Community Transformation Report

November 23 Susan Tam presented to the Stewardship Council of Midpark Church facts and strategies on how to become more engaged in community. Knexions can be a fantastic way to not only have a conversation about serving but an effective way to do something. Here are her notes. To find out more visit us at www.Midpark.ca or Facebook Midpark Church

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION
...I want to see a mighty flood of justice,
an endless river of righteous living. (Amos 5:24)
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Community Transformation
Transformation is not changing what is, but creating what isn’t. - Richard Howell

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The World is Facing Serious Challenges
Over the past 50 years:

•the world’s population has doubled

•food production almost tripled

•energy use more than quadrupled

•production of waste has risen dramatically

•overall level of economic activity quintupled

•the demands on the earth’s natural systems have resulted in serious social, environmental and health costs

Source: Kates and Parris 2003
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World Population Living in Cities
•1800, approximately 1 billion people, cities house 20 million

•Today, approximately 6.6 billion people, cities house 3.3 billion, 50%

•2030, estimate 61% of population will live in cities

•Source: PDDESA-UN 2003

1800
2006
2030
Year
Percentage of World Population Living in Cities
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Calgary Vital Signs
Vital Signs is an annual community check-up conducted by community foundations across Canada

Measures the vitality of our communities, identifies significant trends, and assigns grades in a range of areas critical to quality of life.

Data released in October 2010

Graders gave their own quality of life a “B” and, over three years of reporting, have steadily increased the average grade given to Calgary quality of life issues -- except for the environment grade has moved up and down since 2008

No one person, organization or level of government alone can address the challenges facing Calgary

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Calgary Herald Poll
•Almost six in 10 worry about what the future might bring, a 15 percentage point jump from three years ago

•More than 88 % of Calgarians say they felt safe, three years ago, that figure was more than 94%

•In 2007, when the city was facing fast growth, high wages and low unemployment, 93 % of respondents valued happiness over material things. By 2010, that number dropped to 84 %.

•Overall happiness on a scale of one to 10, the average result was 6.8; three years ago in the height of the boom, it was 7.6 -- the equivalent drop of a C+ average from a B+.
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Sustainable Community Development
•Sustainable Community Development is a way to harness the power of community decision-making to create and sustain patterns of human development and economic prosperity that protects the environment, reduce poverty, and improve the quality of life today and for future generations. - Source: Harmony Foundation 2006

•Success depends on level of public engagement

•Policy making cannot be made independently

•Social equity must be incorporated into decision-making

•“development” must include qualitative as well as quantitative improvement, i.e., more than simply “growth”



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Building Communities from the Inside Out -
by Kretzmann & McKnight
•Two Models Used

1.The Traditional Path - A Needs-Driven Dead End

2.The Alternative Path: Capacity-Focused Development
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The Traditional Path --
A Needs-Driven Dead End
•Neighbourhoods are painted with broad brush stroke due to crime and violence, joblessness, welfare dependency, gangs, drugs and homelessness

•Mental “Needs Map” of the neighbourhood developed from information above

•Only conveys part of the truth; unfortunately it is often regarded as the whole truth

•Determines how problems are to be addressed, through deficiency-oriented policies and programs

•Community sees themselves as people with special needs that can only be met by outsiders, they become consumers of services
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The Traditional Path --
Consequences of the “Needs Map”
•view a community as an endless list of problems and needs

•funding for issues goes to service providers rather than residents

•underlines the perception that only outside experts can provide real help

•relationships that count are no longer those inside the community which are based on mutual support and problem solving

•ensures the inevitable deepening cycle of dependence

•ensures maintenance and survival of targeted isolated individual clients, not a development plan for the entire community

•only guarantees survival, never leads to serious change
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The Alternative Path: Capacity-Focused Development
•development of policies & activities based on capacities, skills and assets of people and their neighbourhoods

•historical evidence indicates that significant community development takes place only when local community people are committed to investing themselves & their resources

•prospect for outside help is bleak, odds do not favour a large-scale, job-providing industry or service corporation relocating into the community
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The Alternative Path: Community Assets Map
•map includes inventory of gifts, skills and capacities of community residents

•discover a wealth of individual talents and productive skills which are untapped

•include individuals who have been marginalized - mentally/physically challenged, too young/old,..

