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| July 2008 e-Newsletter | About Us |
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I’m recently back from more than 5 weeks in the Brazilian Amazon, where Field Office Manager Angela Viehmayer and I spent nearly every waking hour together planning the final details and kicking off the cCLEAR Pilot Project. For me this was a wonderful opportunity. Not simply because it had been two years since I had last visited, but because this was a realization of well over two years of planning and built upon three years of “prototyping.” I was struck by the changes in the communities since my last visit. The most obvious change was the construction of brick homes, financed by the Brazilian government. These homes are solid, have been wired for electricity (although it is only available for a few hours three nights a week – when there’s enough money to buy fuel for the generator), and indoor plumbing. The church and school were recently repainted, and the telecenter is operating six very busy hours a day. The youth group just finished a project where members filmed and edited several short videos about different aspects of their lives. You could just feel the activity and progress. Still many, many problems remain Residents find it difficult to finish projects they’ve started, such as the half-built recreation center. Opportunities and services in the communities are still often scarce, as youth continue to stream out of the community for more opportunities in the city, and even the most basic healthcare is only available 4 ½ hours away in the nearest city. Perhaps the biggest challenge, though, is the mindset of many residents that they don’t have the power of solving their own problems without handouts, favors, and help from outsiders. This is a result of a culture reinforced by centuries of practice where rulers and landowners did in fact control most of the resources. Unless this mindset of helplessness is addressed, development projects and training will not result in significant and sustainable change. The region is littered with examples of participants of once-promising projects reverting back to their old ways after the project is over. Change can’t and shouldn’t be imposed from the outside. People must move themselves. Toward this end, the cCLEAR Program helps participants internalize new ways of processing information to create knowledge that is relevant to their needs and realities. I was thrilled by the communities’ reaction to our project. You could see the fire in people’s eyes when we explained that we weren’t there as another training program. Our role is simply to facilitate and mentor them as they take on projects that are relevant and important to them. Through this process, they learn important soft skills, such as problem-solving, effective communication, being proactive, and teamwork. After they complete their project, they will be able to use these skills for future personal initiatives, as well as help guide others in the community. Our Work is Bearing Fruit Ronilson’s haircutting stand in Suruacá is one example of how our earlier work is already bearing fruit. Although he still faces many challenges to build the business, he is being closely coached by Djalma Lima, one of the residents CEN has been working with over the last couple of years. Please be sure to read the story in this edition of the Newsletter about how Djalma is applying and sharing what he learned to others in the community. The hope is that these examples can show the people of the community how to replicate this success themselves. I am more convinced than ever that we’re really onto something that can help people in the Brazilian Amazon and elsewhere transform their own lives and become significantly more self-reliant. By applying the skills and the mindset we help participants develop, they will be able to improve their schools, address local health issues, actively manage increasingly rapid social change and create sustainable livelihoods, while preserving their local environment and way of life. Our work is also becoming a model for sustainable development in other parts of the world. CEN has started laying the groundwork for applying our experience and adapting our methodologies to rural communities in Nepal. Nepal is sometimes overlooked because it borders on China to the north and India to the south, though it remains one of the poorest nations in Asia. Political turmoil over the past couple of years has interfered with growth, including a promising tourism sector. Since late last year, CEN has been working with Tulsi Giri, the visionary leader of a startup Nepali NGO, Youth Action Nepal, to share ideas for using Information and Information Technology as a tool for social and economic development in rural areas of Nepal. With CEN’s advice and financial support, Tulsi will begin applying some of the principals we’ve jointly developed in a workshop this August. Please be sure to read more about this exciting initiative. I’m very proud of the progress we’ve made and grateful to our supporters and volunteers for making it possible for us to launch both projects. We still need your renewed support, though, in order to complete the project. In our next edition of the newsletter (early September) we’ll provide more details about our annual fundraiser, to be held on in Seattle on September 27th. Meanwhile, we are looking for items for our silent and live auction, corporate sponsorships, and individuals willing to be table captains. Please read more about how you can help by reading the article in this newsletter. Thank
you everyone, and please enjoy this edition of our newsletter.
