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CELEBRATIONS
Completion and a New Beginning
By Phil Bartle, PhD
Training Handout
A party is not a vacation from your work, but a vital part of it
Organizing and implementing community celebrations are hard work, and are important and vital parts of mobilization.
Once you might not have realized this; for pupils and most workers, a celebration is an exciting break from the monotony of work or study. For you, the mobilizer, it is part of your job description.
As well as the obvious time for a celebration (ie the completion of a community project), you should encourage other celebrations through the process: fund raising harambee, laying a foundation block, cheque handing-over, finishing a key phase (walls, roof, painting) and other key turning points.
Drumming, dancing, plays or skits, parades, talent shows, and other entertainment or semi-entertainment, should be included in every celebration. Invite local amateur culture groups and school groups to perform. Ensure some "big-shots" attend, to make speeches of public praise (but not to politically hi-jack the celebration), and invite the press and media.
Why?
The celebration adds public recognition, validation and legitimacy to the whole developmental process, not just the project.
It is a good venue for raising awareness, improving transparency, and making the community project a more high profile activity.
With the executive, plan and organize well. Do not do everything for the executive.
Encourage, praise and advise, –that they take charge. See "Celebration."
Enjoy.
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Project Completion; Ceremony & Celebration:
