7 - What is faith-related community development?
Faith based community development is a way of empowering communities to work for change. It springs from a holistic view of the community, which values and dignifies everyone. It focuses particularly on disadvantaged and excluded communities and groups, enabling people to develop skills and confidence, and participate actively in bringing about change. The main features are:
This is developing a community profile and analysing the local, national, and international policies which might affect it. A community audit is one way of doing this (See Factsheet 2 – Community Audit).
What is the current situation? How could it be better? What role can the group play? When moving from vision to planning for action, it is best to work out small, achievable steps.
Building links with other organisations, where this can help achieve your objectives. Alliances and networks also provide a way to channel the experience of what is happening at the community level.
This could be through getting funding or by linking groups to outside resources and expertise.
Encouraging service providers to adopt a community development approach. Empowering people and groups in the community in their relationships with service providers and policy makers.
Training people in the skills they need to achieve their goals. (Capacity building is explored in Factsheet 9).
PROFILING & POLICY ANALYSIS
This is developing a community profile and analysing the local, national, and international policies which might affect it. A community audit is one way of doing this (See Factsheet 2 – Community Audit).
DEVELOPING VISION AND PLANNING
What is the current situation? How could it be better? What role can the group play? When moving from vision to planning for action, it is best to work out small, achievable steps.
NETWORKING
Building links with other organisations, where this can help achieve your objectives. Alliances and networks also provide a way to channel the experience of what is happening at the community level.
SECURING RESOURCES
This could be through getting funding or by linking groups to outside resources and expertise.
NEGOTIATING
Encouraging service providers to adopt a community development approach. Empowering people and groups in the community in their relationships with service providers and policy makers.
CAPACITY BUILDING
Training people in the skills they need to achieve their goals. (Capacity building is explored in Factsheet 9).
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“Reflection is like prayer; it isn’t the absence of activity, it’s activity that can unlock great power in its own right.”
Participant in Cambridge seminar
