JOURNAL ON COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

THE SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ICD 533 PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF DEVELOPMENT
JOURNAL ON COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
CENTRE ARUSHA
STUDENTS NAME: JOSEPH CLEMENCE.

INSTRUCTORS: MICHEL ADJIBODOU.
DR. SINDA HUSSEIN SINDA.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION. 3
2.0 WHAT IS COMMUNITY ORGANIZING?. 3
3.0 Process/methods for community organizing. 4
3.1. A progressive cycle of action-reflection. 4
3.2. Consciousness-raising through experimental learning. 4
3.3. Community organizing is participatory and mass-based. 4
3.4. Community organizing is group-centred and not leader-orientated. 5
4.0 The purpose of community organization. 5
4.1. People’s empowerment. 5
4.2. Establish structures of people’s organizations. 5
5.0 CONCLUSSION.. 6

1.0 INTRODUCTION.

Community organizing is the first important step to be considered before starting community development works. It provides a good opportunity for designing relevant projects/ programmes to the community. This step is sometimes overlooked by many development agencies resulting to designing of unsustainable rural development projects. This journal discusses what is community organizing as is perceived by different community development practitioners. It also explains processes for community organizing and its aim/purpose. There after, the paper is concluded by giving my own remarks on community organizing.

2.0 WHAT IS COMMUNITY ORGANIZING?

Community organizing is a systematization of experiences in labor and other forms of organizing. At the same time, it continuously evolves and is and is constantly enriched in the process of practice. While Community organizing shares many aspects with other forms of organizing, it is distinctive, not because it is defined by the limited boundaries of communities, but because it is characterized by a package of features. Some of these are present in other forms of organizing but they are only present as a package in Community Organizing. (www.caledonia.org.uk ).

Community organizing can also be defined as a social change model that has the potential to bring enormous people power to bear on issues of regional inequality and sprawl. It is a social change by which disenfranchised people re engage in civic life and redefine their own relationships to people in positions of power. At its best, community organizing is a transforming experience for those involved because it engages community members, normally excluded from public life in direct action and strategic organization building. (www.fundersnetwork.org).

Community organization is that process by which the people organize themselves to ‘take charge’ of their situation and thus develop a sense of being a community together. It is a particularly effective tool for the poor and powerless as they determine for themselves the actions they will take to deal with the essential forces that are destroying their community and consequently causing them to be powerless. (Reverend Robert Linthicum, World Vision International).

Organizing does two central things to seek to rectify the problem of power imbalance — it builds a permanent base of people power so that dominant financial and institutional power can be challenged and held accountable to values of greater social, environmental and economic justice; and, it transforms individuals and communities, making them mutually respectful co-creators of public life rather than passive objects of decisions made by others. (Mike Miller, Organize Training center)

3.0 Process/methodological characteristics for community organizing.

Philippines partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural areas identified four processes for community organizing which are progressive cycle of action reflection, consciousness raising through experimental learning, Participatory process, and group centered.

3.1. A progressive cycle of action-reflection.

This process begins with small, local and concrete issues identified by the people and the evaluation of and reflection on the action taken by them.

3.2. Consciousness-raising through experimental learning.

This is central to the Community Organizing process because it places emphasis on the learning that emerges from concrete action and which enriches succeeding action. This
dialectic relation between theory and practice progressively raises people’s consciousness.

3.3. Community organizing is participatory and mass-based.

This is because it is primarily directed towards, and biased in favour of the poor, the powerless and the oppressed. Through a participatory process, the whole community (as much as possible) must be involved in the organizing experience.

3.4. Community organizing is group-centred and not leader-orientated.

In this process Leaders are identified, emerge and are tested through action rather than appointed or selected by some external force or entity. Thus Community Organizing seeks democratic leadership where power resides in the people.

4.0 The purpose of community organization.

4.1. People’s empowerment.

Through Community Organizing people learn to overcome their powerlessness and develop their capacity to maximize their control over their lives. They must be able to influence the course of history and erode the dehumanizing effects of powerlessness. And through the process of confronting oppressive structures and institutions, people are transformed from dehumanized objects into human beings with dignity, who can assert their rights and can control their destiny.

4.2. Establish structures of people’s organizations.

Consequently, Community Organizing aims to establish relatively permanent structures of people’s organizations, which will serve the needs and aspirations of the people and thereby ensure maximum people’s participation. It is through these structures that people learn to internalize a new system of values so that localized experiences become the building blocks upon which the blueprint of a more desirable future is based. To effectively influence the course of history towards building a more equitable and social just nation, people’s organizations and community organizers should join organizations and alliances that will promote the interests of the people without any a priori exclusion. This refers to sectoral alliances, other people’s organizations and federations, multi-sectoral coalitions, regional and national apex bodies, political parties and international social movements.

However, one must be able to see the difference between tactical alliances, which are short-term, on the level of issues, and strategic alliances, which are long-term, and subject to a more comprehensive basis of unity and solidarity with friends and like minded groups. Such alliances must ensure genuine people’s participation and the proper observation of genuine respect for the integrity of each group.


5.0 CONCLUSSION


Community organizing is very important step in community development which should be used /adopted by the community development agencies which dream to achieve big success in their community development programmes.This process ensures effective community preparation for participating in whatever kind of interventions in their community. Community organizing empowers people for development. It joins powerless to become powerful. Community organizing brings people together for project designing and preparation of a community vision.

REFERENCE.

1. Livable communities @ work, Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and livable communities. Vol.1 No. 1 (2002).

2. Community organizing, Article by Philippine Partnership for the development of Human Resources in Rural areas. (www.caledonia.org.uk).