Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.
— Jane Howard
Unity requires a collective moral force, together with a great leader. Ancestors unite the clan, and heaven unites nature. With unity the time is right for great deeds.
— I Ching
Clan associations have always played an essential role in preserving cultural heritage, promoting social cohesion, and providing community support. However, these traditional institutions need to adapt and reinvent to remain relevant in today’s changing times and societal structures.
To ensure their future success, clan associations must embrace technology, engage with younger members, diversify their offerings, and foster partnerships while staying true to their foundational principles. One of the critical challenges facing these associations is reaching and engaging younger members who are more accustomed to digital communication.
To address this challenge, clan associations must have a strong presence on social media platforms that are popular among youth, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. By sharing, engaging on relevant content about cultural heritage, traditional customs, and community events, they can attract and retain younger members.
Associations should use visual and video content to showcase their events, cultural activities, and customs, making them more appealing to younger generations. They should also encourage young members to create and share their content on social media by using specific hashtags, running social media contests, and sharing their experiences and stories.
Active youth engagement and empowering young individuals with leadership opportunities and responsibilities are essential for the long-term sustainability of clan associations. Involving youth in decision-making processes, event planning, and community outreach can ensure a seamless intergenerational transfer of knowledge and responsibilities.
To attract new and retain existing members, clan associations must organise events and activities that resonate with the interests and aspirations of their community. In addition to traditional cultural festivals, they must consider incorporating workshops, seminars, and talks on relevant topics such as career development, personal finance, and mental health to demonstrate their commitment to the holistic well-being of their members.
Clan associations must diversify their offerings beyond cultural preservation by incorporating career development workshops, skill-building programmes, and entrepreneurship support. These initiatives will contribute to the community’s economic growth as well as individual prosperity.
While implementing these initiatives, they must balance preserving cultural heritage with diversifying their offerings by finding ways to incorporate new activities while still maintaining their traditional customs and practices. A good way of finding balance is by identifying the most relevant and meaningful aspects of their cultural heritage and incorporating them into modern activities.
Another way to balance cultural preservation with diversification is by actively seeking out and incorporating new cultural perspectives and practices into their offerings. Clan associations can encourage members from diverse backgrounds to share their cultural traditions and practices and incorporate them into their events and activities.
Clan associations should not isolate themselves, but must also partner with other community organisations, non-profits, and governmental agencies to enhance their impact on society. These collaborative efforts can amplify their resources, increase their influence, and address societal challenges more effectively.
Above all, clan associations must have a strong, capable, and forward-thinking team of leaders who can provide strategic direction and make an impact on the community they serve. By addressing declining membership, financial sustainability, leadership transition, and internal conflicts, clan associations can strengthen their impact, preserve cultural heritage, and continue serving as pillars of support within their communities.
Ultimately, clan associations must innovate, communicate effectively, and provide meaningful experiences that resonate with the values and aspirations of their members to continue to serve as pillars of cultural preservation, community support, and unity while charting a path towards a vibrant and interconnected future.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the New Sarawak Tribune.
