Dear all, you can listen to the English and Spanish interpretation of this speech by clicking on the interpretation button

Thanks Huda

thank you

Thank you for this webinar. It would help if you can also provide links to documents and papers relevant to this and other upcoming webinars

A useful resources on participatory tools and processes - designed for exchanges between practitioners - is the website https://www.reflectionaction.org/

Dear All, you will receive the relevant links as well as the recording after the Webinar.

@abdulaziz Yes indeed, we will keep you all posted about our upcoming webinars in this series

Thank you for your participation!

Thank you David, nice resources!

La mobilization communautaire et le développement communautaire sont également cruciaux dans la lutte contre les conflits humains qui mettent à mal la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition pour tous et toutes, en particulier les femmes. Il me semble que c'est aussi une dimension tres importante à prendre en compte.

Thank you David, Huda and Andrea!

Merci Lois! En effet, aussi essentiel pour l'avancement des approches transformatrices basées sur l'egalité hommes-femmes

It would be good to ask this question to the current Ministers of Agriculture :))

Merci Monsieur le SG à l'agriculture

Very insightful perspective, thank you Professor Chambers

Thank you for reminding us of the importance of self-reflexivity and awareness of positionality and power differences Prof. Chambers

Thank you Professor Chambers for these important points, amazing how your work from the 1980’s is still so relevant today for rural development practice. Could you speak about the role of donor funding in supporting the goals we are discussing here? Basically, how can we restructure financial flows to support that facilitation and empowerment work?

Je commence une réunion. Je mets à votre disposition un de mes experts en Club Dimitra.

Merci

Thank you so very much for these wise and inspirational words, Dr. Chambers. Having been privileged to attained a class with you many moons ago on “participatory rural appraisal, empowerment and community development”, it has shaped my practice ever since and is more relevant than ever. Reference to the Blog on “de-biasing rural development tourism” would be very helpful. Also, for technical experts and specialists who have a lot to say, facilitating and “standing-back” is the most difficult past. Thank you so very much……

Or to any of the speakers!

Trust Truth Transparency; the three Ts

Thank you, Prof. Chambrs!! I´m taking detailed notes of your wise words...

Convening, facilitating, standing back, supporting endogenous solutions, this is what the DIMITRA approach stands for

Merci beaucoup Mr le SG pour votre contribution

Leave No One Behind: Infrastructure and Inclusion https://www.ids.ac.uk/publications/leave-no-one-behind-infrastructure-and-inclusion/Can We Know Better?: Reflections for Development https://www.ids.ac.uk/publications/can-we-know-better-reflections-for-development-2/

Some interesting readings that Robert wanted to share with you all!

Many thanks Robert, inspiring as always!

Thank you very much Professor Chambers for your very insightful remarks.

Thank you so very much for these wise and inspirational words, Dr. Chambers. Having been privileged to attended a class with you many moons ago on “participatory rural appraisal, empowerment and community development”, it has shaped my practice ever since and is more relevant than ever. Reference to the Blog on “de-biasing rural development tourism” would be very helpful. Also, for technical experts and specialists who have a lot to say, facilitating and “standing-back” is the most difficult past. Thank you so very much……

prof Chambers, your books were bibles to us back in the 90s and they are still so relevant today. thanks for sharing your wisdom!

Thank you, your points were so relevant and helpful in guiding our practice

How do we counter the norm in the agri-sector of preparing packages and messages and 'extending' them out to farmers as if the farmers don't have their own answers?

Thank you so much (Professor :-)) Robert Chambers

Professor Katherine Gibson is a feminist economic geographer who is internationally known for her research on rethinking economies as sites of ethical action. She has directed action research projects with communities interested in alternative economic development pathways in Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and the Philippines. Prior to joining Western Sydney University in 2009, Professor Gibson held positions as Professor and Head of the Department of Human Geography in the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies at the Australian National University and Director of Women's Studies at Monash University. She is a founding member of the Community Economies Research Network, an international network of over 260 scholars, practitioners and artists.

Many thanks Professor Chambers for the interesting and insightful! Still remembering those great workshops for MAP team in IDS!

