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T7: Historical Timeline Resources and Services
The historical timeline is an excellent tool to start building rapport with a community. This activity can provide both the facilitator and participants with insight into how participants perceive their past and which events they perceive as most important. It generates discussions and understanding of how past events have contributed to shaping, either positively or negatively, conditions in the present. This tool has been adapted to the context of animal welfare [50], and can be used to create a timeline of animals’ history in the community, including events such as their introduction to the community, changes in the way they are used, disease outbreaks, and external factors or events that affect their lives and the community members who depend on them. This tool works well when carried out with community elders.
The value of this exercise lies in the discussions that take place during the process of developing the timeline, rather than recalling or remembering every event. Discussions can highlight important issues in the lives of animals and their owners, help identify critical drivers of change and root causes of the current situation. Discussions can uncover patterns of reoccurring events and their perceived impacts. Finally, the historical timeline can act as a retrospective learning activity to bring participants’ attention to significant events, occurrences or changes that happened, and promote awareness and commitment to sustained change.
| Tool purpose: | Time needed: |
| • Generate understanding of major past events community members perceive to be significant to the lives of animals and people. • To understand changes over time regarding working animals, their use, the livelihoods of community members who depend on them, and/or recurrent shocks or trends which influence the vulnerability of communities and their animal • Can identify key policy focus areas, or key government stakeholders or potential project partners helpful to addressing issues of shared interest. | 2-3 hours |
| Materials needed: | |
| Cards, pens/markers |
Keyword Search Tags
Project Phase:
Initiation Phase
Approaches for Working With Communities:
Community Development Approach
Project Support:
Participatory Learning and Action Tools, Needs Assessment, Gender Analysis
Specific Topics: Animal Husbandry and Management; Livelihoods, Vulnerability/Resilience
Historical Timeline
The historical timeline (figure T7) begins in 1950 when the first Community Leader was elected. The first animal (ox) was purchased by Omar in 1969 and the second animals (donkeys) were purchased by Asim in 1980. This exercise was done as part of the initial interaction with the community during the rapport building phase and generated an interesting discussion on animal ownership and use in the village.
| Historical Timeline | |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Draw a line on the ground and show that one end represents the beginning point in lifetime of the eldest participant and the other end represents the present. Ask what is current and what is past, letting participants define the past. Begin the discussion by asking participants to identify significant events in their community and write them on cards. They should identify whatever they feel is significant without any constraints at this stage. |
| Step 2 | Ask participants to identify which of the significant events are important to their lives and the lives of their animals. Which events that have shaped the lives of working animals, their use of them, or the related benefits they obtain from them? Have participants organise all identified events in chronological order. Start with the earliest event at the top, gradually adding all later events until they reach the present at the end line. Please note: Recalling specific dates and times can be challenging. It is more important to have the events in chronological order. Encourage participants to think about the events in relation to each other or in relation to other well-known local or national events. This will enable them to work out the sequencing of events along the timeline, without wasting time agreeing on precise dates. Then identify significant milestones or events to add to timeline (both positive and negative) related to the history of working animals in their community. Consider using the following to guide the discussions: • When were the first working animals introduced? • Environmental catastrophes e.g. earthquake, hurricane, tsunami, and/or floods • Introduction or occurrence of disease epidemics/outbreaks, human or animal (e.g. cholera) • Availability of services and/or resources within the community e.g. water point construction, health centre construction, animal health service providers • Introduction of new technologies e.g. animal traction, animal cart/harness design, mechanized transport, or machinery (e.g. tractors, ploughs) • Introduction of new practices e.g. building household or communal animal shelters, soil or water conservation practices, improved farming practices, food/feed storage • Introduction of new income generating activities e.g. construction jobs, renting animals, selling goods/services, sale of home-grown food production • Major seasonal changes (e.g. longer dry/rainy season) • Hard times when animal owners had to sell animals or other assets to survive • Periods of political change, major conflicts, civil unrest, war Consider asking: • Which actors or stakeholders were involved in the major developments or events? • Are there any other key milestones or turning points which, you feel shaped these events, either positively or negatively? Place added events within the timeline in relation to the first event (or beginning of the timeline). Give participants time to respond individually. |
| Step 3 | Once all events have been identified, ask participants to confirm that everything has been captured. Make necessary adjustments until participants are satisfied that the timeline represents the perceived history of their lives and lives of their animals. |
| Step 4 | Discuss events that participants are interested in and inquire about events that you are particularly interested in better understanding. If this activity was conducted separately with men and women, rather than collectively, bring the groups back together to compare the two timelines as appropriate to local context. Use the following questions to help guide the discussion: • Did any of these events lead to or cause another? • Which of these events were major obstacles or opportunities to improving the lives of working animals and people who depend on them? • How were the obstacles overcome? • Are any obstacles, issues, or challenges recurring? • Are there any other noticeable recurrent patterns of events? If comparing the timelines between two groups (e.g. men and women), ask participants whether there any similarities and differences in events on each timeline or perceived significance of events similarities? If yes, why? You may do this together if contextually appropriate. If done collectively between men and women, you might ask which events are most significant for men and women. Alternatively, you can compare the two results yourself and follow up with men and women participants independent of the group scenario to gain a deeper understanding of significant differences. |
| Step 5 | As a final step, ask participants what activities and events, if any, are planned to enhance their lives or the lives of their animals? |
| Step 6 | Once the timeline is complete, take a photo or record of the chart on a piece of paper, ensuring the community has a copy for their records. A copy is retained by the facilitator for future reference or planning. Add any notes or interesting points to your project action tracker. |
Facilitation Notes
- Aim to include a broad cross-section of animal-owning household members from the community, across multiple generations.
- If it is not possible or locally appropriate to do the exercise collectively with both sexes, consider conducting the exercise separately with men and women. Each may recall different events due to the impacts these events had on their lives.
- If possible, invite 10-20 people to participant in this exercise.
- Do not lead participants into identifying events that are not important to them. While asking probing questions, emphasize including only events that they perceive to be important. Events should not be included simply because you inquired about them.
- Encourage participants not to spend too much time engaged in a discussion about the exact date of events, or precisely defining timeline intervals. Make it clear that discussion on the order of events is more important.
- The timeline tool can be challenging to facilitate. Maintain the focus and get broad participation. Carefully manage controversy and mitigate arguments should they arise.
- Participants may find it difficult to relay events in a chronological order. People often use a local time frame that may be different from a traditional calendar year. Use your judgement to enable them to articulate time in a way in which you can both relate.
- Disagreements may arise through discussions on controversial past events. Try to:
- Mitigate potential disagreements and blame by keeping participants focused on facts; who did what and when they occurred.
- Not to force a conclusion, as there may be different interpretations.
- Have participants add their differing interpretations to the timeline.
- Ask participants to explain the event from their perspective.
- Include multiple timelines to reflect differing views of a single event/actor. Views can be further reflected on in subsequent discussions at the end of the exercise.
Next Steps
In order to better understand the lives and context of the animal owning community during the initiation phase, consider using the following tools in addition to the historical timeline:
- T1 Mapping to understand the community’s perceived welfare issues.
- T11 Change Analysis (T11a Changing Trend Analysis) to know how change happened from past to present
- T4 Daily Activity Schedule to know when best to meet with men and women or children; to understand differing roles.
- T6 Seasonal Calendar to identify periods of scarcity, highest risk and when animal body condition and/or resources supporting animal health and welfare are the best/worst.