Lucia Lai#IdolaDemokrasi a 5 hours Gameshop, is one of the project under UndiMsia!
Edmund Bon, a lawyer, popularly known as a ‘LoyarBurokker’, one of the volunteers in UndiMsia! said that he hopes UndiMsia! will get the youth to claim ownership of their communities and be problem solvers themselves.
“UndiMsia aims to build a generation who would take up the ownership of this land and solve their own problems,” Edmund said.
“So our target is mainly youth, but adults are welcome too.
“#IdolaDemokrasi is a fun and interactive workshop, using activities to engage the participants in being involved directly, to learn about their rights,” Edmund explained.
“#IdolaDemokrasi will help create awareness on individual rights and needs, and help them know the real power behind all the veil of politics.
“Participants will find out that each of them have a role to play, and if they team up as a group, group action can bring changes and make things happens,” he said.
There are five modules in the Gameshop.
The first module is titled: ‘ Where Do You Stand?’.
This is where participants get to learn where they stand on certain issues and their basic rights in what they believe in, whether they agree, disagree or are fence-sitters.
The second module titled ‘Spaceship’ is where participants are asked to think of five items to bring along on a spaceship as planet Earth is about to be destroyed.
This module focus on the decision-making process in a democracy and how the voices of the minority should not be left out.
The facilitator explains that what we usually want to bring along will be based on first, basic needs, instrumental needs and then matters of self-actualisation.
We need instrumental needs to reach the level of self-actualisation.
Module three is ‘The Problem Tree’ analysis’’ helping participants to identify the root causes and consequences of community issues.
Using a tree diagram, first, they have to identify a problem, then list down the root causes and the consequences.
It was explained that sometimes the root causes and the consequences can be inter-changed, or sometimes the consequence of one problem can be the problem itself.
“In The Problem Tree analysis, many people feel that we go directly to the root causes and attack the root causes, however, we have to also look at the consequences first, before we attack the causes,” said the facilitator.
The fourth module is an interesting module, where the facilitator helps the participants to achieve their A-Ha moment by using the ‘Big Picture’ analysis.
Using illustrations, the facilitator maps out Malaysia’s formal and informal institutions and about what’s happening in the country – politics, education, business, religion, ethnicity, activisim… just about everything is covered.
It reveals how democracy works in our country and the separation of powers between the Executive, Judiciary and Parliament.
What is most interesting is finding out where the power lies, who has the power to change things and who controls most of the power in our country.
Before moving on to the fifth and final module, the ‘Action Pyramid’, Edmund Bon, gave a brief explanation linking ‘the Big Picture with activism’.
The scary thing is, he said, when we looked at the Big Picture, we found that the system is vests too much power on the Prime Minister, Executive and Parliament.
“Therefore it is pertinent that for reform to take place, we have to do something.
“Actions have to be taken, and action starts with us,” said Bon.
Edmund explained the ‘Action Pyramid’ consists of four levels in the pyramid. This includes the “Target”, “Strategy”, “Action” and “Tactic” .
“There is a need to differentiate the roles activists play to ensure the change is effective: 4 – Citizen, Rebel, Social Change Agent and Reformer.
“Society needs everyone to play their different roles to improve their society,” he said.
UndiMsia! had gone to many different states, including Miri, Sarawak to run the Gameshop.
This far, UndiMsia! had conducted 41 #IdolaDemokrasi Gameshops, the last one being in conjunction with Culture Run on January 27, 2013.
Any groups, schools, colleges or universities may request UndiMsia! to conduct #IdolaDemokrasi for them.
UndiMsia! also welcomes volunteers to join their team.
Email UndiMsia! [email protected].
CJMY