Thank you so much for your presentation Professor Chambers!

Greetings from FAO Cameroon. Would it be possible to share the slides with the participants?

thank u Professor Chambers. " we must become the change we need to see"

The session is being recorded

A truly wonderful initiative with a beautiful language. Thank you to the organizers for making this available for everyone. Inclusive and participatory indeed.

Yes, the slides can be shared after the webinar. You will receive relevant links from our speakers as well as the recording.

@Nora thank you for attending!

Wonderful slide!

great slide

@Andrea thank you

Please turn off your microphone if you are not the speaker

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/apv.12186 - is open access

visit www.communityeconomies.org for more information about Katherine Gibson and Julie Graham’s work and the work of scholars and practitioners in the Community Economies Research Network

Strengthening Economic Resilience in Monsoon Asia - Gibson et al

visit https://www.communityeconomies.org/ for more information about Katherine Gibson and Julie Graham’s work and the work of scholars and practitioners in the Community Economies Research Network

Keywords of Community Economies in Asia https://communityeconomiesasia.wordpress.com/about/

such beautiful visualisations!

This river of change is quite impressive!

strong messages, Katherine!

river of change has been part of "training for transformation" that has been worked with in Zimbabwe since the 80's

Excellent presentation!

Beautiful and powerful presentation, thank you!

Wonderful presentation, Dr. Katherine! Thanks a lot.

If I may, one question to Dr. Chambers and Dr. Gibson. How do they see the role of “Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) including convergence between technologies such as mobile phones, community radios etc. to deepen or divide engagement, empowerment and community development? This based on works on linking “ICTs” with “Voice” such as “Deepening Participation and Improving Aid Effectiveness through ICTs and Media” https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/resource_en_199881.pdf as well as people-driven capacity enhancement processes such as “Enhancing Capacities for a country-owned transition towards Climate Smart Agriculture” http://www.fao.org/climate-smart-agriculture-sourcebook/enabling-frameworks/module-c1-capacity-development/c1-overview/en/ Thank you.

Thank you Katherine ! Beautiful presentation !

Wonderful... thank you Katherine, your work is an inspiration

Thank you, really good insights

Thank you for the wonderful presentation

Very good presentation!!!

Excellent presentation

@Patrick, thank you we are gathering the questions

Dear Professor Katherine, Thank you!

Thank you Katherine for this beautiful presentation enriched by the voice of the communities

Excellent presentation Professor Gibson!

Pour le Français, aller sur l'icone Interpretation

Oui Ali, les femmes s'organisent beaucoup a travers des tontines et autres pour mener des activites creatrices de revenus ou d'entre aide

If I may, one question to Dr. Chambers and Dr. Gibson. How do they see the role of “Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) including convergence between technologies such as mobile phones, community radios etc. to deepen or divide engagement, empowerment and community development? This based on works on linking “ICTs” with “Voice” such as “Deepening Participation and Improving Aid Effectiveness through ICTs and Media” https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/resource_en_199881.pdf, “Voices 2.0 - Revolutionizing Participation within Development Cooperation” https://www.comminit.com/democracy-governance/content/voices-20-revolutionizing-participation-within-development-cooperation as well as people-driven capacity enhancement processes such as “Enhancing Capacities for a country-owned transition towards Climate Smart Agriculture” http://www.fao.org/climate-smart-agriculture-sourcebook/enabling-frameworks/module-c1-capacity-development/c1-overview/en/ Thank you.

Il serait intéressant de nous partager cette présentation

Cette presentation et l'expérience des clubs Dimitra montrent bien, aussi, l'importance du role des ONGs locales pour mener à bien des approches communautaires. Ce sont ces dernieres qui font le lien entre la FAO et les communautés dans cette exemple et entre les communautés rurales et l'état en général.

If you wish, you can also share your questions here

Si vous voulez, nous vous prions d'insérer vos questions dans la chat

Si desean pueden compartir sus preguntas en el chat. Thank you/Merci/Gracias

Merci bien cher Ali, quel plaisir de se retrouver quelques instants au Niger à tes côtés auprès des communautés Rurales ! longue vie à l'engagement communautaire, aux Clubs Dimitra et aux Champs Ecoles travaillant main dans la main

This example illustrates well the role of local NGOs for the mobilization of rural communities. This is the case for the Dimitra Clubs. FAO partners with local NGOs to implement this approach and strengthen local NGOs.

