Connecting Local responses around the World

[Sanghamitra Iyengar]

An amazing sentence! Connecting not creating, not building, not capacitating!!

 

At the Knowledge Fair organised by the India Care Emphasis team in New Delhi, someone asked." What is new about SALT? As development professionals we have been appreciative and participatory even before. We have been listening to communities." It got me thinking:  what was new ? Was it that earlier we involved communities but the agenda was ours?

Did we now go in, knowing that communities had the answers. Our role was just to stimulate the responses. How did we stimulate? Often, by connecting them with the experience of another community. We believed in the rich diversity of local responses and yet its ability to inspire and stimulate.

 

The strength of the Constellation lies in its ability to connect rather than create: accepting the agency of response as outside of us! A new insight for me!!

[Sanghamitra Iyengar]

Rituu, thanks for persisting and pushing me to think. I sometimes feel that the Constellation is like a house with doors and windows open, we can enter it, flow into it, flow out of it, to explore an idea, flow back into it blend with other thoughts and ideas...... No pressure! keeping the windows open is our job, the flowing and connecting will take place on its own. All that you are talking off is that.. creating spaces to connect..as the situations arise, we will do it.

Not that keeping it open is so easy; have to keep trying. Being directive is so easy... I am at level 1 or 2. I know and try hard, but to always be non directive... have a long way to go yet!! I dont know if that answers your question

[Gaston]

Thank you all for this. I agree that many people/ partners realize that community involvement, participation is crucial. Yes, we already have a community mobilization component. We really ask them what they want and what they need....but is it really the same? 

Rafique, I had the same for my first year with the Constellation and still see puzzled faces of potential partners when I say that we 'connect local responses around the world'. What do you mean with local responses? What do you mean around the world? You have offices everywhere? We have to release some old paradigm or a specific way of looking at development before we can see the depth and the relevance of the strap line. This is a process that is still ongoing for me as well. This blog helps me a step further.   

[Jean-Louis Lamboray]

Accepting the agency of response as outside of us.  

A sentence I would invite all of us to reflect upon, and to  transfer into our respective contexts!

Thanks Sanghamitra!

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Dear Sanghamitra,

 

To rephrase it, what can the Constellation do better to forge these connections? Two ways I have been involved is through Community action day and compiling a list of like minded organisations. What do you think should be the next step? I request for your advice. thanks!

 

Warm regards,

Rituu

[Sanghamitra Iyengar]

Rituu, but that is exactly what the constellation in constantly doing! You especially! It is already happening!!

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Dear Sanghamitra,

 

When I am connected to like minded people or organisations, it arouses the feelings of inter-connectedness,  the need to associate and establish links. How do you feel when these connections are made, when your way of thinking resonates with others? How do you think can Constellation can connect local responses?

 

Look forward to learning from you. Thanks!

 

Rituu

[Dr. E. Mohamed Rafique]

The significance of our tag line: "connecting local responses around the world" hit me as one more difference between the conventional Targeted Intervention and CLCP, only when you explained it at the KF.

There was the tag line staring at me every day whenever I logged into our Ning, and it did not strike me. It required some one like Moushmi  to pop a question and some one else like Sanghamitra to answer for me to learn this difference.

Thank you Moushmi, and Sanghamitra.