SOFT HISTORY
The SOFT has a rich history. The dream of having an organization to support facilitators emerged as people working with participatory group facilitation methods were sharing approaches that worked in their practices.
After the first Training of Facilitators (ToF) in Sakrand (Sindh) 2001, a core team of facilitators emerged as a professional facilitators and trainers from the prestigious institutions working in agriculture sector in Pakistan. This fabrication process of facilitators extended its network and spread to the other provinces especially in Punjab.
The first ToF in Punjab started under the umbrella of National IPM Programme, Pakistan and FAO-EU Cotton IPM for Asia from April 2002 in Bahawalpur and produce 25 facilitators along with 125 IPM farmers. In 2003 the majority of the facilitators from ToF 2002 facilitated the IPM activity through ToF, Farmer Training of Facilitators (FToF) and Farmer Field School (FFS) in their respective districts. 4 ToF were organized one each in Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Vehari and Lodhran and produces about 102 facilitators along with hundreds of IPM farmers. In 2004 again two FToF one in Dera Ghazi Khan (Nat-IPM+NRSP) and one in Bahawalpur (Nat-IPM+WWF-Pakistan) were organized that produce 47 facilitators.
The continuous increase in cadre of facilitators demands a platform from which they keep them organized and utilize their skills and expertise with full potential for the sustainable development of agro-socio-economic environment of farming community along with its associated stakeholders.
To keep the need of the facilitators a society named Society of Facilitators and Trainers (SOFT) is proposed and designed to work for the better use of national investment through a proper and effective manners.
The SOFT is the recognized source for credible and valuable professional help for practicing facilitators. SOFT members future objectives are to work and consult with corporations, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, schools, educational institutions and communities in an out of the country. They want to contribute to organizational and social change using applied group process methodologies.