@Martine oui elles seront partagées, merci

Merci Ali

Merci Ali, comme toujours un plaisir!

Présentation bien riche, merci

Thank you so much for sharing the story of Dimitra Clubs -- how communities can take a leadership role in their own development

Bravo Ali! Toujours aussi fascinant et en lien avec la présentation de Robert Chambers

Very interesting presentation, Ali. Thank you very much.

Merci d'avance

Bonjour Ali, Felicitation pour la présentation qui est très riche

For more information about the Dimitra Clubs approach:Dimitra Clubs: What’s the impact? http://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1200214/• French: http://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/fr/c/1200426/• Spanish: http://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/es/c/1200427/• Arabic: http://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/ar/c/1200428/• Chinese: http://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/zh/c/1200429/• Russian: http://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/ru/c/1200430/

merci ali pour ta présentation

David Archer is Head of Participation and Public Services with ActionAid (www.actionaid.org), having been Head of Education for many years. He now leads ActionAid’s work on civic participation, tax justice and gender responsive public services. In the 1980s David worked on literacy programmes across Latin America inspired by Brazilian educator Paulo Freire ("Literacy and Power: the Latin American Battleground” Earthscan 1990). Joining ActionAid in 1990 he developed the Reflect approach to adult literacy and social change (see resources at https://www.reflectionaction.org/library/), an approach that spread through over 500 organisations working in 100 countries, with different practitioners winning 5 UN International Prizes since 2003. He managed the £15million Commonwealth Education Fund from 2002-2009, reporting to the Governor of the Bank of England.

Formidable Ali ,une très belle et riche présentation

what is extremely useful is that all clubs join together, in a village assembly, after they have analysed the issues and found endogenous solutions. Then theyr decide on the best way to go ahead. In this process, women have a voice!

super intéressant ali

He is now the Chair of the Board of the Right to Education Initiative. He served two terms as an elected civil society representative on the board of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE - www.globalpartnership.org - the $2 billion global fund) and now chairs the GPE’s Strategy and Impact Committee.David has written extensively on participatory approaches and community empowerment, supporting the development of the website for practitioners and activist , collating resources on understanding a human-rights based approach, on gender responsive public services and on transformative approaches to education.

Merci Ali pour cette belle présentation

Donors and local and national governments are often slow/averse to providing direct funding to villages/communities for their own initiatives. What ideas for overcoming this?

The FAO Dimitra Clubs' approach is one of the good practices showcased in the FAO, IFAD and WFP publication entitled 'Gender transformation approaches for food security, improved nutrition and sustainable agriculture - A compendium of fifteen good practices' published last year. http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cb1331en/

A useful resources on participatory tools and processes - designed for exchanges between practitioners - is the website https://www.reflectionaction.org/

The impacts of the Dimitra community listening Clubs ( 2761 Clubs in Niger) on community life with the strengthening of social cohesion, social protection with the establishment of credits, women leadership and the reduction of “farmer-pastoralist” conflicts. The testimonies of the mayors where the Clubs are established which indicate that they should no longer intervene in conflicts when the clubs are well established. Also the use of Dimitra Clubs in the prevention of COVID - 19.

@Lois Thank you. We highly recommend reading this publication about Gender Transformative Approaches in which indeed also the Dimitra Clubs are showcased together with other very interesting approaches. http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cb1331en/

More stories on the impact of the clubs here • Dimitra Newsletter 30, Special Edition: Dimitra Clubs in Action (FAO-Dimitra 2019)English: http://www.fao.org/3/i7865en/i7865en.pdfFrench: http://www.fao.org/3/i7865fr/i7865fr.pdf

toutes mes félicitations Ali sur cette belle prestation

https://www.reflectionaction.org/tools_and_methods/ This is a place to learn about and share innovative tools and methods for participatory practice, including examples of how tools have been used in different contexts and with a focus on shifting power.

