Module 4 – Promoting Community Self-

Help

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Community Participation

Community participation helps establish ownership of support or relief initiatives and may lead to more sustainable recovery

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Learning Objectives

Describe the factors that make a community supportive and healthy for its members

Give details of how communities can be helped to use their own resources for solving problems

Develop ideas and methods to engage people and achieve participation

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Defining a CommunityCommon Identity Factors

• Geography

• Language

• Values

• Attitudes

• Behavior patterns

• Interests

• Beliefs

• Culture

• Trauma/disaster experience

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Assumptions of Community Participation

Recovery projects are based on ideas developed by the concerned people themselves

A planned process exists that encourages community participation

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Promoting Community Self-Help

Identify and involve community leaders or influential persons

Establish a sense of ownership by the community

Identify community resources Promote psychological well-being Mobilize resources Encourage joint decision making and consensus

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Identify and Involve Community Leaders

Involvement of local leaders is an essential part of community participation

Identify leaders who:• Are locally accepted, trusted and respected.

• Accurately represent their communities.

• Will work towards helping the community to achieve its collective goals.

• Have sufficient status to attract other members to be involved.

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Activity # 14 – Who are your leaders?

Break into groups Using the following list, identify your

community leaders:

• Locally accepted, trusted and respected.

• Accurately represent their communities

• Will work towards helping the community to achieve its collective goals

• Have sufficient status to attract other members to be involved

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Establish a Sense of Ownership

Successful community recovery programs require a local sense of ownership

Solutions that come from the community are more likely to be implemented

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Identify Community Resources

Knowledge of traditional and cultural resources in the community is important. • Roles of social networks, families, traditional

leaders, etc

• Culturally appropriate ways of helping and supporting those in distress.

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Factors Promoting Psychological Well-Being

Belonging to a caring family or community

Maintaining traditions and cultures Having a strong religious belief or

political ideology

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Protective Factors for Children

Stable emotional relationship with adults Social support both within and from

outside the family

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Strengthening Protective Factors

Empower people with a sense of control and predictability over their lives

Encourage people to do familiar things together

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Mobilize Resources

Mobilize resources and strengthen the communities own capacities

Actively assist with transforming needs and goals into action

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Steps in Action Planning

1. Identify the vision or goal2. Brainstorm possible actions3. Weigh advantages &

disadvantages4. Determine resources needed for

each option

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Steps in Action Planning (cont)

5. Choose an acceptable plan of action

6. Decide who will do what, when, where and how

7. Establish a time frame and criteria to evaluate success

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Encourage Joint Decision-Making and Consensus Building

Differences of opinion may obstruct achievement of a common goal.

Be aware of conflict or tension. Find mutually acceptable solutions.

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Activity # 15 - Coordination Break into small groups of 4-5 people. Imagine that your

area has had a number of cattle die, and agroterrorism is suspected but not yet confirmed. You are all meeting to discuss the situation and to decide on a course of action.• Appoint a facilitator, then give 10 minutes to discuss

possible courses of action. List your:• Needs• Resources• A possible course of action• Projected impact of the course of action

In the large group, report your decisions and discuss the experience with the group.