ANBO

• Economic


  • High poverty incidence
  • Fluctuates because of environmental problems, political uncertainties, and crime rates
  • Fluctuation affects income improvements, restrains economic development, and negatively affects the development of the people, especially the poor
• Ecological


  • Natural resources have been imperiled by unrelenting exploitation
  • Land degradation remains a problem of poor families who depend on land
  • Man-made activities such as logging and slash-and-burn that cause deforestation persist
  • Quality of water has become polluted
  • The increase of population results to an increase in human encroachment on the county's natural resources
• Political


  • Despite the restoration of democracy and community-oriented development strategies, the country is still far from having a stable, strong, and functioning democracy
  • Corruption, nepotism, patron-client relations, cronyism, and political conflict persist
• Social


  • The greater challenge is on how to expand people's access to basic education and health services
  • The housing issue also persist
  • The state and magnitude of poverty affects the marginalized, the disadvantaged
• Forms of social issues

  • Racism
  • Paternalism
  • Discrimination
  • Marginalization
• The political, economic and sociocultural analysis leads to clearer picture of the social situation of the community and the country
• Viewing the situation from different angles gives community change agents a good grasp of the social problems and issues which will lead to deeper understanding and more appropriate action
• Human rights


  Rights inherent to all human beings, whatever their nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent, and indivisible.
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights


  An international document that states basic rights and fundamental freedoms to which all human beings are entitled. Contains 30 articles.
• Social justice


  A societal value which guides human interaction and, in particular, the fair distribution of society's benefits, advantages, and assets, not just by law and in the courts but in all aspects of society.
• Empowerment


  Gaining power and control over decisions and resources that determine the quality of life. The expansion of freedom of choice and action.
• Advocacy


  An act of supporting a cause. It is undertaken through different methods that prompts and affects the perspectives, sentiments, and choices of individuals and groups of people.
• Four elements of empowerment

  • Access to information
  • Inclusion and participation
  • Accountability
  • Local organizational capacity
• Access to information


  Information is power. It is impossible for the poor to participate and take effective action if there is lack of pertinent, appropriate, and easy-reading information. The more informed the people are, the more active they can be taking the opportunity to participate and get access to service, exercise their rights, negotiate effectively, and hold the state accountable.
• Inclusion and participation


  Inclusion focuses on the question about who are included. Participation tackles the question: How are they included and the role they play? Altering the rules in order to provide a space for people to deliberate on issues and participate directly or indirectly in local and national settings, budget formation, and delivery of basic services.
• Types of accountability mechanisms

  • Political accountability
  • Administrative accountability
  • Public or social accountability
• Political accountability


  Making political parties and representatives accountable during elections.
• Administrative accountability


  Achieved through internal accountability mechanisms within and among agencies.
• Public or social accountability

  Holds government agencies accountable to citizens.
• Local organizational capacity


  The ability of people to work together, organize themselves, and mobilize resources to solve problems of common interest.
• Participatory development


  Highlights the involvement of the voiceless, those who are marginalized in the development process. It gives recognition and importance to the poor and disadvantaged people, as well as a chance for them to be heard and get involved in the development processes.
• Gender equality


  The equal treatment of men and women. This means equal opportunities in life, elimination of discrimination based on gender, equal pay for equal work, and others.
• Gender inequality is a major cause of the deprivation experienced by millions of women in the developing world.
• The low status of women in many developing countries makes it harder to enhance living standards in the society as a whole.
• Gender equality possesses intrinsic value. Living in a subordinate and dependent position is one form of elementary deprivation.
• Community action


  Interaction, sharing, and relationship at different levels
• Community engagement


  A partnership between two parties such as academic institutions and local communities for mutual benefits and is characterized by reciprocal relations
• Solidarity


  Recognizes that people have a moral responsibility to self, others, and community
• Citizenship


  Membership of a citizen in political society. Membership implies a duty of allegiance on member and protection of state. Refers to a member of a democratic community who enjoys full civil and political rights and is accorded protection inside and outside the territory of the state
• Community action, community engagement, solidarity, and citizenship


  • Denotes interaction, sharing, and relationship at different levels
  • A partnership between two parties such as academic institutions and local communities for mutual benefits and is characterized by reciprocal relations
  • Recognizes that people have a moral responsibility to self, others, and community
  • Membership of a citizen in political society. Membership implies a duty of allegiance on member and protection of state. Refers to a member of a democratic community who enjoys full civil and political rights and is accorded protection inside and outside the territory of the state
• Denial of human rights injures the whole community and breaks solidarity of people
• Rights-based approach


  Opens the gate for the integration of the concept of citizenship and development through citizen participation (maybe undertaken in community level through community development, and state level through political participation such as making public officials accountable to the people)
• A person is a relational being, meaning a person is in connection with other people
• Community


  An assemblage of commonalities and collective body bonded together by solidarity
• Solidarity


  Treasuring our fellow human beings and regarding who they are as people of God. Building a community that empowers everyone to attain their full potential each other of us respecting each other's dignity, rights, and responsibilities. Makes the world a better place to live.
• Ingredients of Community Action

  • Community context - people live in a similar setting and/or locality
  • Common experience - people encounter a comparable experience individually or collectively
  • Common understanding of an issue - people have more or less the same view of the issue at hand
  • Common analysis - people went through a process of analyzing the issue and may have a similar take on the issue, partly or in a whole
  • An acceptable standard - people usually reach a minimum standard in undertaking an action together
  • An action that is acceptable to the community - people discuss and agree on what action to take, who will take the lead, who will do the supporting roles, and who will do other tasks

  
• Ingredients/MUST Dos of Community Action

  • Common context - The base in building a common lens, Members of the community must come from familiar, if not a similar, milieu or setting
  • Common experience - Gives the members of the community a sense of being one, thus creating a common sentiment, This drives the community to stick together in pursuing the same cause
  • Common understanding - Elevates the community relationship from "feeling" level to a "thinking" level, Translates the emotional state to a more objective view of the situation
  • Common analysis - Puts the community members' understanding of the issue to a certain perspective based on core values and principles, This ingredient may strengthen or break community relations
  • Acceptable standards - Paves the way for a process of reaching compromises, minimum standards, and bottom lines

  
• 4 General Phases of Community Organization Process

  To facilitate a process of appreciating community dynamics, community change agents must be aware of the following