That's an interesting point. Soemtimes hard to tell ABCD apart from PLA etc.

are there any resources on positively transforming power in ourselves and in our institutions?

Excellent seminar with wonderful presentations thanks. Looking forward to the next 4. Apologies for leaving early.

@Rose thank you!

I can't hear any sound anymore! Moderator please assist!

@attaher Maiga, thank you. FAO Niger promotes and supports community engagement.

Osman, please reenter , you will get it.

Dear all, if you have any questions to our presenters please write them here .

thanks for the very informative session, I want to appologise to join another meeting. thanks for the efforts

Merci d'écrire vos questions ici

Thank you all speakers for their inspiring presentations! One question that I would be interested in getting some views on: How is the digitalization of the economy expected to shape the dynamics of power dynamics, participation, community engagement and endogenous development approaches? What are ways to influence the outcomes of digitalization for local development?

Great presentation David. Thank you so much

Gunther question:

How is the digitalization of the economy expected to shape the dynamics of power dynamics, participation, community engagement and endogenous development approaches? What are ways to influence the outcomes of digitalization for local development?

I have a bit of a provocative question: listening to the presentations, what is the role of FAO and the international community in community mobilization then?

@Guenter and @Lois Thank you for your questions.

David or Robert: Can you approach patron client relations in a positive light at the same time as trying to facilitate transformatory rural development?

@david and robert: how does local radio and local language as ways of communicating in order to have full participation is part of your approaches

Thank you David, for your insights. You have raised very critical issues of community development and the relevance of projects and programmes to community development. Thank you.

Another question would be: are we leading by example?

I know communication is a main element of dimitra

@Archer: Great and very relevant to refer to Paolo Freire. How important are Power Reflections in the present agroecology debate (see: Selling the past as innovation in Africa - https://www.iatp.org/blog/202102/selling-past-innovation-africa

I think we should always be working in local languages / mother tongues - as there is such a huge power dynamic around language -

Yes that’s an excellent point.

You can only do that with local facilitators from the communities themselves - so that the process is an internal community process not an externally facilitated one

@Archer: local languages are key. See: https://www.accessagriculture.org/

David/Robert: can you reflect on social movements and community engagement> how the rise of social movements have transformed community engagement? what can we learn from them?

@Adriano Very important question Adriano

Social movements can also be exclusionary and working in silos .. see feminist struggles against patriarchy within social movements

Hi Adriano, yes this is key! In any community process there are some issues that can be resolved through local action but often you need action at higher levels to address the structural causes of injustice - and that means connecting up to wider movements. Sometimes these process can also help to strengthen the base of movements e.g. in rural communities

Thank you so much for an inspiring, revitalizing, exchange.... greetings from FAO's Global Farmer Field Schools Platform, one of FAO's approaches to work by the side of rural communities supporting their ecological literacy and collective action http://www.fao.org/farmer-field-schools/home/en/

This book called "Farmers Taking the Lead" summarizes the beautiful journey of 30 years of FFS through the world http://www.fao.org/3/ca5131en/ca5131en.pdf

fully agree with stepman francois on the key element of local language

@Anne-Sophie, great to see FAO community engagement approaches coming together and deepening the exchange of knowledge amongst us and with other organizations

Thank you @Anne-Sophie the FFS are an amazing FAO social innovation!

When two highly participatory approaches meet: FAO Farmer Field Schools and Dimitra Clubs. A webinar in French with interpretation available in English.Passcode to watch: 1QFiL5.g

https://fao.zoom.us/rec/play/3hcFxb6NqPRElIkcSm8-uM9ezOqfsN6tbqYThcUHzWGvLOZdrpRQmIl9cKU4f84eQK718_GmzIygHIQx.BDhDfmf_wWDvX5Sl

Picking up on the provocative question of Marcela Villareal: FAO represents constituency which are sovereign in their territory, although very influenced by privates. The role of FAO in the direction of ensuring basic human rights from international consensus in rural development, as we see private sector twisting dynamics at all levelstowards commodification of food and control over private livelihoods.Putting rights to food and to livelihoods first, is more and more needed now, in view of self development of community. The role of Dimitra Clubs could also be relevant today in view of this issue: because violation of rural people’s rights is more rampant, in order to provide information to circulate, DImitra Clubs could be an amplifier and possible envision some international ombudsman initiave. In a word, the focus on rule of law for people centered development is more relevant today than before. The technical support to agriculture shall be more and more accompanied by this complementary FAO capacity.

