Those in
touch with urban poor development processes in Asia will know of the
significant impacts of Thailand’s unique and innovative Urban Community
Development Office . As of 28th of July the UCDO has by law
officially merged with Thailand’s equivalent Rural Fund to become a new
public organization called the "Community Organization Development
Institute" - CODI.
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This merger is very important since it will break
the former restrictions and limitations of separate urban - rural
development directions and allow more learning and integration among rural
and urban community organizations in the same provinces. Both rural and
urban communities will be able share their development process through the
support of the fund.
CODI will have an initial
budget of around 3,100 million Baht ($US77 million) and although under the
Finance Ministry, the new organization will be administered by an
independent Board comprising 4 members from Government, 3 social experts /
NGOs and 3 community representatives. It is intended that organization
be highly decentralized and will be mainly managed and operated from each
region by communities and other development groups.
There will be a very small CODI staff to facilitate.
Somsook Boonyabancha (the present UCDO Director)
will oversee the merger and says that for the time being, we do not think
that CODI will need too much money, but its existence will boost the
community's financial sources from their own savings and credit activities
and additional support loans can come from the new fund.
Financial support is, indeed, just one of the
tools and one of the elements for structural development. CODI can be more
strategic in linking communities to work to address their structural
development activities together on issues such as land, resources,
welfare, community enterprise, environment, poverty, etc.,. It can also
act a bridge to other larger financial sources as well, if necessary. The
former urban process can remain the same if not become broader.
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Coming soon in August:
The newsletter will detail how urban poor communities and the UCDO
have responded to the challenge of the "Asian Financial Crises"
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