Why do people volunteer? To what end? Altruism, self interest, or a little bit of both? (Ayn Rand, are you listening?) “Take care of numero uno”, we are told. But, “love (serve) your neighbor” we are also told.
In the USofA the value of helping others is deeply rooted and has a rich history. Today, the “call to service” resonates loudly with the aging baby boomers and the younger generation. Our current economic crisis coupled with the innate willingness of both of these generational cohorts – and the rise to the Presidency of a man that clearly ‘gets it’ – seems to be a perfect storm for a ‘new age of volunteerism’. For those of us fortunate enough to be paid to think about such things and operationalize systems or create curriculum to maximize this ‘volunteer energy’, these are exciting times indeed.
More people in need. More people willing to volunteer. An understanding President… A perfect storm… What an opportunity! What excitement! What challenge!
However, before we jump in the volunteer bandwagon, we’d better think through the implications for the individual, organization, and community… Why do people volunteer? What organizational outcome can be expedited by the use of volunteers? How can volunteers weave into the fabric of the community rather than be seen as opportunistic outsiders? There are a gazillion other questions that we could ask. Three simple ones to consider include:
[1] Meaning for the individual: How meaningful should the volunteer activity be for the individual? (Are they looking to exercise their profession and/or skills ‘for free’, enrich themselves spirituality, and/or create consciousness for a cause? What is their time commitment, restrictions and/or demand/expectations? How do we ‘segment’ the volunteer pool – youth, elderly, retired, stay-at-home parent; etc. )
[2] Organizational purpose: What is the purpose of using volunteers in the organization? (Is it to alleviate a current condition – i.e. address staffing shortage; or is it to more effectively and efficiently meet a particular organizational objective? Are there internal opportunities for volunteers to get involved in systemic change – or would their participation be ‘busy work’ only? Is our purpose to ‘create consciousness’ – or is immediate resource savings driving the use of volunteers? What is the organization’s capacity to recruit, train, and supervise volunteers?)
[3] Community Context: How will the community benefit from the use of volunteers? (What types of volunteer activities already exist in our community? What is the “demand”? What is the “supply? Who are the existing ‘opportunity providers’? Are the opportunities “one time only”; do they ‘sunset’; or are they permanent and ongoing? Who controls the process? Are they willing to partner?)
The exact nature of the question is not that critical – as long as it is asked of prospective volunteers, leaders in the organization, and residents of the community. There is no right or wrong answer. If the questions are framed correctly, their answers will lead to efficient and effective use of volunteers. If the questions are not framed correctly, the use of volunteers can lead to individual frustrations, organizational loss of resources, and unmet community expectations.
So, what are other questions that should be asked?... Please provide yours. Do please indicate whether the question is of an individual, organization, or community; and, who should ask the question.) Chime in by posting yours as a ‘comment’ to this blog.
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
On City, Planning, & Community Engagement
To paraphrase Bob Dylan, here I am, “stuck inside Minneapolis, with the Milwaukee blues again”… Yes, here I am with 4,234 other planner-types at the American Planning Association Conference... In the company of such illustrious group, I can’t help but wonder:
- WHERE are the minority planners? (Sure, the tokens were there; but nada mas.)
- WHY are planners so boring? (The sessions - with few exceptions - felt like bad public hearings.)
- COULD IT BE time to bury PowerPoint Presentations? (Or at least, could presenters be required to go to PPP101?)
Oh how I yearn to be around regular folks! (Mind you, some of my best friends are planners. Heck, I am AICP myself – so I am one of them!)
Well, back to the topic at hand:
I wonder what it’d be like if planners took off their masks, became the residents they are, and approached this conference like a family bar-b-q, drinking beer, or enjoying a ballgame (which some of them did, watching the Twins beat the Rays 4 to 3 at the Metrodome.)
I wonder what it’d be like if:
- Instead of meetings we had gatherings;
- Instead of strategizing we had conversations;
- Instead of outcomes we told stories;
- Instead of visioning we dreamed.
Rather than meet to strategize about outcomes and vision, let’s gather to converse, tell stories, and dream… Gathering, conversing, telling stories, and dreaming are natural human acts. Meetings are not a natural human activity.
It is amazing that our puritan roots are our only roots that artificially separate life from art. In all our other cultural roots, art is life and vice versa. Oh, how we could learn from successful:
- HIV/AIDS education in Africa;
- Micro-lending peer-to-peer learning in India;
- Evangelization “comunidades de base” in Latin America;
- Shakespeare plays-in-the-square in the Anglo culture!
All these successful models of community engagement incorporate, weave, and blend the arts with learning and the learning with the arts - indeed, they are one and the same, inseparable. Separating artistic expression – music, dance, poetry, painting, performing – from public discourse is unnatural and illogical.