•everyone can be full contributors to the community-building process

•list of citizens’ associations - many will stretch beyond their original purpose and become full contributors

•list of formal institutions - private & public, make up most visible and formal part of community’s fabric
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An Alternative Community Development Path:
Asset-Based, Internally Focused, Relationship Driven
•mobilize assets for development purposes

•Caveats:

•does not imply that communities do not need additional resources from outside - want to use these more effectively

•intended to affirm, and to build upon the remarkable work already going on in the neighbourhood
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Asset-Based Community Development: Definition
1.community strategy starts with what is present in the community -- not with what is absent or problematic

2.agenda based on building & problem solving capacities of residents, associations & institutions

3.central challenge is to constantly build and rebuild the relationships between and among residents, associations and institutions
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Proposed Process
Define “Community”

Create a Team

Begin Research

Explore Grants

Educate & Teach

Analyze Results

Formulate Action Plan

Implement

Transform our Community
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Define “Community”
•Who and Where is our community?

•Midnapore

•Midsun

•Ward 14

•South-east Calgary
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K-nexions Group
•Start a k-nexions group

•Explain scope of project

•Begin with 3 week Study - successful Fresno project

•Divide project into sections and distribute among members
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Begin Research
•Identify & assign areas of interest

•Urbs, Anima & Civitas projects

•Shalom Scan

•Identify existing resources

•What can we do/bring to the community?

•What makes us distinct?
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Urbs, Anima & Civitas
•Urbs - the city within the city; infrastructure issues e.g., where roads go, sanitation services, physical layout of city, transportation systems

•Anima - poetry/soul; what motives the residents, beliefs, assumptions

•Civitas - whole body/members of given state; demographics, crime stats, etc.
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Meaningful Public Participation
•Citizen representation throughout the process

•Process open to monitoring by all interested parties

•Diverse forms of knowledge and experience welcome and accessible

•Process organized around principles of shared learning knowledge

•Respect for divergent views and backgrounds
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Explore Grants
•Identify the various grants available

•funds for research, education, resources

•Federal, municipal, private

•Submit applications
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Educate & Teach
•CCDA Intensives (1-2 day) - classes focus on particular aspects of CCD

•CCDA Immersion (week long) - classes in all eight components of CCD, visit local CCD ministries

•other groups?
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Analyze Results
•What does the community want?

•How will this provide community transformation?

•What is good and strong in the community?

•Are we thinking broad enough?

•How do we move from planning to action?
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Formulate Action Plan

What are the next steps?

What is the vision?

How do we find partners?

Develop an urban renewal strategy

What ministries currently exist?

How do we avoid duplication?

Develop standards for evaluation
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Implement
•start the work!

•Use financial and human resources effectively

•Implement governance structure

•open doors

•raise awareness of activity
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Transform Our Community
•Engage the community

•Involve partners, make the activity a stage for them to promote activity

•Sustain partner commitment
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Pilot Project - Stampede Breakfast
•Re-focus : an opportunity to engage our community about it’s needs and develop partnerships

•Invite community & business leaders to discuss what is important to them, open invitation to join committee

•Committee : common vision/goal for Midnapore

•Breakfast : focus on fund-raising/awareness of cause

•Breakfast: Joint venture with our community

•Engage Citizens : opportunity for them to state their concerns (e.g. CityTV booth - Shalom scan) & talk one on one

•Breakfast : becomes a part of Midnapore community’s culture

•Spring board : for community transformation project, build on new partnerships, citizen input; couple with research, prayer and God’s guidance
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