Open Forum from the date of its inception has been very actively participating in the community mobilization activities, through its various programmes and activities. Community Mobilization Programme engages all sectors of the population in a community-wide effort to address a health, social, or environmental issue. It brings together policy makers and opinion leaders, local, state, and federal governments, professional groups, religious groups, businesses, and individual community members. Community mobilization empowers individuals and groups to take some kind of action to facilitate change. Part of the process includes mobilizing necessary resources, disseminating information, generating support, and fostering cooperation across public and private sectors in the community. Anyone can initiate a community mobilization effort, the community members; partner Organization’s staff, People of Open Forum, staff of state or Govt. of India. All it takes is a person or a group to start the process and bring others into it.

We, at Open Forum, have defined community mobilization as a process whereby a group of people have transcended their differences to meet on equal terms in order to facilitate a participatory decision-making process. In other words it can be viewed as a process which begins a dialogue among members of the community to determine who, what, and how issues are decided, and also to provide an avenue for everyone to participate in decisions that affect their lives. Unfortunately there is little formal organization and strategizing around community organizations which could potentially serve as a means to address their needs. This sense of immobility arises from a number of factors: (1) the misperception that politicians and bureaucrats will alleviate their problems for them (yet the problems of corruption and poor administration are evident), (2) a lack of expertise amongst the community to facilitate such organization, (3) the unwillingness of the community as a whole to give up individual interests to form a broader cooperative, and (4) an extreme shortage of available resources to facilitate the mobilization process. The organizing structure presented here is based on the concept of self-help, encompassing various distinguishing features of community development theory, practice, and ideology. While it is not assumed that all of the problems of the community where we work can be resolved by community's efforts alone, it is seen as a means of achieving broad community participation and effort. Through this means it is suggested that the living conditions, facilities and services of the community will improve, along with the empowerment of the community.

We believe community based programme and its success depends on active community participation. Community participation is voluntary and democratic involvement of elders, local and religious leaders, institutions and organizations. It includes community action and decision - making in planning, implementation and monitoring of the programme which leads to self reliance, ownership and sustainability of the programme. Here Community refers to a village or a group of villages with families inhabiting them, who are dependent on one another in their day to day transactions of mutual advantages. Community Participation is active involvement of people in planning, implementing and monitoring of Government Programme which is for their well-being. Community participation is not just utilization of services and being passive users. Community Mobilization is the process of bringing together or empowering members of the community from various sectors to raise awareness on and demand for a particular development programme. It facilitates change and development taking into account the felt needs of the community and leads to community organization. Community Organization is the process of organizing the community in such a way that they can identify and prioritize their needs and objectives, develop confidence and will to achieve them by finding resources through cooperative and collaborative attitude, practices and community participation.

Behaviour Change Communication (BCC)
Community mobilization through Behaviour Change Communication and Inter-sectoral partnership must complement vector control efforts. Behaviour Change Communication activities are crucial for community sensitization and participation so as to demand development activities and programmes. Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) is a process of learning that empowers people to take rational and informed decisions through appropriate knowledge; inculcates necessary skills and optimism; facilitates and stimulates pertinent action through changed mindsets, modified behaviour. It is more evidence-based; cost-benefit oriented and aims towards pre-identified actions, outputs and outcomes amongst the target audience. Salient components of BCC campaign include: Advocacy, Inter-sectoral convergence, Programme communication (IEC) and Monitoring & Evaluation. Advocacy aims at developing enabling environment by sensitizing the political leaders, elected representatives, planners, media and eliciting commitment from them for advocating appropriate interventions. Thus, priorities are defined, appropriate policies are framed, sufficient resources are allocated and directions are provided to the implementers, thereby facilitating availability and accessibility of services. In addition, correct reporting, sustaining positive messages and countering negative stories by the media are also ensured.

Inter-sectoral convergence is crucial in bringing together all partners (NGOs, Faith-Based Organizations, Community-Based Organizations including Residents’ Welfare Organizations, Self-Help Groups and professional associations like Medical Associations, corporate sector, etc) to comprehend felt needs, disseminate information and crossreporting, and facilitate delivery of services in a collaborative manner. Communication through media-mix (mass media, inter-personal communication, etc) is required for strengthening: knowledge, beliefs, values, attitudes, confidence; enabling environment; and reinforcement of knowledge, action. Appropriate BCC materials, messages should be developed. (please see protype IEC material) ‘Influencers’ like school children/teachers, opinion leaders, informal healthcare service providers, elected representatives; medical professionals must be optimally utilized for IPC so as to initiate mass clean-up campaigns, source reduction and environmental sanitation and adoption of personal protection measures.

