MOBILIZING ASSETS FOR COMMUNITY DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT Sept 23-October 11, 2013

Needs, assets and citizens Coady International Institute 2013

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 Coady International Institute 2013

What happens when we only focus on the empty part of the glass?  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  (dependency) Coady International Institute 2013

What happens when we focus on the full part of the glass?  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?” Coady International Institute 2013

ABCD thinking emerged from  a growing recognition of strengths and assets in every community Coady International Institute 2013

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 entrepreneurs Bebbington, 1999 ….and so create agents of development Coady International Institute 2013

Rural communities in Bohol, Philippines Coady International Institute 2013

If you are looking for problems, you will find problems Coady International Institute 2013

Seeing the strengths Coady International Institute 2013

What do we mean by community assets? Coady International Institute 2013  Stories  Capacities, talents and skills of individuals  Associations and social networks  Local institutions  Physical assets and natural resources  Financial resources  Cultural assets  Rights and entitlements

What is the difference between an association and an institution? Coady International Institute 2013 AssociationsInstitutions

Compare and contrast needs  Focus on needs problems  Responds to problems  Charityentitlement  Charity or entitlement orientation agencies  Emphasis on external agencies credentials  Power comes from credentials incentives,  “Motivation to act”- incentives, terms of employment excellent service  Goal is excellent service clients, consumers  People are clients, consumers  Programs are the answer  Service DeliveryResponsive investment Coady International Institute 2013

Compare and contrast needs  Focus on needs problems  Responds to problems  Charityentitlement  Charity or entitlement orientation agencies  Emphasis on external agencies credentials  Power comes from credentials incentives,  “Motivation to act”- incentives, terms of employment excellent service  Goal is excellent service clients, consumers  People are clients, consumers  Programs are the answer assets  Focus on assets opportunities  Builds from opportunities  Investment  Investment orientation associations  Emphasis on associations relationships  Power comes from relationships dreams,  “Motivation to Act” – dreams, fears, being asked to contribute community-driven development  Goal is community-driven development citizens, members  People are citizens, members  People are the answer Service DeliveryResponsive investment Coady International Institute 2013

How do you know what you need unless you know what you have?

Citizen-Led development  Citizens (not governments or NGOs) through their local associations are "self mobilizing, or "driving" the community development process  Communities are using their own resources first before trying to get external resources Coady International Institute 2013

The parable of the blobs and squares: Coady International Institute 2013 “blobs”“squares”