If several people live in close proximity to
each other, they more than likely share many of the same community interests.
Often, they will come together to change issues important to them.
Unfortunately, organized communities get confused with other groups, and there
are several myths that need to be dispelled.
Myth
#1: Community Organizing is Activism
Both community organization and activism are
responsible for many social changes in history. However, the two deviate when
you look at their general focus. Community organization often has a specific purpose
in mind for starting a domino effect of changes. While members of the organized
community can be classified as activists, they receive the empowerment that
builds within the community, allowing members to stand up and take charge.
Activists, while concerned with many of the same issues as an organized
community, don't provide the individual empowerment that comes from within an
organized community.
Myth
#2: Community Organizing Builds Social Movements
A social movement can be quite large in
comparison with a community organization. Social movements generally bring
together individual activists, advocacy groups, spokespeople and local and
national groups. An organized community consists of individual members of a
local area. Organized communities may share many of the same goals as a larger
social movement and may actually include themselves in with the bigger
movement. But their main focus is in creating change for their local community,
and not for the larger greater good. Self-interest in their immediate local
community is what differentiates these two.
Myth
#3: Community Organization is Community Development
In community development, a closely related
concept of community organization, educated professionals within non-profit,
government or business organizations generally lead the rest of the community
through efforts to initiate social change. While this method does inspire
change, it is not a characteristic of an organized community. An organized
community comes together when they agree on a change that must be made within
their local area, taking initiative to make sure their goals are met. The
organized community in this case will try to persuade professionals that their
cause takes precedence over community development issues.
Myth
#4: Community Organization is Advocacy
Not everyone has the ability to speak for
themselves due to varying issues. An advocate will take their story and make
sure it is heard. This is not what community organization does. Since community
organization is based on empowering the members of a local community to create
needed change, all members are encouraged to talk for themselves. This is a
virtue and a benefit of belonging to a community organization. As community
members find their power within the organization, they will be more willing to
come forward as new changes occur.
Organizing a local community is a great way
to begin changing one's local surroundings. An organized community can be
thought of as a microcosm of a larger movement for social change. The small
size of an organized community allows it to target desired changes, and it
gives power back to its residents as a token of gratitude.
Helena Breit lives in a new community and has
got quite involved with its organization. She enjoys sharing her insights on
various homeowner blogs. Visit Copperfield to find learn about Calgary townhomes.
Photo credits: xedos4, freedigitalphotos.net
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