?• Culture: Do we know them?• Peace: Are we aware of their experiences? • Target: Is it for fun? Is it for “gold”? Or is it

because there is a need?

Facilitating Multicultural Groups

Knowing your own cultural valuesResearching the Cultural Context Facilitation Values and Attitudes Researching Background of Participants (or

Beneficiaries)

Key terms to ponder: language, culture, heritage

Adapted: Hogan, C. 2007

SAMPLES ONLY: My experiences on Community Development

• 1996-2000: HIV/AIDS prevention advocacy, community service (environment), adolescenthood, peer education/ counseling, children’s right, theater on culture

• 2000-present: youth development, policy advocacy, peace and development, heritage and culture, micro enterprise development, HIV/AIDS, programme management and intervention, climate change adaptation

Volunteerism & Leadership (Re)-defined

Slides from a paper entitled: Reinventing Youth Volunteerism and Community Servicefor Peace in Southern Mindanao: The Story of Tri-Youth Volunteers of Kapayapaan Kapatid Council/ SOCSARGEN Peace Network

• (Presented during the 10th International Youth Day—Philippines, Makati City on August 5-7, 2009)

What are these now?

Lessons, Impact and Challenges

“I will make my weekend worthwhile to volunteering to communities rather than spending a day to computer

games or strolling at the mall.”

“a little act of volunteerism is a great deed someday.”

Reengineering, reinventing…

reflection of transcending beyond issues of organizational formalities (as a status quo) to actual

contribution to the people in other communities.

Rethink upon about volunteerism, leadership,

service

‘knowledge management’ (tell others)

Sheltering versus separating….

Some issues/ questions to ponder

Loose or structured

ANSWERABLE…. OPEN FORUM

Community service top priority: power not (or rarely) discussed

Balance is ideal; choice is real

INVOLVEMENT by goals and not by the structure

Loyalty to PRINCIPLES (above all)

Volunteers not capacitated with development techniques/ tools; but GUIDANCE is available

What more?

Come together, bond together,

VISIONING & DREAMING

CAPACITY to

United Nations Association of the Philippines

United Nations Youth Association of the PhilippinesUnited Nations Youth Association of the Philippines

LEADERSHIP

TRANSLATE VSION,

Into REALITY0

Evaluating Your Activities

• Ending Rituals and Celebrations• Don’t make promises of return • Thank the community for the participation• Tell them what you learn from them • Dialogue between participants and facilitators • Don’t bring home more from what to give.. • The ORID approach