PowerPoint about community development/partnership working - UK & Gambia - first year university students - used to help prepare for student assignment.

1. Community Development Work
Lecture
Some thoughts about CDW in the context of the
Marlborough (Wiltshire, UK) and Gunjur (The
Gambia).
Social Work & Community Development
First Year Students

2. 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?

3. 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.’)

4. 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)

5. 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

6. The Mango Tree as a metaphor
for relationships
Deep rooted
Long-lasting
Fruitful
Constant regeneration
Provide security

7. An Example - Marlborough
Population ~8,000, monocultural,
predominately Christian community,
life expectancy 78 is linked with ...

8. ... Gunjur in the Gambia
Population 12,500, Muslim fishing village with
no access to clean water, high infant mortality
rate, low levels of literacy, & a
life expectancy of 48.

9. Muslim Community

10. Project workat both ends
Exchange of Young People
Project work at
both ends ...

11. Young people from Marlborough teach in Gunjur
between school and university

12. Young
Gambians
come to
Marlborough
for training

13. Carpentry

14. •Sewing

15. Income generation through vegetable gardening

16. • 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

17. 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

18. 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; and
6. 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 ...?

19. 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?