Purpose: To understand what local or national events the community considers being important in its history.
Time line is a method of knowing a list of major events in the history of the community. This method is also known as historical time line of a community. The facilitator prepares the time line through discussion with small groups or elderly villagers in detail with reference to the important changes that have taken place in their society in past and has impact on their economic, social and agro-ecological life. These significant events asked in oral form can be documented for later use and serves as the base for further work.
Time line records could include, forest history, diseases, diets etc. These discussions provide a good opportunity to ask elders or any other long term resident about previous trends and traditional responses, as well as about possible opportunities to resolve current problems. The facilitator team can only assist by asking probing questions. The community institutions, such as church groups, self-help-groups, political units or the local administrations and both men and women should be included to get their usually different perspectives. The timeline with basic events can be used for focused discussions on problems, social and technological innovations or on communities’ history of co- operation and activities which helped them to solve the problems of past successfully.
Participants