Asian People’s Alliance for Combating HIV&AIDS

Mr. Prabodh Devkota, Former Asia Regional Coordinator of APACHA shares his experiences and journey with APACHA.

Prabodh Devkota, the former Asia Coordinator of APACHA, who played a key role in reviving APACHA and making it possible for APACHA to emerge as one of the largest mass based and the only multi-sectoral networks of Asia, is leaving APACHA from his direct role. APACHA Team spoke to him about his experiences in building a large network within a period of three years. We hope this experience will be helpful to many of us working in the socio-economic, development and political sectors. Following is the brief synopsis of his interview:

What is the reason you are leaving APACHA?

I have been a part of APACHA since its inception and I have been working as the Asia Coordinator for the last three years. I joined APACHA when it was in its deep slumber, passive and when many people thought it did not exist. We literally started working with a broken table and a chair and now within a short period, things have changed and APACHA has emerged as one of the largest mass based and the only multi-sectoral constituency in Asia. Going back down the memory lane, I feel I have done justice to the network. Time has come to grow more leaders with new dreams and hopes who will take APACHA to the next stage. I believe in growing more and more leaders. I believe that these kinds of systems should outgrow of individuals thereby, creating an open space which in turn will sustain the network in the long run. I want to see APACHA growing further. I am not leaving APACHA totally but as my direct role as the Asia Coordinator.
How do you remember APACHA when you look back at its history?

The concept of APACHA was envisioned back in 2003 when we were drafting The Time to Act Report I. One of our colleagues, John Samuel had these unique political thoughts in mind. The entire idea was to initiate an open space platform where individuals, institutions and activists from different constituencies could take collective actions for a better Asia. During the Bangkok AIDS conference, 2004, a group of likeminded trade unions, people's networks, student unions, PLHA, women's rights groups, lawyers including some INGOS such as Actionaid and people's movement such as People's Health Movement came together to further discuss on this thought. Consequently, the meeting endorsed the launching of APACHA in the Asia region. Following this event, some of the countries tried to launch APACHA initiatives in their respective countries. Countries like Nepal, India, Pakistan and Cambodia did well in its initial phase of mobilization. However, after a year this enthusiasm faded. Gradually, we lost momentum and people considered APACHA to be passive.

When we established the International Secretariat, we literally began with hardly anything. For months we had to go to the cyber café to send emails. I remember those times, when I used to wait for some emails in response to my email and used to feel happy if I got some of them in a month. It was quite a frustrating time in deed. For almost one year I was the only staff trying to manage and cope up with many challenges but gradually we developed a team. I still remember those days when we worked for days and nights to develop our website. I became the editor, writer, news reporter, analyst etc but I was lucky to have a group of supportive people around me. We did not have a board (as we wanted to grow APACHA as an open space platform where there is no vertical structure) so at times it was really difficult to take certain decisions, though we had well experienced people to give us advices. Though things were tough, things worked eventually.
Could you highlight some moments of its revival phase?

Some of us who were convinced with the ideology and political thoughts of APACHA, were constantly seeking ways to revive APACHA. Though we had a group of likeminded people, we were struggling to take actions and make things happen.

Within these contexts, a review took place which helped us identify some gaps regarding APACHA process. In between, I decided to take up the challenge and joined APACHA as the Asia Coordinator. Then after, we decided to establish an independent International Secretariat. We started to connect with country partners, established country chapters, and came up with interim plan and budgets. We came up with our strong website and publications with our alternative thoughts. Our country chapters started to mobilize constituencies in various campaigns such as Universal Access, Women Won’t Wait, UNGASS, World AIDS day etc. We experimented whether we could mobilize mass, media and people and we realized that our strengths lie on the ground. Through our country chapters we continued to strengthen our links with grassroots which has been one of the major strengths of APACHA. We tried to engage ourselves in many ongoing socio-political platforms and campaigns.

Our alternative policy perspectives, our strong existence at the grassroots level across Asia, strategic interventions in various issues and our increasing role as a watchdog helped us gear up our national, regional and global level visibility. Strong teamwork, strategic vision and collective action finally helped APACHA to emerge as one of the largest mass based people's networks and the only multi-sectoral constituency of Asia.
As the first coordinator, how did you make a difference and bring APACHA to this stage?

Well, first of all I did not do it alone and if someone claims that one can do it all alone, I really don’t believe in that. We need a team of likeminded people to make change happen. But yes, individuals and especially those taking leadership make a huge difference, in this regard I think I have tried to do my level best to revive APACHA and I am extremely happy to note that things worked.
Could you tell us what were the key things that made a difference?

I think initiating a vibrant website, launching Country Chapters and developing their systems and strategies, campaign, communication, strategic engagement with some key actors, our strategies of expansion, and our ambition to project ourselves as alternative platform were some of the key strategic interventions that worked well. In the meantime, along with HIV&AIDS, our country chapter's engagement in broader social, development and human rights movements were important milestones for our increased visibility. Most importantly, our attempt to create an open space platform was one of the key factors of success which helped to take ownership of the network and take collective actions.
If you have to pick few key points for the success of a network, what are they?

Well, this is a difficult task. I think having trust on people around you is the key factor in any network or institution. Similarly, strategic vision, understanding the psychology of members, tactics of mobilization and visibility, political thoughts, strategies to enhance a shared sense of ownership, understanding management systems, policy analysis, strategic and open communication and commitment for the cause are some of the key factors to make change happen.

One of the important assets of APACHA is its well thought political and ideological concept. Similarly, it has strong country chapters, visibility, resources, like minded support groups, alternative policy thoughts and strong board and committed members who believe in rights and justice. I think these are enough to sustain the spirit of the network.
How do you see the future of APACHA?

APACHA's unique strength to mobilize multi sectoral constituencies such as trade unions, lawyers, media, PLHA, sex workers, youths, student unions, ethnic groups, human rights groups, women's rights movement and broader social movement groups can offer a good model for global AIDS response. At a time when Social mobilization has been observed as one of the missing links in Global AIDS response, APACHA can offer some alternatives to it. Moreover, not only on AIDS response, platforms like APACHA can be instrumental in addressing other socio-political, development and human rights issues.

I am happy that I got an opportunity to work with such a potential network. Finally, I would like to tell one thing, "The success of APACHA in few years has given me a hope to see social movement as one of the key factors of development". Personally, “my experiment, learning and success of APACHA have been some of the most satisfying assets in my life and career.” On this occasion, I would like to strongly acknowledge support from institutions and individuals who collectively made a difference.