Community Development Work

Lecture

Some thoughts about CDW in the context of the Marlborough (Wiltshire, UK) and Gunjur (The

Gambia).

Social Work & Community DevelopmentFirst Year Students

Have a think ...

• Two themes today:– a bit of history

• Where did CDW start ...– ... in the UK?– ... overseas? ....

– ... Thena few prompts to help think about, how “north” and “south” can learn from, and help, one another ...

• What are the differences in “northern” & “southern” approaches?

• What potential do you think exists for each to learn from the other?

As you may know ...

• In the UK, utopian movements – e.g. Robert Owen (Co-op); Lord Lever (Port Sunlight); Cadburys (Bourneville); Frys; Clarks (Street) .... and, of course, Rowntree and Booth.

• Overseas – missionaries, military, secular (‘The European is quick, hasty, often impatient, thinks his own ways are best for others and is continually pushing his ideas and practices where they are neither understood nor desired.’)

More recently ... overseas:

• Today’s post-earthquake community development challenges in Haiti – implications?

• Research about work in Guatemala showed that “long term perspective and psychosocial attention to a traumatized population is a pre-requisite when dealing with economic development in a post-conflict society.” (Anckermann et.al. 2005 p150)

More recently ... UK(1):Linking Communities in UK with Communities in Developing Countries – just more community-led development perhaps?

• Towns• Schools• Hospitals• Local Authorities• Faith Groups• Black & Ethnic Minorities• Sports Clubs

The Mango Tree as a metaphor for relationships

Deep rooted

Long-lasting

Fruitful

Constant regeneration

Provide security

An Example - Marlborough

Population ~8,000, monocultural, predominately Christian community,life expectancy 78 is linked with ...

... Gunjur in the Gambia

Population 12,500, Muslim fishing village with no access to clean water, high infant mortality

rate, low levels of literacy, & alife expectancy of 48.

Muslim Community

Project workat both ends

Exchange of Young People

Project work at both ends ...

Young people from Marlborough teach in Gunjur between school and university

Young Gambians come to Marlborough for training ??

??

Carpentry

•Sewing

Income generation through vegetable gardening

• Non threatening method of health education• HIV Infection• Malaria• Importance of washing before eating• Role of water in spread of disease

Health Education

Puppet shows used for women who are illiterate

More recently .... UK (1):

• “In the context of New Romney ... capturing the complexities of people’s lives in order to develop a shared community plan requires a balance between over-simplification and over collection of information. ... lessons learnt ... have the potential to contribute to ... cooperation between Northern and Southern practitioners ...” (Butcher et.al. 2003 pp232-233)

NB The above relates to a joint DfID-Countryside Agency trial

DfID’s Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (http://tinyurl.com/ygx3t97)

Six broad objectives.

1. improved access to high-quality education, information, technologies and training and better nutrition and health;

2. a more supportive and cohesive social environment;3. more secure access to, and better management of, natural resources;4. better access to basic and facilitating infrastructure;5. more secure access to financial resources; and6. a policy and institutional environment that supports multiple livelihood

strategies and promotes equitable access to competitive markets for all.

It’s about sustainable development (SD).

What’s the difference between SD and CD? If any ...?

Approaches to Community Development at Home & Overseas

• So, if the key purpose of CD work is to bring about social change and justice by working with communities to: – identify their needs, opportunities, rights and

responsibilities– plan, organise and take action– evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the action

• …all in ways which challenge oppressions and tackle inequalities (from CDX website www.cdx.org.uk ) ...

so ... ... how does UK work differ from that

overseas?