What are the principles of community development?

Community Participation

Everyone has a valuable contribution to make and community members can join in at
any level. Volunteers and community members are integral to the decision-making,
evaluation, provision, participation and direction setting at all levels of Community
Development practice.

Community Ownership

Members are actively involved in decision-making and have ownership of the activities.
Community Development is a process of self determination, awareness and collective
action.

Empowerment

A process that respects, values and enhances people’s ability to have control over their
lives is put into practice. This process encourages people to meet their needs and
aspirations in a self-aware and informed way which takes advantage of their skills,
experience and potential. Change and growth occurs through informing and empowering
individuals and communities.

Lifelong Learning

Learning is integrated into all aspects of community Development activities, thus building
and supporting the personal skills, knowledge, abilities and resilience of people. They
develop the health, wellbeing and connection of people and their families, through formal
and informal pathways in education, employment and self-development.

Inclusion

The diverse contributions that people make are valued, no matter what their background
or varying abilities. Individual and local needs are acknowledged and addressed, often
through informal interaction. Identifying these needs and issues through a range of
methods is instrumental to informing the planning and development of activities and
programs.

Access and Equity

Programs are accessible and welcoming. They promote a fairer distribution of economic
resources and power between people by aiming to improve the social, environmental,
economic and cultural infrastructures within their communities.

Social Action

Internal and external factors that impact on the local community are analysed and
relationships between individuals, groups and organisations and within the community
transformed through collective action.

Community Development can also be considered in the context of social movements.

Advocating for changes in shared social values.

Advocacy
In meeting individual and group needs, Community Development practitioners act with,
or on behalf of, community members.

Networking

Linking, forming alliances, collaborating and working with individuals, groups, other
agencies, government and business are crucial, with interaction between formal and
informal methods to achieve connections within the local communities.

Self Help

Individuals are supported in coming together in a caring group environment to share

information, knowledge, skills and life experience in order that each participant can
reach their own personal goals.

Culturally Safe and Affirming

Cultural Diversity is a strength the requires mutual understanding and respect. Cultural
practices, language and values differ but can be a powerful unifying force. Community
Development provides a safe cultural space to affirm the positive characteristics of
diverse groups and identifying common goals and universal human aspirations.

Community development practice builds Community Capacity and Resilience.

Personal resilience is interdependent with social resilience. Community Development

build relationships between people and helps resolve conflicts by building understanding
and acceptance of difference. Community Development raises the capacity of a
community to support those most disadvantaged. This capacity building outcome is also
referred to as “Social Capital”.

Community Development supports socially conscious democracy.

Community Development engages community members in the democratic process. It

values the perspective of every citizen and helps them make informed decisions and
seeks to educate them in inspirational and very practical ways.

Community Development builds healthy sustainable communities

The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion states that the prerequisites for health in a
community are peace, shelter, enough food, adequate income to support individuals and
families, a stable ecosystem, sustainable resources, social justice, and equity.

Community Development is ubiquitous and builds adaptive strategies

Community development is a process and an outcome that manages the inevitable and
unexpected consequences of change. A community maybe bound by geography or a set
of common goals and ideas geographically dispersed across the globe and traverse
cultural and national boundaries.

Community Leadership is fostered from within the community not directed by a

Community Development practitioner. A core principle of Community development is a
commitment participatory planning.

Action orientated Research

Community Development requires constant research and should be evidence based on
both Qualitative and Quantitate data.

Community Development builds shared identity and belonging

We all want to belong to a group that accepts us and values our contribution.

Community Work/Community Development is based on a set of principles:

1.Collectivity;
2.Community Empowerment;
3.Social Justice and Sustainable Development;
4.Human Rights, Equality and Anti-discrimination;
5.Participation.