Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Community Organizing

1.0. Introduction
This paper is on Community Organizing. Organizing is people working together to get things done. The paper therefore presents the discussion on the importance of community organizing in Development perspectives. It comprises the introduction, theoretical review, empirical review, policy review, conclusion parties and references.

2.0. Theoretical Review
Community organization is that process by which people organize themselves to 'take charge' of their situation and thus develop a sense of being a community together. It is a particularly effective tool for the poor and powerless as they determine for themselves the actions they will take to deal with the essential forces that are destroying their community and consequently causing them to be powerless. Reverend Robert Linthicum, World Vision International

Community Organizing is a values-based process by which people - most often low- and moderate-income people previously absent from decision-making tables - come together in organizations to jointly act in the interest of their "communities" and the common good. Ideally, in the participatory process of working for needed changes, people involved in Community Organizing organizations/groups learn how to take greater responsibility for the future of their communities, gain in mutual respect and achieve growth as individuals. Community organizers identify and attract the people to be involved in the organizations, and develop the leadership from and relationships among the people that make the organizations effective.

Power is the purpose of community organizing, and the issues, problems, strategies and victories are means to the end of increased power for the organization and the community. Dave Bechwith and Randy Stoeker.

The empowerment process at the heart of community organizing promotes participation of people, organizations and communities toward the goals of increased individual and community control, political efficacy, improved quality of community life and social justice. Nina Wallerstein, American Journal of Health promotion.

Community organizing is one of many strategies for revitalizing disadvantaged neighborhoods and communities and for pursuing social change on a broader basis. But community organizing is the only strategy that invests all of its resources and energy to build the power of the people themselves, low income residents, people directly imparted by the issues being addressed to work effectively for community change. Over the decades, community organizing has increased its sophistication and networking for greater impact and wider results. Today’s community organizing field encompasses varied philosophies, approaches, organizational arrangements, actors, priorities, issues and constituencies. Community organizing has taken root in both urban and rural settings. It enabled ordinary people to work for effectively together for change, often with significant impact at the block, neighborhood, community, city, country, regional and at times, state and national levels. Various racial and ethnic groups, other disadvantaged or disenfranchised groups use of community organizing to fight for fairness and equity.

The central ingredient of all effective community organization in the view of many involved in the field what they believe distinguishes community organizing most clearly from all other social change strategies is building power. Community organizing builds power and works for change most often to achieve social justice with and for those who are disadvantaged in society. The authors, Seth Borgos and Scott Douglas, stressed that “the fundamental source of cohesion of every strong community organizing group is the conviction that it offers its members a unique vehicle for exercising and developing their capacities as citizens. They also noted that, the most common usage of the term community organizing refers to organizations that are democratic in governance, open and accessible to community members, and concerned with the general health of the community rather than a specific interest or service function.

3.0. Empirical Review
Recently, many development agencies and non-governmental organizations in Tanzania have been promoting formation of community organizations in order to strengthen the collective self-help among them. It recognized that there is a need to strengthen the approach of community organizing with the aim of promoting their interests at various community needs.

Community organization is now gaining its important following decentralization of power and withdrawal of government services provision. Community organization and other community associations are now taking over the role of trade unions and co-operative movements in supporting rural communities to govern their own livelihoods socially, culturally and economically.

Community economic development is an approach that focuses and wants to work with the organized community. Community economic development represents a new way of doing things that promotes and builds community self-reliance and control, inclusion and broad participation, and deliberately attempts to involve those who are marginalized by social and political policy. CED also is an evolving, on-going process based on equity, participation, community building, cooperation and collaboration. So community organizing is vital in the development process.

In Tanzania, after the failure of market – based agrarian reforms to improve farm productivity, it is widely felt that the missing link is “Organizational” due to lack of accountable and strong local organizations to support gain access to resources and markets and make their voices heard at policymaking level. Therefore, in order to have beneficial social change and sustainable development, the communities need to organize themselves and plan what they need to do in solving a certain problem. By organizing the community it gives an opportunity for them to scrutinize actual problems need to be solved, plans ways of solving the problems, identifying resources available, take actions in the process of implementation, and together evaluate their work. This assures and builds the basis for ensuring strong participation in the development process. As organizing means putting people work together to get things done, by organizing also increases the morality of doing more work with highly commitment, and the people organized will be ready to sustain the results obtained.
For example, Mviwata is a network of farmer, different farmers from villages have come together and form groups at the level a village and network at a level of national that is called Mviwata. Now through Mviwata, most farmers are benefiting, their voices are heard on issues related to agricultural implement, infrastructure etc. There are currently some roads has been constructed by Mviwata initiatives, eg, Tawa road, Tandahimba road, Mgeta road in Morogoro. Kibaigwa International Maize market in Dodoma. These are few examples to mention and show how organizing people can results into positive change.

NGOs are pioneers on community organizing. Inades Formation Tanzania as an NGO has mobilized community members in different villages and about 35 groups in 6 villages has been formed, where by those group do things together and there are notable achievement.

FGM, in 1970s/80s, policies and laws were put forward to stop FGM. But this strategy failed because despite of the laws, people were still circumcised which led to many effects such as death. But in 1990s non government organization like AFNET, as pioneers went the community to educate on the effects of FGM, bringing together those women who do circumcision exercise, educate them, mobilize formation of advocacy group to advocate for FGM stopping etc. these efforts succeed, as a case of Mkoka village in Kongwa District FGM practices has reduced to 70%, so organizing the community helps in achieving the desired goal than just putting the laws.

PLHA since they have common problem common interests, by organizing them into groups have been so easier for them to get assistance for their life.

Farmers in Mafinga Districts Mufindi had formed PMC to solve market problems of their maize products, know are enjoying the price of their produces unlike in the past individual farmers were responsible to sell his/her produces to brokers, who set low price to farmers produces for their own profit.
4.0. Policy Review
To ensure full participation of the people in governance and development of their country, the Tanzania Government unveiled the Local Government Reform policy (LGRP) in 1998 aimed at making district and municipal councils more accountable to the people and improve social services, including facilitating people’s efforts towards self-development. Under LGRP, local government authorities (LGAs) are responsible for provision of basic public service with emphasis on priority sectors that targeted poverty reduction. LGAs have to ensure democratic participation and service delivery at the sub-district level is achieved by dividing the district/municipalities into divisions, wards, villages and sub-villages. These efforts aimed at organizing the communities to make things done.
5.0. Conclusion
“Quality life for every Tanzanians citizen will be realized by self commitment, every one should work hardly”. This saying has more meaningful but this is not enough to stand at its own, there is rather need to organize our community to easier make things done. It is understood that, organizing is power for achieving sustainable development. There fore when people in communities come together for solving their problems, sustainable change will be of no doubt. Then, the Tanzania government, NGOs and other private institutions that put much of their efforts toward community change, should then use the community organizing approach to make things done.



Reference
1. Community Organizing Toolbox. Community Organizing: The Basics.
2. Michel Adjibodou. Understanding Community Economic Development.
3. Nina Wallerstein, American Journal of Health promotion.
4. Reverend Robert Linthicum, World Vision International
5. Tanzania Government Local Government Reform policy (LGRP) of 1998

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