At an initiative of a number of communities supported by UNDP, the SGP-Mongolia has been taking a lead role to organize the first ever Community Development Festival (Naadam) in June 2006. This Community Development Naadam will be a good opportunity for rural community and SGP grantees to exchange experiences and lessons leaned in their nature protection in harmony with their income generating activities.
The Development Naadam will allow for space to be created and hosted by at least 100 community representatives that will provide opportunities to:
?Celebrate success ? by showcasing best practice, cultural events and exchanges, innovative technologies etc.
?Share knowledge - by presenting local initiatives and exploring how other communities might learn from and apply lessons learned, and ensuring that the messages of the community leaders are communicated effectively and clearly; and
?Inform policy ? by identifying the key factors that have enabled local success and articulate this in the form of policy, and helping ensure that the community voice gains recognition at the formal deliberations
The Development Naadam will celebrate community-based initiatives, innovations and solutions to address existing challenges and problems. Representatives from various communities will present and demonstrate best practices and innovations how potential untapped resources are locally utilized and capitalized.
It will enable communities to directly approach scientists, experts and government officials, exchange new and innovative ideas, learn from each other, and most importantly to determine where they are now and where to go to improve their ability and capacity in dealing with environment and livelihoods by displaying traditional community technologies and products (not including handicrafts) which are in harmony with nature.
The event also creates the opportunity and space for rural communities to meet and share their wealth of practical experience of life in rural and urban communities. A particular focus will be on the sharing of practical solutions to many of the problems of community and regional development and so provide practical ideas to the decision makers to develop and improve proper policy and legislation for social, economic and environmental development at the soum and aimag levels. At the centre of the Development Naadam a space for dialogues will exist to facilitate group discussions, presentations cultural events, craft shows, technology demonstrations, small business presentations, and press and media interactions.
The Development Naadam in promoting and supporting community voices will explore key themes that are of direct relevance to the UNCCD including:
1.MDGs ? the Development Naadam will explore how communities generated solutions and practices contribute to the achievement of the MDGs and the improved and sustainable livelihoods options.
2.Capacity building ? to enable community people share with, and learn from each other about the management and sustainable livelihood practices, for example in the processing and marketing of products, natural resource and environmental management, trade and economic development.
3.Partnerships and Participation ? it is hoped that the Development Naadam will help promote partnerships of various types to promote the sharing of lessons and best practice, means to influence policy, and ways people can work together to resolve specific community problems.
4.Dialogue between all stakeholders including community members, leaders, representatives of civil society, government officials, experts and specialists - the Development Naadam as part of commemoration of 800 year Anniversary of the Mongolian Statehood, thus giving an opportunity for interaction among national leaders and community leaders. Direct dialogue sessions will be organized on specific themes.