4. THE ART & THE SCIENCE OF CB
STARTING POINTS
ART
• How we do capacity
building is as important,
than the what we do;
• Role of co-discovery,
facilitating, listening; and
• Good capacity building
ultimately provides
opportunities for
communities to lead in
the response.
SCIENCE
• Tools are useful, but
‘one size fits all’
approaches are not
• Measurement is critical
and needed – but we are
not very good at it;
• Systems are essential.
9. MANDELA SAID…
“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this
struggle of the African people. I have fought against
white domination, and I have fought against black
domination. I have cherished the ideal of a
democratic and free society in which all persons live
together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It
is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve.
But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared
to die.” Mandela
10. HE DID NOT SAY…
“I have a 3 point plan which outlines our vision on how to
end apartheid through the creation of:
1) A free and fair society;
2) A democratization process; and
3) An increase in equal opportunities for all.”
11. UBUNTU
“A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others,
affirming of others, does not feel threatened that
others are able and good, for he or she has a proper
self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she
belongs to the greater whole and is diminished when
others are humiliated or diminished”
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 1999
12. UBUNTU AND CAPACITY BUILDING
As long as there are employees who think of themselves as ‘little
people’, the work of Ubuntu is not finished
Considers the success of the group above that of the individual
With trust and respect, others will give you the benefit of the doubt.
Without trust and respect, motivational techniques come across as
manipulation
Does not mean respecting bad work. It does mean respecting the person
who does the work.
If you allow differences to define a relationship, you will always be at
odds with others. Ubuntu asks:
What do we have in common?
How can we best work together?
• Developed from ‘Ubuntu!’ Stephen Lundin and Bob Nelson
13. WHAT COULD THIS MEAN FOR CAPACITY
BUILDING OR PARTNERSHIP?
• The Art and Science of Capacity Building has its place;
how and what we do, but it is not enough. Yet, it is
where we often focus.
• Change is designed to make something from the past
better. Transformation creates a new future, not bound
by what was. “A butterfly is not a better caterpillar”.
14. • Leadership that transforms, is largely about how we
think, act and communicate from the inside out.
Leaders don’t talk about plans first, they
communicate their purpose, belief, or cause. Martin
Luther King had a dream….not a 12 point plan
• Ubuntu inspires us to see that we are linked,
together and that diminishing another only diminishes
us. That we are partners.
No sure I like the title I gave to this presentation – perhaps saying we often fail is a bit harsh, but we don’t do as well as we could…The better title might be what I have learned about CB and partnership.
I will talk about 4 ideas and if all goes well two things will happen: 1) you will assist me to continue to think through how we work together to create the kinds of partnerships and capacities we want for one another and our communities; and 2) we
WHAT WERE/ARE WE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. What were we hoping for.
tools, processes, systems – but we tried to do it well, in partnership, listening…The why was because orgs needed to have systems in order to receive and effectively use resources from donors…not too inspirational.
In CHANGE mode, the desire to improve the past directs what we do. The past sets boundaries and constrains possibilities. CHANGE makes the system better. In TRANSFORMATION mode, the future directs your actions and only the limits of imagination and courage constrain possibilities. TRANSFORMATION causes new systems to emerge.
A personal story or what I sometimes refer to as my ability to master the obvious’ Strategy for the North - HIV and AIDs in conflict areas. What I thought would be my experience and what I found. Maslows hierarchy of needs – basic needs, survival. We knew the ‘givens – risky behavior means increase liklehood of AIDS – not condoms and unprotected sex,
I want to be a nurse when I grow up. My older brother drew this picture of me. I decided I wanted to be a nurse because, when my siblings and I were young, we caught measles. None of us was immunized and my little brother died. When I grow up I am going to treat sick people like my brother. I hope the war will come to an end so I can get on with my studies.
16 June 1964: Eight men, among them Nelson Mandela who was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rivonia trial, leave the Palace of Justice in Pretoria with their fists raised in defiance through the barred windows of the prison van
Ubuntu is an African concept focusing on relations with each other. Nelson Mandela gave 1/3 of his salary to the Mandela Childrens’ fr scholarships for children who demonstrated Ubuntu in their communities.
The last one is the definition of partnership…
Anti-gay bill, Uganda and the changes to the Hiv and AIDs legislation. I have been grieving some of the losses we have made in the response to HIV and AIDS. But I realized yesterday, again, that I do not despair. The courage, the commitment, the fact that people will talk about the difficult issues. No despair and for that I thank you.