Community Formation in the context of Chins
Building community is very important for those who
have common values, interests and identity. The concept of community is very
much similar with fellowship. The English dictionary defines the meaning of
community, in short, as “a group of people having common interests” and further
other meanings as well. Whether or not having our own community gives us
benefit is debatable. However, for Chins, founding community and fellowship has
been popular since the start of the exodus of refugees to neighboring countries,
esp, India and Malaysia. People had initially no ideas of what the community is
whilst remained inland in Myanmar under the regime control as no functions of
today-diasporas Chin community never existed before. The sense of community forming
was emerged from a group of exile minority, first in India then to Malaysia.
Thanks to those who fled to India and Malaysia a decade ago and founded
community in a small scale, but it is being yielded a great amount of profit so
far. The impact is far-flung reaching. In fact, the inceptive idea of
communities or organizations sprang up in countries, whereas Chin refugees are
resettled, stems from the result of knowledge gained from India and Malaysia.
At some points, much of on-the-ground research and experiences over four years in
this field is penned down here.
Despite the fact that the majority of Chins were adhered
to one kind of community structure—bearing Chin name for several years, a detrimental
separation was began by the middle of 2005 due to a variety of issues, of which
lack of leadership skills, wrestling for status, and lack of management knowledge
and vision were badly ignored. That I am
moved to further discuss in details as much possible as I could in the
following finger-pointed sections.
In a glance at first, if taken some background history
from Chin communities formed in India and Malaysia, communities, such as, village-based,
track-based and tribal-based fellowships, are easily created with little
understanding of norms and needs of community and what community represents. It
serves, in nature, a particular group of people and providing services at high
level for the mutual benefit of those groups. But, sadly speaking, many of Chin
leaders selected are unthinkingly proud of getting status, such as, chairmanship,
coordinatorship, and secretaryship. As such, dirty politics follows in fear of
losing status in the exercise of the so-called election. At worst, election is
conducted according to the creation of flawed by-laws and regulations by those
who have unreliable knowledge or good education about policy and regulation,
except for some hints of colonial era regulations and those of the military
regime. A subsequent repercussion is, elections, I personally witnessed, become
selection rather than election essentially to vote for strong leadership. This
is becoming a common practice in the current circle of Chin societal
leadership, including both the area of secular community and organization and the
religious segment Church that tie-knits the social core of Chin society for
more than three decades.
More importantly, compromising on secularism and
religionism in decision making process is so epidemic that many selected
leaders often times do not know what their roles are and what to do with people
in the community they lead. Not surprisingly, traditional and cultural concept
within the frame of leadership realm is highly compromised, but still the best
option for those who cannot see better. Truth, if you think a second time, you
may agree with this statement that bringing the old-fashioned ideology of the
mid-twentieth century from the poorest country in the world to the society of third-world
developed countries, such as, Australia, USA and other Chin resettlement
countries and running community with that conception is no better than the idea
of teaching the ant about internet. This is the cost of getting no education,
on other hand. Then, instead of instilling passion and practical endeavor into
building a vibrant community, many community leaders befall victims of the
community they lead. Again to quote in-depths from Rev. Dr. Duh Kam in his
preaching on January 19th 2014 at VCBC (Victoria Chin Baptist Church) in Melbourne, Victoria, over 40 years the entire
Chin society ceased to learning which, in reverse, makes us fight, criticize,
blame each other and some issues are beyond resolvable. It is completely true for Chins. And very
perceptive analysis.
The dilemma that needs to be turned over
There might be lots of reasons why communities are
likely impossible to move forward and could not progress as they should. Yet,
the primary facts would be linked to a comprehensive knowledge of
organizational, management skills that move any organizational structures go forward.
However, these key movers are hardly seen in the forms of Chin tradition-based
community. So, the consequences are enormous; as if an incorrect laboratory
measurement in a hospital can kill a patient, and similarly, an inaccurate
financial report can turn even the best investment sour. A greater problem is,
community key persons are visionless because of shortage of systematic education.
Only very handful might, perhaps, be responsibly willing to be committed to
what faces community. Two-thirds of those key figures are regarded nurturing no
desire to respond to what does not produce profit for them. How dim-witted they
are!
Sometimes, it would be so good to let it just a dream
when saw the self-claimed community leaders hindering the educated and the
able-man whom they know they can do better, by all means, from becoming their
replacement. It is known as an act for defense of their status. Subsequently,
there is no inclusiveness, that gathers ability and capacity, but exclusion
system, that get rid of resources, is widely executed due to leaders being
extremely narrow-minded. What is more is that some leaders, though obtaining
high-level education, still apparently follow the path of the very unwise and
old-fashion trends towards constructing community. This is also viewed as acts
of nepotism, favoritism, and partiality. These factors are the sole
contributors of paralyzing community. Having thought many times that it seems
that the only viable solution, even if not the key, for the root cause of Chin
society issue is to have a reliable education—the education that builds society
and helps people see their true values and work in dignity.
Asked the question if the only thing that kills the 21st
century people society, scholars would, I believe, suggest corruption, which is
also vastly setting afoot in Chin community, and of course, it makes many leaders
I’ve seen easily corrupted in terms of financial matter. That really sucks! It
is crucially important that young generations should be influenced by the old ideology
and needing to deny the unrealistic philosophy. Thus, new generations are
challenged to carefully find ways to get out of the dead-community not because
of what they hate but because of the unworkable system.
A win-win
approach that can help us transform community
It is very good for all that people might be able to
maintain their own culture and tradition as are their values, but failure to
interact with the locality value is very dangerous. Once the closed door
parliamentary meeting of Putrajaya government in 2010 come up with the
statement that refugees in Malaysia are just a rubbish and the sole community
problem causer. They need to be cleared. The fact is, the majority population,
80 per cent of Burmese refugees stranded in Malaysia is Chins and most of them
are illiterate and failed to stick with locality ethics. The same principle is
applicable to all Chin communities across the globe, as many are only able to
live like in Chin state. It is purely impossible for them to comply with the
western culture, except for the financial aid. The elder generations are more
likely hardliners, while the young generations are agile and more keen to
learning. Believing that getting involved in local community is essential in
order to get a better ideas and knowledge which is a win-win solution, while
not failed to keep up with our own culture and tradition.
In a broader view, China, once thought the strongest
nation in gripping power on people’s daily dress, was effectively failed when
encountered with the unstoppable globalization. Imagine what might happen to
exiled Chin community in the next two decades. The answer is in you.
In this climate of the ongoing patterns, therefore, the
most important thing many Chin leaders are today not aware of is a thorough research defining what is holding us
back from progressing forward. For that reason, it is time for the betterment
of our society to critically and effectively analyze what we are heading. I
would recommend that driving our people go from bad to good, good to great
requires leaders, who can contextualize our community with practical knowledge
plus organizational and management skills. To possess a good community, good
leader is extremely important. To produce good leader who can nurture good system
in community, the old-fashioned-embedded ideology needs to be washed afresh so
that they might be able to elect good leader not just by seeing the outward
appearance style.
Note: It would be
good to put in thesis writing for those who are undertaking community studies.
This is just a general pretext. Your discussion might add more thoughts.