Why mobilize the community
We believe that community mobilization can:

•	Infuse new energy into an issue through community buy-in and support.
•	Expand the base of community support for an issue or organization.
•	Help a community overcome denial of a health issue.
•	Promote local ownership and decsion-making about a health issue.
•	Encourage collaboration between individuals and organizations.
•	Limit competitions and redundancy of services and outreach efforts.
•	Provide a focus for prevention planning and implementation efforts.
•	Create public presence and pressure to change laws, polices, and practices - progress that could not be made by just one individual or organization.
•	Bring new community volunteers together (because of increased visibility).
•	Increase cross-sector collaboration and shared resources.
•	Increase access to funding opportunities for organizations and promote long-term, organizational commitment to social and health-reated issues.

Communities can mobilize to work for changes that will benefit the social, emotional, financial and physical needs of citizens. Each community is a microcosm of a nation. It includes a dozen publics. It is the educational and professional groups, members of fraternal organizations, women's and garden clubs. It is business and industry, civic leaders, youth, media, labor and church leaders and the elderly. It is the community at large, which may react differently as a group than its members would as individuals.

Mobilizing the community begins when:

•	Concerned citizens organize to take a stand.
•	Needed community changes are determined.
•	The public is concerned about the problems and need for collaboration among the community groups and individuals.
•	The community at large is involved in the situation.
	Emerging community leaders are recognized and encouraged.
	The efforts for change are kept going after the coalition is ended.

Prerequisite for Mobilization
When individuals and organizations come together to work on an issue, it is common to see them scramble over "turf" issues and for multiple, unrelated programs to result. The group needs to come to a consensus of moving toward collaboration. For this to happen there needs to be time allowed for trust building. This is where the different individuals and organizations examine their capabilities and motivations. Ideas are exchanged, problems resolved and participants learn to give and take. For successful coalitions to happen, working relationships must be developed between each member of the coalition and the groups must put the plan into practice. Coordinating mechanisms can help. In addition, it is necessary that any collaborative effort be as open as possible. Involve the broadest circle of agencies and organizations to encourage collaboration around the common issue. It is essential that any collaborative effort does not threaten or duplicate existing efforts on the same issue. The coalition also must recognize that the public will be pushing for action and results.

What is needed to Mobilize a Community?

•	Concerned citizens ready to take a stand, say they want something different and are willing to work to see it accomplished.
•	Emerging leadership that inspires and guides the project.
•	A common community vision of the results.
•	Involved people who recognize that the means to achieve their goals will vary but who support the common goal.
•	Recognition and encouragement of those who contribute to reaching the goal.
•	Specific plans and goals to reduce impact of at-risk situations.
•	Leadership that encourages, builds and finds strategies but doesn't become the focus of the situation.
•	Recognition that human relationships are important.
•	Time.

Who Needs to be Involved?
The natural allies for mobilization are those persons who have a common interest in an issue. This can include community-minded individuals and all persons and groups affected by the issue. It is important that the group have linkages either by representation or delegation to the power structure, government agencies, key communicators, advisory boards, local businesses and educational institutions. Membership in a community coalition falls into three categories:

•	Activists who take an active role and provide leadership, write grants and serve on subcommittees and steering committees.
•	Helpers who work on a limited basis or on specific designated tasks such as letter writing, newsletter distribution, etc.
•	Communicators who share the work of the coalition to the outside through educational sessions and coalitions with other groups.

Strategies to Use
Various strategies are used to form coalitions. It has worked successfully to form an organization of the diverse groups who have a common interest, identify and recruit potential members, and establish a governing board. The coordinator of the group facilitates the decision-making process and helps members work together. Due to coordinating effort and visibility, formal groups are able to carry out large projects. Unfortunately, this strategy requires more time and effort to develop and operate. Another strategy is less formal and can be applied to a community of any size. It targets particular segments of the population through building informal networks.

Methods
Various methods for mobilization can be used, including a town meeting approach or speakouts. Their common factors are they are process oriented activities and include individual, follow- up and concrete portions. The initial large meeting allows for education and suggests the democratic process. Sign-up sheets at this meeting will help with the next phase, which is done by subcommittees who follow through on assignments and issues. It is here the individual is recognized and appreciates the openness. Finally, there is the concrete work of the subcommittee that shows the community they are working for change.