The Global Practitioner: Making

sense of community Development

M. Teresa Martínez

IACD Latin America Regional Director

What is Community Development?

• CD is about bringing social change and justice in the communities and balancing power relations.

• CD is predominantly community-led and not led by external institutions, NGOs, government agencies or corporations.

• CD is about unmasking causes of oppression and tackling inequality

• CD aims at building relationship and social capital, and bringing about social cohesion

• CD promotes participation and ownership by the community

• CD values internal and external knowledge to the community

• CD initiatives should respect the pace of economic and social development in a specific area, region, country. All communities are developed.

What CD is not?

• CD is not just about the economic growth and regeneration.

• CD is not just about measuring/achieving targets (this is one of the mistakes of the current CCF)

• CD is not a participatory process led by experts

• CD is not about imposing our own model of development in other countries or breaking existing patterns.

• CD is not about territorialism and maintaining the status quo.

What is ABCD?

• Appreciating and mobilising individual and community talents, skills and assets (rather than focusing on problems and needs)

• Community-driven development rather than development driven by external agencies

ABCD builds on…

• Appreciative inquiry which identifies and analyses the community's past successes.

• The recognition of social capital and its importance as an asset

• Participatory approaches to development, which are based on principles of empowerment and ownership.

• Community economic development

• Efforts to strengthen civil society.

Case Study 1: Research and Community Development

Working with indigenous people affected by the Oil Industry in Latin America.

Oil Spill

“ I want to live healthy and strong”

Flying over Sarayaku…

Building Bridges“…yes, you are here because you want to know about our experiences with the oil companies, and you want to hear the opinion of the women and the elders as well, so if you want to do something that is good for us too, this is the way...you have to cross the bridge and visit me in my house… you look, and listen, and respect…and then we talk…and work together, this is the way to do it…together”

Rebeca, Sarayacu community

Building Bridges Methodology

•Relationships

•Reciprocity

•Participation

•Emancipation

Case Study 2: One Planet Food-IACD Global Village Residency

One Planet Food Statistics

• Worldwide, 1 billion people don’t have enough to eat. Many of these people live in countries where food is being exported to Scotland and other rich countries. Our food security in Scotland should not be achieved at the cost of other people’s food insecurity.

• Around one third of our greenhouse gas emissions are from food.

• We also waste nearly a third of the food we buy. We throw away as much salad as we eat. Disposing of food waste to landfill uses energy and produces methane.

• In Scotland we import four times more fruit and vegetables than we export and ten times more animal feed. We are not self-sufficient in meat, dairy and eggs.

• In December 2008, the four supermarkets (Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury's and Morrison's) accounted for 71.5% share of the food retail market in Scotland

Disconnects..

• Between farmers and consumers

• Between the North and Global South.

• Between agriculture and the environment

• Between land and cities

• Between policies and expectations

The Green Pumpkin

Fife Local Food Groups

FOOD SOVEREIGNTY

1. Focuses on Food for People and Right to Food, rather than export commodities.

2. Values Food Providers and respects their Rights, rather than squeezing them off the land.

3. Localises Food Systems, rather than promoting unfair global trade.

4. Puts Control Locally, rather than remote TNCs.

5. Builds Knowledge and Skills, rather than depending on alien technologies such as GM.

6. Works with Nature, rather than using methods that harm beneficial ecosystem functions, such as energy intensive monocultures and livestock factories.