Nurturing the links between neighbourhood responses and broader systems change

Who we are

As AFFIRM we are a community of practice that:

• embraces associates and affiliates (see below) from any part of the world
• works together to expand the understanding and practice of HCR in communities and organisations.

We believe that:

• communities can make decisions, care, act together and change themselves
• this is best achieved through facilitation and learning in communities
• the role of a facilitation team is to accompany and mentor local implementers
• learning from local experience catalyses responses at multiple levels
• this approach, though developed in the context of HIV, is effective in responding to other critical issues including Ebola
• any critical issue (including HIV, AIDS and Ebola) is an entry point to engaging with life and health
• faith and personal spirituality are often central to people’s capacity for coping, changing, and sustaining hope.

We aim to act as a facilitation team in response to invitations from people and organisations that wish to:

• experience, understand and promote the development of people’s capacity for response
• transform organisations
• learn personally from local experience
• influence policy
• facilitate organisations and teams in a systematic engagement with local response
• work together to promote and disseminate learning from local action and experience.

Associates and affiliates

As associates we are each a person (rather than an organisation) who, regardless of age and profession:

• has a commitment to action as a member of facilitation teams and regularly practises facilitation as a team
• shares a vision of strengthening the capacity of local communities to respond to HIV, AIDS, Ebola and other conflict issues relating to health and development
• demonstrates a belief in HCR - the practice of participation and facilitation and the process of learning from local action and experience
• demonstrates 'learning potential' for HCR, and sharing capacity (rather than only existing expertise) combined with respect for human and spiritual sensitivity
• shares the vision that people with HIV or Ebola, who are often desperately poor, have potential to develop a multi-faceted response
• acts, through facilitation team practice, to foster the release of latent potential in local and organisational situations that are in a 'plateau' or actual paralysis of thought and action
• commits to actively participating with others in a facilitation team context at least twice annually, in order to renew personal commitment and shared vision
• is prepared to respect and support faith-based responses in the context of HCR.

Our affiliates each:

• shares in AFFIRM's vision of HCR
• practises facilitation - preferably
• can't (for personal, work or geographical reasons) actively participate in the development of this work by taking part in faciliation team activities twice a year
• promotes HCR amongst our own sphere of influence
• may provide financial or other practical support, especially as a faithful parter.

For more information about joining AFFIRM contact us.

Notionally we're based in the UK.