COMMUNITIES IN CONTROL > Developing Assets

Transcription

1 COMMUNITIES IN CONTROL > Developing Assets Trans-national Conference > 2 nd and 3 rd June 2009 New Contemporary Urban Centre > Liverpool

2 The worldwide economic crisis is already hitting the poorest communities hardest, resulting in increasing unemployment and deepening poverty and social exclusion. In the face of this economic crisis, Government funding is coming under greater pressure than ever before. Hence the need for new ideas and strategies which are not needs based or funding-led, but instead use existing assets more effectively and promote citizen led initiatives. In short, approaches that support communities to take control in a democratic and inclusive way. European examples of this alternative approach are emerging, particularly in parts of the UK, Ireland and The Netherlands. The approach which adopts a community building model -where the assets of communities are identified, connected and mobilised is known as the Asset Based Community Development approach (ABCD approach) or, more broadly, community asset development. AIM OF THE CONFERENCE The aim is to have an exchange of experiences and knowledge about asset based community development taking place in three European countries. With the best of local practice as a starting point, the questions of how and why an asset based approach is better placed to build stronger more sustainable communities than the Conference Details The Conference will take place on 2nd June; on the 3rd June, field visits will be facilitated for delegates who wish to see projects in action. Details on the conference are provided in the Conference Programme (below). The second day will provide an opportunity to visit successful projects in the Northwest of England, mainly in Manchester and Liverpool. traditional need-based model will be explored. Opportunities for future trans-national cooperation will also be identified. Having started at the neighbourhood level, the conference will then conclude with a discussion between attending policy makers about the potential of redirecting policies towards community control. Who can attend? Active citizens from urban and rural communities, as well as professionals and policy makers, will be invited to exchange views and learn from each other. In total around delegates from the three named countries will attend. Some virtual visits will take place, highlighting work taking place in organisations which are further afield, including rural projects. John McKnight from the ABCD Institute in Chicago, the founder of the Asset Based Community Development approach and author of Changing Communities from inside out, will moderate together with Stephen Thake, reader in Urban policy at the London Metropolitan University. Sponsors: The conference organisers include Novas Scarman, Carnegie Trust UK, IACD, Community Development Exchange, Development Trusts Association, LSA, Nurture Development Ireland. 2

3 Conference Programme 2 nd June a.m. Introduction and Welcome Cormac Russell (Conference Chair) 9.35 a.m. Key note Principles of ABCD Professor John McKnight Co-director of the Asset Based Community Development Institute Northwestern University a.m. Stephen Thake, reader in Urban policy, London Metropolitan University interviews representatives from community organisations in the UK, Ireland and The Netherlands about ABCD experiences in their countries a.m. Key Questions for the Conference John McKnight and Stephen Thake a.m. Introduction to 6 Workshops by Community Leaders from the U.K. Ireland and The Netherlands p.m. Lunch break p.m. Interaction in small groups about citizen led initiatives p.m. Tea break p.m. Panel Discussion: Policy Implications of the ABCD approach Panel to include policy makers from participating countries, John McKnight and Stephen Thake p.m. Conclusion Representatives of the organising parties will sum up the prospects for future cooperation between the three countries in developing a European strategy for asset based citizen centred approaches p.m. Closing Comments Cormac Russell a.m. Coffee Break a.m. Six Workshops exploring themes such as Urban/Rural Communities in Control, Youth Led Initiatives and Citizen Driven Neighbourhood Renewal, facilitated by Community Leaders who have direct experience of using ABCD on the ground. 3 rd June a.m. Visits to projects in north-western England cities for all interested delegates p.m. Close For nearly three decades, John McKnight has conducted research on social service delivery systems, health policy, community organizations, neighborhood policy, and institutional racism. He currently directs research projects focused on asset-based neighborhood development and methods of community building by incorporating marginalized people. Stephen Thake has researched and reported on urban policy and community regeneration activity throughout England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Stephen s work has also included commissions from central government departments (DfES, ODPM, Home Office), regional development agencies (LDA, SEEDA, EEDA) and numerous local authorities to provide advice, policy analysis and programme evaluation. He currently leads the team that is evaluating the Adventure Capital Fund programme, sponsored by the Home Office, ODPM and the DTI. He has also worked n Europe and North America where among many other achievements he has developed the International Community Leadership Programme in partnership with Millersville University, in Pennsylvania. 3

