MODA has initiated a new project aiming at achieving sustainable strategic structural and functional co-ordination and partnership among organizations belonging to the same ethnic or cultural community. This initiative will first be tried with all Kurdish community groups in London.

Context - There are many intrinsic and environmental reasons which entail moving away from small fragmented models of organizational activity and service delivery which are criticized by both funders and users for their duplication, waste of resources, short term durability, and lack of strategic vision and quality-assured sustainable service delivery programmes. It is clear that with the almost total disappearance of core funding and moving away from piecemeal project funding to a more strategic joined-up programme funding in line with government’s plans for public services and the role given to the voluntary sector for contributing to delivering them through strategic partnerships, it has become vital for small community organizations to act swiftly and decisively to develop more sustainable and feasible strategic organizational structures which would allow them to be part of the process rather than being marginalized and even facing extinction as a result of emaciated resources.

Response - The most obvious logical response to this situation is for small organizations to come together. MODA believes that BME community organizations and refugee and migrant groups in particular are the ones which will suffer most from the current changes in funding environment and thus the ones most in need to embrace new structures and strategies of survival and development.

Consultation and democratic debate - MODA’s philosophy is to work with community groups rather than working for them. We will not be prescriptive about the styles and models of partnership working and strategic co-ordination. MODA’s role will be to guide and facilitate a process of consultation, debate, creative thinking and commitment to working together. The outcomes will be developed and decided by the participating organizations.

Pilot project - MODA’s pilot project will be to engage with and engage Kurdish community organizations in London through a process of creative exchange of ideas, experiences and aims.
The ultimate aim is to agree a workable strategic partnership model which will allow Kurdish community organization to have better access to funding and resources through developing shared strategic planning for offering long-term qualitative services to Kurdish community to respond to their immediate needs and encourage and support a longer process of creative integration in British society guided by citizenship and democratic values.

Positive response - Initial verbal responses of all major Kurdish community groups have been positive and welcoming. The first meeting for all Kurdish community organisations will take place next week. If you are a Kurdish group and want to participate please email us now for further information.

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