The Blue Community in Asia is a relatively new achievement in our global Blue Community network. The first organisations joined just over a year ago. Since then, however, the network has grown rapidly. Today, there are already 13 Blue Communities in this chapter, one in Central Asia and 12 in South Asia (see here). The Blue Community in Asia is a success story!
So far, all Blue Communities here are NGOs, active in a wide range of activities. The exchange with and among them takes place in a specific Blue Community South Asia WhatsApp group.
With a dozen Blue Communities in the region, the need for localised coordination is growing, particularly in India where the Blue Community movement is strongest. To strengthen the Blue Community Network and the position of each Blue Community, we need to strengthen shared identity and involve institutions such as municipalities, universities and water services.
The Blue Community Network therefore initiated a discussion for a regional coordination being set up. As the Blue Community is not an organisation, but a network, there is no formal procedure to set up this coordination. Any representative of a designated Blue Community can assume a role and be part of it. All that is needed is the commitment to participate or to approve a mandate for this coordination.
The mandate of this coordination is also not pre-given, but will be defined by the Blue Communities and the coordination itself. As in other regions, it could cover some of the following areas:
- Promote and represent the Blue Community within the region.
- Invite new potential partners, especially institutions such as municipalities, universities and public water services, to become a Blue Community.
- Assess the commitments of organisations/institutions applying to become a Blue Community and join the network.
- Coordinate regional activities/campaigns.
- Coordinate commissions, e.g. on project cooperation, fundraising, etc.
- perform any other tasks in line with the core values of the Blue Community.
The discussion started and we are looking forward to see a regional coordination to be established soon.
For the Blue Community Network
Roland Brunner
