Same purpose: Note on Community-Administration-Nonprofit Engagement
Our community has numerous nonprofit and independent organizations established through the efforts of individuals, groups, and the broader diaspora. The existing organizations in our community have already provided a range of services, including humanitarian aid to those in need. The presence of independent autonomous working alongside community administration is crucial for the advancement of the Masalit community for several reasons. We must appreciate and put emphasis on such dual collaboration. We believe it will help foster innovation, promote transparency, and enhance community engagement.
We currently lack such an understanding environment when it comes to interactions between our political, social, and economic-based organizations, particularly nonprofit ones. It is essential that we as community, administrators, and organizations’ leaders understand and respect the boundaries between nonprofit organizations and leadership administration. Even when our goals align, as they do in our case, maintaining clear boundaries and interacting accordingly towards our common goal is vital for the community's overall health, productivity, and development.
Our independent organizations offer diverse perspectives and specialized expertise, while the administration focuses on governance and large-scale initiatives. By respecting these roles and fostering mutual collaboration, we can create an environment that maximizes the benefits for Masalit people in the US and abroad. Our collective aim must be to ensure that both independent organizations and the community administration work together effectively, within established boundaries, to achieve common goals and support community growth.
The Battle against the Obstacles and Challenges Has Already Began
Every cloud has a silver lining. Currently, our effort to form a working Masalit leadership in the US has produced little fruits we can be proud of. We as a community are facing many obstacles, challenges, and problems in our past, present, and future endeavors, in both societal and administrative levels. The problems and the challenges we face in the name of unity, good governance, and for our ultimate goal do not necessarily mean we can’t overcome them. Neither are the barriers in our path unbreakable, nor are they meant to always haunt our community.
We firmly believe that our community continues to make an effort despite some of the setbacks we outlined earlier. In other words, although we have failed to establish a sustainable governance, we continue to try, over and over again to renew or find alternatives. This is true even in times of crisis and divisions. Many form factions because they are looking for answers and bring an immediate solution to the problem (related to the ultimate goal). That’s perhaps one aspect of our observation that gives us hope.
We can identify many examples, especially through the lenses of the times our community has spent in refugee camps. A testament to this premise is the way our community always attempts to rise after leadership falls. Ohio 2022 is an undeniable example. More than that, it’s Atlanta 2024, and other group-based gatherings many of our community members participate to find solutions or contribute to helping Masara at large. Answer those three questions based on the photograph above: 1. What types of organizations have been established in the community through the efforts of individuals, groups, and the broader diaspora? 2. What are some of the obstacles, challenges, and problems that the community is currently facing in its past, present, and future endeavors? 3.What examples can be identified that showcase the community's efforts to rise after leadership falls, such as Ohio 2022 events?
