An asset based approach to community development within a Southern African context : how local NGO's understand and practice development and empowerment

Abstract

With a changing world order leaning gradually toward neo-liberal practices, fewer resources are being allocated for community development. More and more urban and rural communities are being told to take an increasingly active role in their own development. This might be the ideal time to shift the community development focus towards development that is truly community centred and community driven.

Development begins inside a community and can be truly sustainable when it focuses on personal attributes (skills), development of leadership abilities and establishing useful bonds and relationships inside and outside the community.

Needs based approaches to problem solving, may leave members with a collective sense of hopelessness, inadequacy, dependency and a belief that they cannot solve problems on their own. However, community driven approaches can strengthen community members by highlighting their abilities and assets and may be able to transform the understanding of community development, helping members to realize that they have the power to make a difference in their own communities.

It is crucial to discover and recognize the power in communities and how various communities are tapping into that power to drive their development.