Therefore, when we seek public discourse and – artificially, I propose – try to control human behavior in staged settings we set ourselves up to fail. Thus, traditional public discourse in the planning discipline – public hearings and such – are boring, ineffective, and inefficient... They may meet the bureaucratic requirement; but they do not serve the intended purpose of authentic public participation.
Where oh where - you may ask - can I see successful engagement models?
Well, various communities throughout the USofA are doing what comes natural: Bringing people together in comfortable settings to talk about their communities and neighborhoods – and coming up with real solutions to make things better. Others are going ‘door to door’ seeing how neighbors are doing and making sure they have access to helpful services.
Want proof? Check out this YouTube video:
HERE
And, the blog from someone that is ‘walking the talk’:
THE VALUE OF PLACE
enJoy,
Reemberto
- WHERE are the minority planners? (Sure, the tokens were there; but nada mas.)
- WHY are planners so boring? (The sessions - with few exceptions - felt like bad public hearings.)
- COULD IT BE time to bury PowerPoint Presentations? (Or at least, could presenters be required to go to PPP101?)
Oh how I yearn to be around regular folks! (Mind you, some of my best friends are planners. Heck, I am AICP myself – so I am one of them!)
Well, back to the topic at hand:
I wonder what it’d be like if planners took off their masks, became the residents they are, and approached this conference like a family bar-b-q, drinking beer, or enjoying a ballgame (which some of them did, watching the Twins beat the Rays 4 to 3 at the Metrodome.)
I wonder what it’d be like if:
- Instead of meetings we had gatherings;
- Instead of strategizing we had conversations;
- Instead of outcomes we told stories;
- Instead of visioning we dreamed.
Rather than meet to strategize about outcomes and vision, let’s gather to converse, tell stories, and dream… Gathering, conversing, telling stories, and dreaming are natural human acts. Meetings are not a natural human activity.
It is amazing that our puritan roots are our only roots that artificially separate life from art. In all our other cultural roots, art is life and vice versa. Oh, how we could learn from successful:
- HIV/AIDS education in Africa;
- Micro-lending peer-to-peer learning in India;
- Evangelization “comunidades de base” in Latin America;
- Shakespeare plays-in-the-square in the Anglo culture!
All these successful models of community engagement incorporate, weave, and blend the arts with learning and the learning with the arts - indeed, they are one and the same, inseparable. Separating artistic expression – music, dance, poetry, painting, performing – from public discourse is unnatural and illogical.
Therefore, when we seek public discourse and – artificially, I propose – try to control human behavior in staged settings we set ourselves up to fail. Thus, traditional public discourse in the planning discipline – public hearings and such – are boring, ineffective, and inefficient... They may meet the bureaucratic requirement; but they do not serve the intended purpose of authentic public participation.
Where oh where - you may ask - can I see successful engagement models?
Well, various communities throughout the USofA are doing what comes natural: Bringing people together in comfortable settings to talk about their communities and neighborhoods – and coming up with real solutions to make things better. Others are going ‘door to door’ seeing how neighbors are doing and making sure they have access to helpful services.
Want proof? Check out this YouTube video:
HERE
And, the blog from someone that is ‘walking the talk’:
THE VALUE OF PLACE
enJoy,
Reemberto
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Hi-Tech, Hi-Touch and the Soul
"We must match our zeal for hi-tech with our passion for hi-touch lest we wire the world and short-circuit the soul."
With all the talk about FaceBook, Tweeter, on-line connection, etc., we really need to make sure we match our zeal for hi-tech with our passion for hi-touch lest we wire the world and short-circuit the soul. This catchy – but all so true - statement is a combination of a theme from yesterday (John Nesbitt, the author of the book “Megatrends” released back in the 80’s) and a line I heard some young author say recently (I can’t remember her name.)
John Nesbitt – who is still around – was instrumental in foreshadowing the hi-tech boom of the latter part of the 20th century. He highlighted, however, that all the hi-tech in the world would be meaningless if we lose sight of the ‘human need’ to touch, feel, see eye-to-eye, and simply ‘be in the same physical space’. Twenty plus years after his famous book “Megatrends” I find myself reading “The Soul of a Leader: Finding Your Path to Success and Fulfillment” (by Margaret Benefiel.) She too reasserts that innate need we have for belonging, being with each other, and finding that inner strength that comes from our connection to others. While neither of these two books is directly about our field of community development, there is a third that brings these themes together in a very potent way. The name of the book is “The Paradox of Power: From Control to Compassion” by Michael H. Crosby. (Google him. He is a Franciscan priest in Milwaukee.) Simply a great, great read.
Also on point and probably more directly related to our field is the work being done by various organizations throughout the country that are trying to respond to the current seismic shift in the economy with a combination of “hi-tech & hi-touch”. One example is something being done right in my backyard, Silver Spring.
