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Mobilizing Assets for Community Driven
Development
Brianne PetersCoady International
InstituteApril 29-May 3, 2013
St. Andrews Debrief
In your opinion, is this a story of community-driven development or not?
What were the factors that led to the success of this community?
How did they mobilize resources to get things done? What challenges did they face and how did they overcome
them (or not)? What challenges do they still face today? Does any part of their story resonate with your
experience? What is your key take away from meeting with citizens of
St. Andrews? Do you have any outstanding questions?
Needs, Assets and Citizens
Neighborhood 1 and Neighborhood 2
Coady International Institute 2011
Coady International Institute 2011
ABCD focuses on the half full part of the glass where the strengths, capacities and assets of the community lie.
For too long community workers have only paid attention to the half empty part: people’s needs and problems
Asset- Based Community Development (ABCD): A focus on assets
Unintended consequences of a needs-based approach
Leadership emphasizes community “needs” in order to secure resources:
“Our people are poor, we need your help!”
Community members internalize what their leaders are saying:
“We are poor, we have nothing, we need help” (a deficit mentality)
A dependence on relationships with outsiders rather than relationships within the community
“We need you to help us because we cannot help ourselves or each other”
Leadership emphasizes community strengths and recognizes the contributions of all community members.
“Look at all we have done in the past. We should be proud.”
Community members internalize what their leaders are saying and feel confident in their abilities and capacity to act.
“Here is what we can do. Lets use our skills to do more!”
Relationships and leadership inside the community are the forces that drive development activities. External actors are attracted to the community’s success. “Here is what we are doing. Would you like to contribute?”
Consequences of an asset-based approach
a growing recognition of strengths and assets in every community
ABCD also emerged from…
And the idea that assets (no matter how few)…
….are resources for making livelihoods and coping with life’s setbacks
….provide us with a sense of identity and meaningful engagement with the world
….provide us with the capacity to act ….motivate us to get involved as citizens
or entrepreneursBebbington, 1999
….and so create agents of development
The Story of my Grandmother
What do we mean by assets at the community level?
Stories Knowledge, experiences, innovations, talents
and skills of individuals Physical assets and natural resources Financial resources Cultural assets (including traditions of mutual aid
and collective action) Rights, claims and entitlements Associations and social networks (including
the community’s diaspora) Local institutions
Institutions Associations
The difference between associations and institutions
Compare and contrast
Focus on needs needs Responds to problemsproblems CharityCharity or entitlemententitlement
orientation Emphasis on external
agenciesagencies Power comes from credentialscredentials “Motivation to act”- incentives, incentives,
terms of employmentterms of employment Goal is excellentexcellent serviceservice People are clients, consumersclients, consumers ProgramsPrograms are the answer are the answer
Service Delivery Responsive investment
Compare and contrast
Focus on needs needs Responds to problemsproblems CharityCharity or entitlemententitlement
orientation Emphasis on external
agenciesagencies Power comes from credentialscredentials “Motivation to act”- incentives, incentives,
terms of employmentterms of employment Goal is excellentexcellent serviceservice People are clients, consumersclients, consumers ProgramsPrograms are the answer are the answer
Focus on assetsassets Builds from opportunitiesopportunities InvestmentInvestment orientation Emphasis on associationsassociations Power comes from
relationshipsrelationships “Motivation to Act” – dreams, dreams,
fears, being asked to fears, being asked to contributecontribute
Goal is community-driven community-driven developmentdevelopment
People are citizens, memberscitizens, members PeoplePeople are the answer are the answer
Service Delivery Responsive investment
Active Citizenship: Horizontal and vertical dimensions
Claiming rights for self and others
Self-imposedisolation, individualism
Strong sense of civic duty: volunteerism, mutual support.Active membership of associations
Passive acceptance of status quo
Needs, Assets and Citizens - Recap
At the core, asset-based and citizen-led development occurs when:
Communities are using their own resources first before trying to get external resources
Citizens (not governments or NGOs) through their local associations are "self mobilizing” or "driving" the community development process
How do you know what you need unless you know what
you have?
“Nobody has Nothing”
These groups are marginalised and harassed : ‘the poorest of the poor’
Similar groups exist
everywhere
What livelihood opportunities are there ?
Scenario 1: Plastic Rubbish Pickers in Delhi
250,000 +, mainly women Pick from garbage, roadsides Know where to go and to sell Low value, mixed varieties and
colours Some recyclable materials Harassed by ‘official’ services, police Provide a valuable service Visible, shameful to ‘image
Coady International Institute 2011
Some of their Products
/
http://www.conserveindia.org
Scenario 2: Landless Women in Kenya Rural community located downstream
Traditional basket-weaving skills
Dwindling natural resource base:
Soil erosion is widespread,
crop disease is common, nearby lake is being overtaken by water hyacinth (a weed)
Long-standing trade arrangements with upstream communities
Status in the area is attached to quality of housing
What really happened?: Landless Women
These women collected the water hyacinth (a weed) and adapted their basket-weaving skills to construct furniture for trade with upstream communities.
Scenario 3: Street Kids in Khartoum
Organised in gangs Ruthlessly harassed: tough and
determined Energetic, strong, young Know the city, in spite of no maps or
street names or numbers Keen to learn
What really happened?: Street Kids
They organized into a tour guide association.
Scenario 4: Ex-Prostitutes in Los Bagnos
Out of work; American base closed Young, attractive Good at selling Know how to deal with authorities Know the streets
What really happened?: Ex-prostitutes
Scenario 5: Crazy bikers in London
Passionate about motor-bikes Own and cherish fast machines Deal in drugs and stolen goods to ‘feed’
their passion Used to coping with the police Know the fastest route to everywhere Compete fiercely, but strong
cameraderie
What really happened?: Crazy bikers
http://www.dtdc.in/
Bottom Line: Nobody has Nothing
Everyone has something to contribute
Courtesy of Peters Kenyon, Bank of IDEAS
Every single person has capacities, abilities, gifts
and ideas, and living a good life depends on whether those capacities can be
used, abilities expressed, gifts given and ideas
shared.
(Jody Kretzmann)
This afternoon: Hearts and Hands Art Studio
Meet at 1:00pm at Morrison Hall doors Walk down to the Tall and Small Café Take a tour of art work Return to St. Ninian’s Place to see and
hear more Wrap up at 3:00pm