 
Featured programme - Earthquake RehabilitationCommunity Images After the 512 earthquake, people from all over the world gathered at the disaster-stricken area to help in the rescue and reconstruction work. Together they provided massive practical and spiritual support. However, in the long, lengthy road to reconstruction, the key to sustainable livelihood lies in the participation and aspirations of the community itself. PCD is supporting Sichuan 512 NGO Service Centre to launch the programme, “Survivors Filming Stories of Their Own Communities” in an attempt to use community images to raise awareness of the need for community work. Through activities where earthquake survivors do their own filming, the tenacity and the strength of the community demonstrated in the reconstruction process will be conveyed. In doing so, this programme aims to strengthen the community’s sense of belonging, encourage participation in the reconstruction process and foster deeper recognition of the importance of local community development.
Five NGOs that have launched reconstruction work in the area will take part in the 18-month programme. One to two villagers in each community will be selected to film their community's reconstruction process. When completed, the films will be shown in tours at different project sites. The whole process will be documented as a means to encourage reflection among participating communities and organisations on community and cultural reconstruction. This will also help in building experience of “using community images as a means to foster mutual help and reflection in communities.” For PCD, filming community stories is a completely new approach. While the focus of the programme is on film-making, the primary aim is to use this as a means for reflecting, raising awareness and fostering community support in the process. How a community tells its story, and the discussion this will generate, between communities and between communities and participating organisations, can significantly influence how we think about mainstream development culture. Using powerful images, the process and the discussion will help to foster interaction and exchange within communities. This could be a strong example for more community organisations to get involved. The five organisations taking part in the programme are: Aibai Chengdu GLBT Youth Centre, Chengdu Ye Cao Cultural Communication Centre, Liang Shuming Rural Reconstruction Centre, NGO Disaster Preparedness Centre (NGODPC), and Maoxian Promotion Association for Development. A total of eight villagers are taking part in the programme. Following the idea of community film-making, last January PCD launched a three-stage training programme. This was targeted at PCD’s project sites in Heshang Village in Xiaojin County, Aba Autonomous Prefecture and Xiaoer Township in Gong County. The training was also delivered to partners of post-disaster reconstruction programmes in Jiange in Guangyuan, other NGOs that have launched community film-making programmes, the Programme Committee, and organisations participating in the PCD programme. |
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