@Marcela: Donors do and can learn. Example: At last farmers are also recognized as genuine researchers in their own right. The EC/INTPA (former DevCo) is presently finalizing a new project "Farmers Organisations Leading Research & Innovation for a change of food systems in response to the COVID-19 pandemic (FO-RI)" (Concord/PAFO)

As Freire highlights, illiteracy is just one manifestation of the injustice people have faced and that to resolve this we need to link reading the word to reading the world - hence a much wider process of reflection and action - within which the capacity to communicate (through literacy / language / technology etc) plays an organic part

Dear @Marcela other questions: 1. How is the digitalization of the economy expected to shape the dynamics of power dynamics, participation, community engagement and endogenous development approaches? What are ways to influence the outcomes of digitalization for local development?2. David or Robert: Can you approach patron client relations in a positive light at the same time as trying to facilitate transformation rural development?3. @david and robert: how does local radio and local language as ways of communicating in order to have full participation is part of your approaches.

Thanks Adriano and Andrea - the work which Dimitra clubs and FFS already doing hand in hand with communities in several countries makes me very enthusiastic, as Ali is sharing just now ! What David said about breaking down the barriers and branding of our tools really resonates. we need to put communities first and ourselves last

Les approches communautaires doivent s'inscrirent dans le cadre de programmes/d'interventions plus globaux afin de faciliter d'autres initiatives (nutrition, resilience, etc.). A bon entendeur

Great session, congratulations to the organizers, moderator and all panelists

When we started Reflect, everyone talked about setting up Reflect Circles in each community. After a while we discouraged this and said that people should name their own centres / circles / processes as that is key to ownership. So Dimitra Clubs might be a great shorthand term to use in FAO but people in each community should name their own club or process.

thank you for this great webinar and looking forward to the others in this series

FAO is supporting community engagement for empowerment though the FMM (Flexible Multi-Partner Mechanism)

Adriano Campolina is the Team Leader of the Rural Institutions, Services and Empowerment Team (RISE) of FAO Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equity Division.

@Arch. I evaluated 40 years ago Paolo Freire in Guinea Bissau. Poor take up when political analysis first. Great take-up when functional literacy was linked to middle man abuse (capacity of understand sales figures of agricultural produce)

Thank you to the organizers for a useful and very informative webinar. Brilliant facilitation, as usual, Dear Marcela!!

@Katrien Thank you for participating, we will keep all of you posted about the next appointments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XT9pUGxnxM

How FAO promotes community engagement for empowerment through the FMM mechanism

Can we think of ways to make the Dimitra approach a standard way for FAO to engage with communities in the field?

very informative and excellent facilitation

Thanks to organizers, presenters, facilitators, chairs and participants for a truly stimulating session

@Marta thank you for participating!

Again, are we leading by example/walking the talk regarding biases, power dynamics, participatory approaches, etc.?

Framing any relationship as Patron-Client embeds an inevitably problematic power relationship

love your thought about "lateral learning" and "relationships" @robert chambers

peer learning is very important in Comm for behaviour change that in work on HIV/AIDS and reproductive health has much evolved and we could learn from that sector

This webinar has been excellent, thank you to the facilitators, organizers, presenters and participants. Looking forward to the next ones.

#Justice #Peace #Love

Good change mix !

One of Freire's last books was Pedagogy of Love

Community movements that struggle for access to assets often get bogged down in actions redressing historical injustices. Is there a shortcut to transformation and development.

thank you all for a wonderful event

zimbabwe's experience with training for transformation could as well be an source of inspiration also on the part of monitoring by communities

Many thanks to the presenters, organisers, facilitators and participants for an inspiring webinar and rich discussion.

