Community Development - Community Development - Lecture Slides, Slides of Human Development

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Asset Based Community Development

Why A B C D?

• Opportunities disparity (for marginalized populations and communities) - Inconsistent and shrinking funds/resources - Shrinking political will - Victim-blaming - Unsuccessful social policies - Communities and their residents are disempowered

My first lesson in Mapping Assets

Traditional development vs A B C D

• Needs, deficiencies, problems
• Negative mental map
• Client mentality
• Resources go to social service agencies
• Undermines local leadership
• Dependency
• Separates community
• Outside in
  • Capacities, assets, dreams, strengths
  • Optimistic mental map
  • Citizen participation
  • Minimizes bureaucracy, resources to community
  • Builds local leadership and confidence
  • Empowerment
  • Builds connections
  • Inside out

What’s good about A B C D?

• Begins with what the community/individuals have
• Can begin/be sustained without funding, grants
• Builds leadership
• Builds internal connections – no “them” vs “us”
• Builds connections between community and the outside
• Issues and solutions defined holistically – as they are experienced
• Self-sufficiency/empowerment can be built

Outside in – solutions come from outside,

self-definition – broken, dependent on

agencies

Inside out - solutions from inside,

community fabric is built, self-definition -

resourceful

Hear the difference

• “Our purpose is not to help people. Our purpose is to build a different kind of neighborhood for us all.”
• “Everything we do is intentional. It all serves to build reciprocal, supportive relationships.”
• “We are committed to building a stronger, more diverse community, a community that extends hospitality and welcomes the contribution of everyone. A strong community is where everyone contributes: young, old,disabled or otherwise. Participation creates a happier, healthier, more productive community.”
• “Building relationships is what it’s all about. The networking, the one-on-one relationships – that’s what builds inclusive neighborhoods for everybody.” From Rans, SA, Green, M Hidden Treasures: Building Community Connections by Engaging the gifts.. 2005 ABCD Institute

Principles of A B C D

• Asset-based
• Full participation/full contribution
  • Everyone is important
  • Mobilize all gifts, all creativity
• Relationship-driven
  • Builds capacity, creative solutions
• Internally focused - local solutions
  • More successful
  • More efficient use of resources
• Creates citizen space

A B C D Processes

• Map of community’s assets
• Individuals mobilize, contribute gifts, talents
• Internal connections
  • Develop a vision, “common good”
  • Define and solve problems
  • Multiple pathways for leadership
• External connections
  • Reinforce internal strengths
  • Appropriate to community’s vision

A B C D and Service Learning

• Core principles of social justice and equity
• Respect for the community and its individuals
• Paradigm shift – missionary mentality
• Paradigm shift – community-driven vs research- driven, funder-driven
• Conceptual framework/tools to understand communities

Institutionalization of service-learning will

depend on the “transformation of a set of

elitist, self-referential academic assumptions”

Zlotkowski, E. 1995