4 Conference: Background and rationale Finding solutions for urban and rural deprivation has been a political priority in many European countries for several decades. National and local governments and the third sector continue to engage in attempts at developing an integrated, partnership approach to tackling poverty, social exclusion and a wide range of other related social problems. European policies that aim to promote social inclusion, community development, and anti poverty initiatives can only hope to reach fruition if they are implemented in a way that puts citizens in the driving seat. The Social Services model that currently dominates European social protection policies, instead of putting citizens and communities in control, more often than not relegates them to a position of passive recipients of state funded services, creating more dependency than empowerment. One international approach that embraces the real empowerment of citizens is known as the Asset Based Community Development approach (ABCD approach). More recently, there has also been interest and investment in the development of assets in third sector organisations, particularly in the UK. In England, the government provided a 30m support fund and a programme to encourage the transfer of local government assets to the third sector, both were supported by the Development Trust Association. For the last 40 or 50 years we have been looking at communities in terms of their needs, says Prof. John McKnight, co-director of the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute at North-western University, Chicago. We have run into a brick wall with that approach. John McKnight and John Kretzmann pioneered the ABCD approach to urban problems that begins by looking at the assets that exist in a community rather than simply doing a stock take of what is wrong - the traditional needs analysis. This new approach genuinely empowers citizens and thereby strengthens civil society in that it draws on the abilities and insights of local residents to solve a neighbourhood s own problems. This does not mean that troubled neighbourhoods do not need outside help, but that any genuine local revitalisation project must in fact be citizen-led, with outside agencies acting in a support role. The ABCD Institute has worked all over the world supporting initiatives that uncover latent assets and strengthen communities, including the UK, Ireland and The Netherlands. In the last eight years, in each of the aforementioned countries, a number of organisations have actively engaged in translating ABCD principles into practical action in various European contexts. Given the value of such an approach in mobilising citizen engagement in each of the three respective countries, a number of the organisations employing ABCD principles have agreed to jointly promote an ABCD trans-national Conference on June 2nd and 3rd The rationale of this conference finds best expression in the shared desire of the organising partners to discuss what has been learned in each of their respective countries in applying ABCD principles, and more broadly how these lessons can inform European policies on social inclusion, active citizenship and civil engagement, as well as antipoverty strategies. 4

5 Information on Organising Partners: The Development Trusts Association (DTA) The International Association for Community is a network of community practitioners which helps Development (IACD) is a volunteer led, not-for-profit, non- people set up development trusts and helps existing trusts governmental organization committed to building a global learn from each other and work effectively. It works to influ- network of people and organizations working toward social ence government and others at national and local level, justice through a community development approach. to build support and investment for our movement. There Our aims are to promote community development across are now over 450 development trusts in membership, international policies and programmes, to network and across urban and rural areas. While many are still small, support community development practitioners and to others are operating at scale: the combined income is over encourage information and practice exchange. IACD has 260m and development trusts have 490m of assets in recognized NGO consultative status with the United Na- community ownership. tions. To learn more, visit us online at: The Carnegie UK Trust operates throughout the UK and Landelijk Samenwerkingsverband Aandachtswijken (LSA) Ireland through two programmes of work: one on Democ- is an association of community organisations from deprived racy and Civil Society and the other on Rural Community neighbourhoods in 31 cities in The Netherlands. Our aim is Development. The rural programme in particular makes a to support the work of our member organizations in any way commitment to the promotion of asset based rural com- we can. The main activities are exchange of information munity development and to the creation of a community and knowledge through conferences, regional meetings, of practice involving the wide participation of community websites and publications, development of projects and activists. It also seeks to ensure the implementation of the coaching people locally in project development. We are also ideas set out in the Charter for Rural Communities which active on the policy front, trying to influence government was produced by the Trust in policies for urban renewal. Funding comes from national government, local councils and housing associations. follow-back 5

6 Nurture Development was established in Ireland in 1996 to provide training, research, community building, facilitation and conflict mitigation services to the Third (Community and Voluntary), the Public and the Private sectors respectively. Cormac Russell, Managing Director, is a faculty member of the Asset Based Community Development Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago. range of interests in community development across all sectors and fields. CDX acts as a catalyst for change by sharing information, experience and practice through a variety of means including conferences, networks, newsletters, website and research Nurture Development s focus is on the development of new strategies for bringing about social change through the more effective use of existing assets and the promotion of citizen led initiatives. Nurture Development also operates in East Africa, with an office in Nairobi, Kenya. This year Nurture Development will be delivering its Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) training and consultancy packages to public, community and voluntary sectors in the UK. The Community Development Exchange is the UK-wide membership organisation for community development. CDX works to ensure that community development is recognised and supported as a powerful way of tackling inequality and achieving social justice. As an organisation with members from across the UK, CDX reflects a diverse The Novas Scarmangroup works at a local level to empower people and communities by creating opportunities for positive change through personalised support and development, pathways into work and learning, inclusive local decision making and change programmes, and releasing enterprise and cultural expression. We develop innovative community empowerment strategies that integrate our services and those that face deep exclusion to be at the centre of our communities, not on the margins. We are currently remodelling many of our large hostels to raise the living standards for people who are homeless, within buildings that will become a part of their local communities through business, market space, cultural quarters, performance spaces, retail and restaurants. Colophon Text: Cormac Russell, Nurture Development Realisation: Henk Cornelissen, LSA Pleuni Koopman, LSA Design: Wow! Creative wowcreative@gmail.com 6