Starfish at Indonesia:

[rebeka sultana]

Weeks ago Laurence has sent us a format to update the status of National Facilitation Team (NFT) at Indonesia. What is the name of the NFT? How many members, how big it is? So on and so forth. This blog hopes and intents to reply her questions.

Formally ACP has put its first foot print in Indonesia in 2006. I believe long before that knowingly or unknowingly Indonesians were practicing SALT in their day to day lives. UNFPA embarked on implementing ACP sometime in 2006 with a visit of few Government and other officials and colleagues of UNFPA at Chiang Mai. The team came back with dream to implement ACP in Indonesia. They invited the Constellation to ignite the candles of ACP in 3 cities initially. That is how the NFT began its journey.

I don’t know the beginning history of ADB support to ACP. That support has enabled few communities and organizations to welcome, try out and understand ACP. Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) was the key player to bridge the ACP from the Constellation to the communities PMI work for. Few young, energetic, ever smiling facilitators came out through that process. Today there are teams of facilitators/to be facilitators in various NGOs, communities, AIDS Commissions and agencies. Invitation and follow up, sharing and mutual learning are the keys for ACP expansion in Indonesia. The facilitators are known among the organizations they work for as 'ACP' facilitator but NFT is not yet known as an organization to the 'outside world'. The NFT has not got its formal shape though the teams are discussing the ways how they want to see the NFT. With high spirit and engagements a brief draft concept note is prepared and loads of discussions are going around and NFT is unfolding its shape and structure gradually.

In a recent 2 days workshop a group of facilitators sat together and they have identified the opportunities for the facilitators to work as a team, to respond to the opportunities. They have shared the process of ‘Peer Assist’ and has done a reality check of ‘Facilitators Self Assessment” and that was wonderful. A rive diagram was drown (many thanks to Lawan for the nice Indo River) and the team reflected on their river; recognized avenues where sharing and learning may take place.

Before the NFT has its formal shape ACP has evolved as life Competence in Indonesia. Reproductive Health Competence, Malaria Competence, Avian Flu Competence all are in a row to grow as new star fishes.

A platform has been created at ning for Indonesian community.

I will finish my blog with the NFT dream “we want to learn together, be creative and independent. We want to create open networks, we apply the Starfish model” and the NFT is named as INDOCOMPETENCE!

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Dear Rebeka,

Thanks for sharing the story of NFT in Indonesia. It was a great learning for me. Would be grateful if you share the challenges faced and lessons learnt in this journey. I am looking forward to Gaston's elaboration on the 'leaderless' organisation.

Warmly,

Rituu

[Gaston]

Hi Rebeka, thanks for this great contribution. I have heard good stories on the outcomes of the IndoCompetence meetings! Great to see this progress. I will soon share a 2-pager on the starfish on Ning to see how we can learn from 'leaderless' organization with little hierarchy.

[rebeka sultana]

Dear friends,
Please know that there is a book named ' The Starfish and The Spider' by Ori Brafman and Rod A Beckstorm which has been introduced to me by Gaston.You might have read his thought on the structure of the Constellation, NFT etc relating to the contents of this book. Being inspired by my conversation with Gaston and JL i named this blog as 'Starfish in Indonesia'.