Introduction

The idea for training of facilitators in rural development and poverty eradication was first conceived by the ASEAN Experts Group Meeting on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication, held in December 1997 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.  It is one of the priority projects of ASEAN to implement and realize the Framework  ASEAN Plan of Action on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication, adopted by the ASEAN Ministers on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication at their Inaugural Meeting in October 1997.

In view of the similarities of this project and a proposed output under the ASEAN-UNDP ASP-6 Program on Support to Facilitate and Monitor ASEAN Economic Recovery, the Second Meeting of the ASEAN Task Force on Social Safety-Nets, held in August 2000 in Jakarta, decided that the two projects be integrated.

The main objective of the training program was to contribute to the improvement of capacity of social planners and civil society including NGOs to manage poverty alleviation programs through mobilization of existing social resources and partnerships between GOs and NGOs and/or social organizations to minimize the social impact of the crisis including those related to social safety net services. 

Organized by the National Family Planning Coordinating Board of Indonesia (BKKBN), the training program was conducted from 10 to 24 June 2001, consisting of three phases, namely National Orientation/Briefing on 11-13 June in Jakarta, Field Observation on 14-20 June in Yogyakarta, and concluding Workshop on 21-23 June in Jakarta. The training program was attended by 28 participants from ASEAN Member Countries and the ASEAN Secretariat.

By the end of the training program, the participants developed a Plan of Action on Poverty Alleviation for their respective countries based upon the poverty alleviation programs in their own countries and lessons learned during the training program. The participants also noted the importance of subsequent training programs of this kind in the near future for ASEAN countries and the need for extending networking among poverty alleviation facilitators in the region. Of equal importance, there was a suggestion made by the participants to organize forum/meeting/gathering among the ex-participants of this training to exchange their experiences in following-up the Plan of Action developed during the training.