A blog about communities, by community members for the world.

Powered by the Bench Marks Foundation

www.communitymonitors.net

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The Website

www.communitymonitors.net

www.communitymonitors.net

www.communitymonitors.net

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www.communitymonitors.net

Easy to navigate

Mobile phone friendly

Easy to share on social networks

About the Website

• The website was launched on 25 July 2012 and has since been populated with insightful, informative and relevant information for communities.
• This website is a space for community activists to share information, resources and experiences.
• The focus is on community action to stop the practices of private corporations and the omissions of governments, which results in destruction to community life and the environment.
• While the action groups participating on this site are largely centred in Southern Africa , it is intended that the network of relationships extend to groups  who share the same goals and values across the globe.
• In the Community Monitors School, we’ve worked with activists develop their skills in information gathering, writing, and communications, using local media and the Internet. We create activity that would help raise their level of awareness about themselves , their communities and the world.
• The 2012 programme of the Community Monitors School includes 6 community groups in South Africa with a total of 85 participants.

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www.communitymonitors.net

How are we posting on the site

The post come at this stage via a selected group of individuals. That means it is not open. This group is made up of the following:

• Community School Facilitators
• Appointed individuals from areas in South Africa where there are no schools yet or facilitator( e.g. Limpopo, Middleburg, Soweto)
• Appointed individuals from partners organisation in the sub- region( Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
• The Bench Marks Foundation Coordinators Team

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www.communitymonitors.net

Meet the Activists

www.communitymonitors.net

The Stories

• A total of about 56 Stories has been published on the site since the launch.
• A variety of topics and issues which directly affect communities.
• Also, the stories on the website are seen as an alternative to mainstream media and what is mostly covered about these small communities.
• Each province/school deals with issues both unique and universal.

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www.communitymonitors.net

Ekurhuleni

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Illegal Mining in Springs

What is causing Climate Change?

Service delivery and Unaffordable Electricity in

Kwa-Thema

Elder women evicted from RDP houses

Youth in Drugs and Alcohol

Free State

www.communitymonitors.net

The Consequences of Illegal Mining

Sewerage that poses a health threat

Differences in Diversity

Unemployment Post 1994

Beware of Thugs around Mannys

Klerksdorp

www.communitymonitors.net

Asbestos, a silent killer

Kanana/Orkney Mining History

Electricity Problem in

Ext 24

Water supply cut in Dominionville

Bucket system eradication

Mpumalanga

www.communitymonitors.net

Community Mapping as a Monitoring tool

Living with Mines

Highveld Community Monitors

( Mpumalanga)

Illegal Dumping sites in Emalahleni

Rustenburg

www.communitymonitors.net

Lack of Transport in Mafenya

Segwalane’s hazardous neighbour

The Rasta’s Struggle against the Mines

Bapong Community Strikes

Poor Service Delivery at Segwaelane Clinic

Vaal

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Tire Recycling in Vaal Community

Sebokeng Sewerage Problem

A Booming Hotspot for Illegal Dumping

Government plan to pump acid mine drainage into the Vaal River

The early orange free state

• The website’s growth is owed to the dedicated work of the monitors/activists in each community.
• It is also reflective of the improvement in skills such as writing, research and using the internet as a resource.

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www.communitymonitors.net

Publications

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The website has made a variety of publications available for free download, including previous issues of Action Voices (Action Voices is an annual publication by BMF, which promotes the work of the Community Monitors Programme. ) and Community Reports written and compiled by Bench Marks Foundation.

Resources

www.communitymonitors.net

Our Resources page has made materials used at our workshops available on the website to the public. Each document is also downloadable for free and they are continually updated with each workshop.

Community Maps

Community Monitors Network is proud to be utilizing mapping as resource to assist communities to further cover issues affecting them directly in their areas by using maps to mark areas that directly affect their lives on a daily basis.

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www.communitymonitors.net

The Rustenburg Platinum Belt Map

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Over the next couple of months we’ll be placing a special focus on Rustenburg’s Platinum Belt. A Map detailing the areas which are affected by platinum mining as well as highlighting areas which our dedicated community monitors will be covering in detail. This process will be facilitated and managed by Olebogeng Motene.

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www.communitymonitors.net

Social Networking

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Monthly eLetter

Facebook Group

Facebook Fan Page

www.communitymonitors.net

The Monthly eLetter

www.communitymonitors.net

Every month, we select some stories and themes covered in the website, compiling them into an eLetter.

The eLetter is sent to 549 people around the world.

Go to www.communitymonitors.net to subscribe or simply give your email address to one of the coordinators.

Monitoring Action Facebook Group

www.communitymonitors.net

Monitoring Action is a space for open discussion and sharing of ideas, information and experiences among community activists.

Conversations from the FB Group

www.communitymonitors.net

Facebook Fan Page

www.communitymonitors.net

The Facebook page is directly link to the website’s activities and is meant to update members on the latest articles and activities by Community Monitors Action Network.

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Any Questions?

www.communitymonitors.net

Contact Us

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For more information email: info@communitymonitors.net

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Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CommunityMonitorsNetwork

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Thank you to the Bench Marks Foundation for supporting The Community Monitors Network.

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www.communitymonitors.net