New
Business Off the Top of Their Heads by
Nicholas Tichy
Development
and empowerment in rural communities such as Suruacá
requires a number of elements. Entrepreneurship is one essential skill
that needs to be promoted. One youth in Suruacá, Ronilson
Valente Melo, is an excellent example of the spirit of empowerment and
drive that CEN attempts to foster. Recently, CEN’s founder
and Director, Bob
Bortner, had the opportunity to speak with this young man and
find out a bit more about his experiences attempting to create his own
business. In part because of the work of CEN, Ronilson’s was able to use his skills to make his ambitions be realized. Djalma was one of the participants in CEN’s prototype project, which completed earlier this year. This project, which was the precursor to our current cCLEAR project, helped Djalma take on a mentor and leadership role in the community. In this position, he was able to help Ronilson turn his skill into a business opportunity. He provided the push to set up the business, the space, and equipment. While many obstacles exist, Ronilson is learning to overcome them. CEN hopes to help change the mentality of “I can’t do it” into “I can learn to do it.” We believe when communities gain the confidence and skills to tackle their problems independently, and they will prosper. Ronilson is a great example of a young man who has the potential to set an example in his community by taking the step to learn to overcome obstacles and create opportunities for development. Read the Full Story
Youth
of Nepal Seek Empowerment
Tulsi Giri is a determined young man from the village of Pokhara who is working to change these conditions, starting in his own district. Tulsi and few other enthusiastic Nepali youth founded USSHA (Underprivileged Societal Service and Helping Action) Foundation, a development foundation (a non-profit organization) which focuses on giving youth the training and resources they need to take an active role in social development. Tulsi discovered CEN's website and, noting the similarity between our mission and his, contacted us. Bob and several CEN volunteers provide mentoring, advice and support for Tulsi. In April, CEN held a fund raiser to benefit USSHA. It was a great success, and CEN was able to provide crucial financial support for the work of the organization. CEN is delighted to be able to support USSHA’s work in Nepal, and hopes to maintain to have a positive and constructive relationship. Read the Full Story by
Angela
Viehmayer
Hello
to all! Our first step was to go to Suruacá and introduce the cCLEAR program. Community leaders told us we would have to present it get the approval of both the leadership and the community assembly. We learned the same thing in Maguary, and in both communities I was initially nervous about this process of gaining community approval. The cCLEAR program is not related to building up infrastructure; rather, it is about transforming participants’ intangible skills into tangible outcomes, such as income generation, improved education, or simply new ideas about how to use already available resources. In the beginning, it was indeed difficult for community members to understand what we were proposing. There is a fine line between traditional ways of learning a subject and our approach of learning-by-doing. However, after we started to interact with people, asking them to tell us about their personal projects and goals and explaining to them how we could help them find resources to accomplish them, things changed pretty fast. It was surprising to see how thoroughly people would think about what project or idea they could develop in the one year of the cCLEAR program. Some community members put forward more than one project and had to think carefully about which one would best fit within the program. One of the most interesting outcomes of those meetings was the myriad of projects people suggested. As their economic resources are limited, I expected them to focus on income generation, but that was not what happened. Their projects ranged from raising pork, education, art, music, and even creating a book about the history of Amazon. It was very gratifying to see so much variety and diversity of interests and points of view. The community’s interest and curiosity about the project was only the first step, though. We also needed the approval of their leaders. Differences between the tangible and intangible would certainly rise again, especially because both communities were also bases for infrastructure projects, such as telecenters, solar power, and water systems. How to differentiate one type of project from another? Would leaders accept what we had to offer, even if the project is not designed to bring any immediate impact for the community? Those questions would keep popping up in my head as we walked from Djalma’s home, where we were staying, to Suruacá’s telecenter, where the leaders were gathered. During the meeting we emphasized the concept of learning-by-doing and how we believe experience is an important complement for formal and non-formal education. It was interesting to see the leaders translating that concept into their own prior experiences as youth, adults, and, now, leaders. After talking about how we expected to conduct the project, they surprised us by not only giving their approval, but also expressing how much the community needed something like cCLEAR. Dona Emanuela, one of the most inquisitive leaders, actually congratulated us for our courage to bring a project that would work with their minds, instead of only their bodies. This, we hope, is the distinction between the work of CEN and other groups. Teaching the skills and helping give the confidence to overcome obstacles independently can mean these communities can take their destiny into their own hands. We shall arrive at Santarém soon, which means our time together has come to an end. I hope you were able to get a glimpse of the field so far. "See"
you soon! :D |
In this
issue
Save the Date
Please save the date to attend our second annual fundraiser. It will be a fun evening of food and live music celebrating Brazil. More info
The articles you have read in this edition of the
newsletter really illustrate the progress we are making toward
achieving our goals as an organization. From launching the cCLEAR Program, to creating the foundation for a relationship with
Youth
Action Nepal, our progress is becoming more and more tangible. However,
in order to continue to build off of these successes and continue our
valuable mission, we need your continued support.
CEN is looking to build partnerships with
businesses, and the best way is through “warm”
contacts made by our supporters. Many companies are very interested in
supporting the charities and causes their employees are passionate
about, so your help may be the tipping point in
getting in the door. We are open to
practically any support that your employer may be willing to provide,
be it monetary, in-kind donations, or anything else. Please give us a
call to strategize together on how we can best make the
connection.
Doing some spring cleaning and found an
interesting treasure lying around in the attic? Are you a photographer
or artist? Are you a great cook and could host a dinner party? Do you have a condo in Hawaii or a cabin the San Juan
Islands you
could make available for a holiday? Or perhaps you could provide a service
that others might like. Please consider donating items for our Fall
Fundraiser’s auction to raise money to support our work. Last
year items donated by our supporters raised thousands of dollars to
fund our work. More
auction item ideas.
It’s quick and easy – and
it’s tax deductible*. Just go to our home page at
www.communityempowernet.organd click on the bottom that looks like this
(or click on the image here):  If you have any questions, please call Bob Bortner at (206) 329-6244 or email us at rbortner@communityempowernet.org to find out how you can help communities help themselves. * Please consult your tax adviser to make sure you qualify. Acknowledgments Editor Contributing
Writers
Other Contributors
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Help us connect with your employer for
a sponsorships
Provide
Auction Items for our Fall Auction
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