According to a new paper from the Carnegie Trust, asset-based community development approaches help us to begin to open up possibilities for how we begin to make real changes locally, that can benefit people, planet and place for the long-term. In other words, they can help us to build communities that are just, sustainable and resilient.
According to the paper:
It’s almost impossible to find a single definition of asset based community development approaches - one that will sit comfortably across many spaces and different traditions.
However, what we can do is to try to piece together some of the common themes so that we have a starting point from which to begin to discuss such approaches. The approaches are frameworks - maps or conceptual scaffolds that help us to understand how local development can be initiated and driven by the communities themselves. Such approaches:
- Begin from and focus on the strengths of a community.
- Suggest that development can be community or outsider initiated as long as it is ‘by the community, for the community’.
- Seek to build or release the capacity of community members to continue to drive their own development by starting with what already exists in the community.
- Build on a social justice approach by seeking to build inclusive and resilient communities
The paper can be downloaded here - What are asset-based approaches to community development?
Comments are open at the bottom for you to add your thoughts. Any and all input welcomed.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Fri, 18 June, 2010 2:05:31comunity development/social inclusion/cohesion
From: Richard O Leary View Contact
To: National Rural Network
Cc: oleary_richard@yahoo.com
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From: Richard O Leary
To:National Rural Network
cc: oleary_richard@yahoo.com
Sent: Sun, 16 May, 2010 19:52:03
Subject: Community Development
Building a better community,social justice approach,inclusive, where did I hear this before.
Please read what has been taking place in my community.
As a former board member of a Community Development Group it seems that there is a systematic campaign to axe the social inclusion,local and community development programs,no more so than the cohesion process that took place between a former C.D.G and a Leader company as a result the Dept responsible say this new coherent arrangements one integrated local Development company will provide a single access point for all,and will improve services on the ground with a greater emphasis on social inclusion.Streamline the funding, proper use of resources,
This I am afraid has been handed over to a Leader company that’s far removed from from social inclusion,this is very evident in their actions a business driven top down approach.
It has raised serious questions to the commitment by the Leader company their chairperson,board an chief executive as well as the Dept responsible, to the community and groups they represent it was very strongly argued that the ethos of the two programmes were different and if brought together the social inclusion and community Dev would be lost. I am afraid it has already been tarnished by the way it was carried out in a dis empowering manner.
Questions that need to be answered:
Why was a Community Dev group whom had a strong representation of board members with a committed staff plus an office in an established location now closed, some staff relocated to a Leader office,other staff members were supposedly to have taken voluntary redundancy, the manner and treatment of the staff leaves questionable the method that was used and what procedures were followed.
In a process that was agreed by both boards on the selection of a new C.E.O the former manager of this group whom got the position,this seems was not accepted by the Leader Company, and was then treated in a deplorable manner by this company now gone why and by whom? It is now questionable that the C.E.O now in place is from Leader, how did this process come about? and who decided this? and to add insult to this the Dev Groups office was closed and after closing the door this new C.E.O took of to America for a holiday the day after, what an insensitive and arrogant way of treating the people that have been affected by the actions of this company.
Interesting that none of the Leader Company’s staff were given redundancy.
The company’s statement about moving to le cheile family resource centre to provide the services is just a smokescreen an would not have been considered if no one asked or questioned what was happening,it now seems that one staff member has been allocated two days a week so much for improving services on the ground.
The response from the Dept to these concerns is even more concerning stating that it has no role in the internal operations of this company or staffing matters, that is all very well but it was their minister that was so adamant that this cohesion process was the only way and are now stating it has nothing to do with what is happening, so much for bottoms up approach (MINISTERS FAMOUS SAYING) this is very much a top down driven agenda.
I am afraid this so called partnership is very much a one sided affair what an insult to the people that made this Community Group a model for those who worked to bring a more inclusive society to all in our community’s, it is interesting that an organisation that is supposed to be committed to empowerment and social inclusion is acting in a manner using a top down business driven manner if this is not addressed we are leaving it in the hands of those who like power and greed and have no time for people that are marginalised in our society and what is evolving at this new cohesed company someone needs to convey a strong message or is their a reason behind their silence? YEAR 2010 EUROPEAN YEAR FOR COMBATING POVERTY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION I WONDER?
Their needs to be full accountability around these issues and the way they have been implemented.
I hope the points that I have addressed will be given the attention it deserves.
Former Board member of Development Group now gone.