Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR)

In November 2007, a large group of community leaders and their supporters from 21 Asian and African countries gathered in Bangkok to talk about the financial systems that poor community organizations are building and managing themselves, to support their initiatives in housing, land, livelihood, welfare and a host of other development activities. This report describes the important discussions that took place during that meeting, which was an important milestone for the community savings and fund movements in Asia and Africa. The meeting was jointly organized by four organizations:

Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR)...

This international meeting on community finance, savings and community-managed development funds has been organized at a very crucial, historical moment in our global society. We will continue our search for new ways of making development by people, on a large scale. The world we live in has changed, and we need new ways to make change possible - by people - and by a new system of finance - by people and from people. And this meeting is the biggest gathering of people who actually believe in this kind of new development. So it means something.

Over the past decade,...

Jockin: We are now going to introduce the African teams, and then the Asian teams. Then I'm going to ask Rose Molokoane to invite each country to report about their savings schemes in their countries. And after that, Asia. I am ready to tell all of you something about ACHR culture and SDI culture; we are not going to do everything like the NGO does. We always try to do the things that the communities initiate, we start the way they want to start. I want all of you to think - all your country leaders - when you come...

In today's session (also held at the CODI office), the meeting divided up into smaller groups, for more focused discussion on several themes which have emerged in recent years from the savings and credit movement around the world. We present here the detailed discussion from four of these sub-group discussions: savings; community funds; networking and partnership; beyond housing.

What are the weaknesses and strengths of savings? What are some examples of where the savings schemes have been successful and where they have not been so successful, not growing? And how can we make the savings process stronger?

(Thailand): The strength...

Morning program : Entire group visits Government House

"People's Diplomacy" - Visit to Government House, to have a dialogue with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Development and Human Security, Mr. Paiboon Wattanasiritham, and other ministers.

African groups sing their greeting to the Deputy Prime Minister : "Zenzele! Oooh Laa Laa!"

Somsook: Invites the participants to meet, share and express their appreciation to the Thai government policy which has opened up a national process for communities to lead and own their own development process. Introduces the visiting groups from 20 countries: South Africa, Namibia,Zimbabwe, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda,...

Somsook: Don't have too many illusions about what is happening here! (After Lajana and Pakistani delegates give a glowing and complimentary report on all they have seen in Thailand) But don't have too much illusion, be careful. Because all the things you are seeing here in Thailand is not something permanent. At a certain point of time, like today when you visit, everything is very nice, and very good. But things can change very fast. In three months time, the government in Thailand will change. Next year I will no longer be the director here in CODI. The policy may...