ADEPT has, with local community groups, developed a
modular course - 'Working in Community Organisations'. The course is available
accredited through the open College Network or in a workshop format.
Stand-alone modules can be delivered, or a combination of
aspects of different modules creating a tailor-made package.
We are regularly commissioned to provide bespoke packages
to support groups in their development and sustainability, by supporting them
to arrive at their own solutions while achieving knowledge and skills for group
members during this process.
ADEPT is an approved centre for the Open College Network,
which ensures all of our training is delivered within a clear quality standard.
It also gives us the flexibility to provide tailor-made
accredited training that is responsive to the needs of a community group and
the individuals within it.
The changing nature of local communities and
neighbourhoods makes it increasingly important to provide support that is
flexible, adaptable and responsive to individual and community needs.
ADEPT has developed a dedicated resource for groups in
the form of a website - groupsinaction.com .
This provides a range of materials including examples and
templates, while offering steps, suggestions and things to avoid, as part of an
ongoing resource.
We have also developed a learning module entitled
"Facilitate your Group" aimed at those members of community groups
who wish to provide additional support to new members or to extend the
membership of their group.
This is available in a paper work book format at present,
and is being developed as a web resource, and then as an e-learning accredited
package.
Presentation from Haringay Council
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Presentation from
I am
working for the Hungarian Association for Community Development and the Civil
College Foundation, which is an adult educational institution.
Both
of them are nation-wide organizations and working on three levels.
On
the local level, we are initiating local development processes on a long term
basis, where through CD methodology and trainings we are enforcing planning and
local action.
On
the national level, we are linking the local initiatives by networking, and we
are influencing the development of new civic structures by help to create
various formal and informal ways of cooperation. We are influencing the policy
making processes too on the National and international level.
Related
to the profession, we are developing methods, making publications on the
results of our activities, we are running a Civic Radio and an internet based
community database, we are developing training courses and running trainings
all over
On
the international level we are members of different European networks, running
international projects on various issues, and influencing the policy making
procedures.
We
organized the previous relay in
During the meeting we expressed some important key
points related to our understanding (and the TLCD project) and also about our
possible common efforts for training and learning in the future. We all felt
that for the issue of sharing among us, it was really important that we made
space to get to know each other’s national
and professional contexts and history. That helped a lot to recognise the
similarities and differences and also to realise what we can bring back to home
from each other.
Sharing about our frameworks was also helpful to
recognise the different focus points and
actors within our societies, which/who are the most responsible in the change of people’s attitude on the
different levels. We agreed that our task also includes the support of grassroots initiatives, but
we also have a responsibility to
influence these actor’s activity and cooperation
with each other (we defined some, as the general education, adult education,
helper and developer professions – community, rural, cultural, social
professionals etc. - and the state both on the national and European level).
We need such policies and support which are making
possible real participation in which people can really take over the
responsibility on their lives and empowered properly to this participation. This cannot go without influencing policy
on each level in the society and
It seems that it worth to link these national efforts
on a European level, where our basis can be the
It also can be a
formalized group (an international
It also came out, that we are all involved and we all
are implementing long term processes in our work but the present situation
needs a special focus from CD and adult education to be more action oriented too. It means that reflective steps are needed from our
profession towards the key actors in
policy making and implementing, and through trainings we also have to support directly the local action.
More notes from the final discussion:
-
Within TLCD we should try
to bring back the bigger issues. We
are thinking a lot in contents and methodology (what is very important), but we
should try to focus on the bigger
analysis that you work from (the community itself, unemployment,
disabilities, economics, rights) - this
big issues should be emphasised within training. That also helps to avoid
to use CD as a tool by the hand of the power, which is helpful to increase
people’s “happiness” instead of dealing with real problems
-
Use an analysis to link local concerns to wider structures, issues
-
Facing our work, we have to
make a balance, that besides developing trainings on professional issues
(training professionals), we have to support active citizens directly, the active citizen should be supported. The professionals
have to be more prepared (and their education should focus on that) about how
to support active citizens, rather than using the toolkits they already have. Need to concentrate and focus on people in
communities, developing active citizens, whether working with professionals
or communities/politicians
-
This has an implication for
training methods and contents, they should be more action oriented (e.g. Saul Alinsky –
Rules for radicals)
-
But there is a tendency to simplify the world everywhere
(quick knowledge, very practical, simplifying structures, pictures, summaries,
guidelines etc.) which represents an attitude avoiding the “deep” and the
realization of the deeper relations, so that is why the CD training is very important on the University level as a part of
various studies
-
Important to look at history and key developments of community
work in order to better understand current context and influence future
developments
-
Be explicit about the values+beliefs+vision – value oriented community development – how our values shine in our
practice?
-
Focus on power-powerless+need of those excluded. Have an analysis of power, who has it, who
doesn’t, how it is used?
