Statement of Intent:
This theme explores the various ways in which NGOs and CBOs (community based organizations) can ensure their work provides the best support to community efforts and continues to make a difference by using diverse and creative means of mobilizing the different types of resources (e.g. funding, knowledge, people, networks, technology) they need. As part of the theme we will examine the process that an organization needs to go through in order to determine the most appropriate approach to resource mobilization for them, taking into account their mission and values, the needs of the communities they are serving and the alternatives available in their own context.

Want to accomplish:  
During the Conference we want each participant to walk away with a clear sense of the process of engaging communities in determining resource needs as well as seeing the broad scope of resourcing. We want a clear understanding of ‘Social Accountability” and why this process is at the heart of building civil society. Thirdly, we want to detail the practice of facilitating the development of authentic and sovereign local organizations and social movements.

Collaborators:
Richard Holloway, World Bank, Nepal: Richard is the project director for the Bank’s Program for Accountability in Nepal ( PRAN): “Organized civil society now has an enhanced role in helping to put in place stable, responsive and accountable state institutions. In this situation, strengthening civil society organizations to play a constructive role is a key contribution that can be made by the development partners in Nepal. This is in the context of negotiating a new political order which may for the first time lead to the inclusion of all Nepal’s diverse caste, ethnic and regional groups, as well as women from all groups. Limited transparency and accountability undermine government’s capacity for service delivery and hamper the implementation of important reforms. Exclusion is especially significant at the district and village level.

Good governance requires active and engaged citizens and active civil society organizations.” Richard will spend an afternoon with us working on social accountability and Self Reliance Financing.

Others collaborators: Participants in the new UK Resource Mobilization Manual; ICA Peru: using a social business model; Rotary: developing local community partners; Australian Red Cross: resource diversification. Looking for others on volunteerism, technology such as cell phones and other social business models.

Resources:  
South Africa CDRA (Community Development Resource Association) Paper on Sovereign Local Organizations and Social Movements - holding rightful power. Also see CDRA’s Barefoot Approach (www.barefootguide.org). Site visit to Samjhauta Nepal: Promoting women’s empowerment and community development. They have 6,000 women economic groups in 21 districts. These groups are new forms of ethical community-based banking. Weekly saving schemes are growing, enabling villagers to invest in the future while building new forms of solidarity and community at the same time.

Theme Coordinators:
Richard Alton
richard.alton@gmail.com
Jonathan Dudding
jdudding@gn.apc.org
Ashok Shrestha
ashok.rotarydh@yahoo.com


See the conference website for further details at:  www.humandevelopmentconference.com