@Maria Angela, I agree. In this context is often difficult to prioritize gender equality or for them to do self-reflexivity on internal power dynamics

Thank you to presentors and the exchanges.

Nous, depuis l OMS, avons utilisé les principes FFS por lancer une initiative pour éliminer la bilharziose en Asie

I am attending lots of webinars on Food Systems transition. Lot's of redundancies (also from FAO). This DEMITRA webinar is an exception. Let's go to the basics of empowerment (in this case to master food sovereignty) - literacy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restorative_justice

very informative webinar. many thanks to the organizers. it was really beautiful.

https://www.who.int/laos/news/detail/16-10-2017-cl-swash-video-production-on-khong-island-champassack-province

thank you david that is very powerful language of power is according to me key

If questions were not answered please write to us and we can convey the questions to our speakers. Write to: eliane.najros@fao.org copying also huda.alsahi@fao.org Thank you!

Thank you very much and see you on March 11 for Webinar 2 of the Series about “Community engagement for gender equality and women’s empowerment”. Stay tuned

Thank you for the wonderful webinar!!

Thanks to all! And thank you Marcela!

Thanks indeed for the organizers and the resource persons that validate my approach so far in facilitating farmers to cope better to the consequences of climate change. I feel confident that my work is in the right direction, but yes, I still need to do the reflection. I am pleased to see you again Prof. Chambers. Greetings from Indonesia. Yunita T. Winarto, anthropologist from Univ of Indonesia.

Thanks a lot to everyone, in particular those behind the scenes (Eliane, Andrea and Christiane)

It has been really great opportunity for me. This is the very centre of my work.

Happy to follow up with anyone who wants ti sustain the dialogue - david.archer@actionaid.org and do look at https://www.reflectionaction.org/

We will send the information of next four webinars by email. Next session on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment on the 11th of March. Stay Tuned!

many thanks Christiane, Andrea, Eliane and Huda

@lois don’t forget Huda

and thanks to all presenters for your inspiring words

And Huda of course*

Thank you to the great speakers, all the participants and to Marcela for her wonderful moderation

thank you eliane, andrea and Christiane (behind the scene) this was a wonderful time together

excellent! yes, many thanks to the organizers, and excellent facilitation and speakers

@David Thank you! Perfect

@Lois, you are always so supportive! :-)

@Ben, Thank you your support as well as Isabelle and Nathalie, really Thank you!!!!

Excellent event. Congratulations to the organizers and great facilitation Marcela!!!

Congratulations to the organizers!

Anecdote qui édifie

Félicitations à Tous. Merci beaucoup pour ce partage.

@Thank you Susan, indeed great facilitation Marcela, thank you! @Clara thank you!

Knowledge is power... Here comes power again

Great anecdotes Marcela!

Feminist research ethics!

Whose Reality Counts?: Putting the First Last 1999, Robert Chambers

power is there to be deconstructed

Comme disait Amadou Hampâté Bâ: "Un vieillard qui meurt, c’est une bibliothèque qui brûle" .. Let's continue spread the word about DESIRA's relevancy in the present crisis mood

well yes..but I fully agree with Marcela that knowledge is relative..if everybody would set out assuming that we don't now (relating to the anecdote of Marcela), community, facilitators, initiators.. we would already begin to change the power system

We don’t share the same values but we think we do

Sorry DIMITRA+

Thank you Marcela for sharing your thoughts

Instead of always telling “them” what to do, maybe just ASK ‘them”?

Many thanks Marcella for you great facilitation and for your support to community engagement work

Excellent way of concluding. Gracias Marcela!!!

This calls for institutionalizing and scaling up the Dimitra Clubs' approach and gender transformative approaches further within FAO and partners

Indeed, many thanks and congratulations to the Dimitra clubs team!

Yes!!

MERCI POUR CE WABINAIR ON DIT SOUVENT:"Qui a planté un arbre n'a pas vécu inutilement"

Thank you!

So beautifully concluded @marcela

Merci Thank you to our speakers!

Thank you very much

merci beaucoup et aurevoir

Thank you all

Congratulations for the wonderful event!

Great session thank you

thank you!

Thank you, everybody