YOUTH & COMMUNITY

Youth & Community Work

Youth & Community Work

Introduction

Community development is a process in a community increases gradually control and power it exerts on the issues that. This is a strategy to promote health, that is, an approach that aims to help communities more control over factors that influence their health. Community development, so it's people who constantly address their problems and common needs and taking steps needed to resolve them and meet their needs. The ultimate goal is the integration community care. Community development, in both concept and action, is dependent on a group of like-minded people working together to improve and further grow a local community. The group of people who work on developing a community includes a range of individuals from citizens and business owners to activists, civic leaders, and local supporting organizations, including service industries (police, fire, and rescue) and Nonprofit organizations (United Way, Goodwill Industries, and community foundations). These varied groups can join in simple activities such as holding community clean-up days, creating local book clubs, or organizing area functions/events. Larger, more intricate, financial projects may include infrastructure improvements, educational initiatives, vocational programs, job possibilities for the unemployed, assistance for low-income families, and even housing opportunities(Walsh,1997).

Discussion

My Philosophy

My philosophy towards community development is that it is all about moral and character development of the community through the advocacy mechanism (Murray,1984).

Those with influence and power rarely embrace belief and values advocates of any ideological hue. Often before such advocates can undertake their efforts, the powerful must protest. Their challenge is to move from protest to politics—a politics that is exercised generically and that focuses on their issues. Building community is meant to have advocates organize themselves so the political context moves from “what it is” to “what it should be.” Organizing to be successful must build community. Building community is in itself a learning experience. The learning requires people to draw on their own sources of power to create change. That stems from understanding and knowing their culture and history. That sense of achievement and success is balanced by tragedy and recognizing struggle.

Advocates build community to gain solidarity. They have a mission to reflect their values and beliefs. That requires participation that coheres. That means people have to be organized. They have to be organized without losing their sense of agency. Solidarity and cohesion require organization. It is a felt coherence that is different from moving in lock step. It is also different from doing your own thing.

The refrain for petitioners, protesters, people trying to get something done, and those trying to keep an action or a decision from getting made say and sing, “when in doubt, organize!” It sounds simple and direct. Experience teaches practitioners that organizing for social change stands as one of the hardest jobs in the world. Organizing anything is complex. Social change organizing has added uncertainties and surprises, both helpful and harmful. That is why the organizer has to be recognized as having a central place in social change ...