We are bringing together the best of ‘old school’ (door knocking) with the best of today’s social media (blogs). Door knocking presses the flesh; blogs link the bytes. Our charge is simple: Let neighbors know that others care, and welcome their participation in common action for their individual and collective wellness. Our commitment is to do 20,000 door knocks and – here’s where the hi-tech comes in – document the process to maximize others getting enthused about the Neighbors Campaign. You can view the blog at http://neighborscampaign.wordpress.com/
Yes, the door knocking and blogging also intends to bring residents news about what services are available to help them through their economic crisis. And yes, the County is our partner… (We are blessed with a County where many of the elected officials and key department administrators "get it".) But, infinitely more important is the enhanced sense of caring and empathy that our community will feel… To know that someone cares; to know where to turn for comfort; to know whose house the next convening is at where people will share stories and maybe offer a hand. Door knocks alone could not get us there; neither could blogs alone… It is the innovative combination of these ‘hi-tech’ / ‘hi-touch’ techniques that will make success possible.
When training our door-knockers, one key point we've made is to ask them to visualize the inside of the house after they walk away. How does the person that just closed the door feel? Are they (a) energized to join others in the process – regardless of their personal situation; or are they (b) left simply knowing what phone number to call for help? Have we left them with (a) a sense that – again, regardless of their personal situation – they have a lot to offer others; or are they left with (b) the sense things are bad and help is somewhere out there? If we left them with (b), it is not enough… We must leave them with (a): A sense that they have lots to offer and and the excitement to do so.
When building our blog, it is critical that we drive people to people – not just to hyperspace. The blog is a tool for informing, yes. But, it is also a tool for exciting people to come together. And people come together in places and spaces where other people are: others’ living rooms; the County’s help center; the street corner happenstance gathering; accompanying others to do more door knocks; etc.
Hi-tech alone can be very efficient in mobilizing for action, getting many people to respond to an immediate situation, and disseminating information. But only good old fashion hi-touch can build long term sustainable relationships that will lead to systemic change in communities. It is through a combination of these two venues (hi-tech and hi-touch) that the soul of the community is most effectively nourished.
http://neighborscampaign.wordpress.com/
With all the talk about FaceBook, Tweeter, on-line connection, etc., we really need to make sure we match our zeal for hi-tech with our passion for hi-touch lest we wire the world and short-circuit the soul. This catchy – but all so true - statement is a combination of a theme from yesterday (John Nesbitt, the author of the book “Megatrends” released back in the 80’s) and a line I heard some young author say recently (I can’t remember her name.)
John Nesbitt – who is still around – was instrumental in foreshadowing the hi-tech boom of the latter part of the 20th century. He highlighted, however, that all the hi-tech in the world would be meaningless if we lose sight of the ‘human need’ to touch, feel, see eye-to-eye, and simply ‘be in the same physical space’. Twenty plus years after his famous book “Megatrends” I find myself reading “The Soul of a Leader: Finding Your Path to Success and Fulfillment” (by Margaret Benefiel.) She too reasserts that innate need we have for belonging, being with each other, and finding that inner strength that comes from our connection to others. While neither of these two books is directly about our field of community development, there is a third that brings these themes together in a very potent way. The name of the book is “The Paradox of Power: From Control to Compassion” by Michael H. Crosby. (Google him. He is a Franciscan priest in Milwaukee.) Simply a great, great read.
Also on point and probably more directly related to our field is the work being done by various organizations throughout the country that are trying to respond to the current seismic shift in the economy with a combination of “hi-tech & hi-touch”. One example is something being done right in my backyard, Silver Spring.
We are bringing together the best of ‘old school’ (door knocking) with the best of today’s social media (blogs). Door knocking presses the flesh; blogs link the bytes. Our charge is simple: Let neighbors know that others care, and welcome their participation in common action for their individual and collective wellness. Our commitment is to do 20,000 door knocks and – here’s where the hi-tech comes in – document the process to maximize others getting enthused about the Neighbors Campaign. You can view the blog at http://neighborscampaign.wordpress.com/
Yes, the door knocking and blogging also intends to bring residents news about what services are available to help them through their economic crisis. And yes, the County is our partner… (We are blessed with a County where many of the elected officials and key department administrators "get it".) But, infinitely more important is the enhanced sense of caring and empathy that our community will feel… To know that someone cares; to know where to turn for comfort; to know whose house the next convening is at where people will share stories and maybe offer a hand. Door knocks alone could not get us there; neither could blogs alone… It is the innovative combination of these ‘hi-tech’ / ‘hi-touch’ techniques that will make success possible.
When training our door-knockers, one key point we've made is to ask them to visualize the inside of the house after they walk away. How does the person that just closed the door feel? Are they (a) energized to join others in the process – regardless of their personal situation; or are they (b) left simply knowing what phone number to call for help? Have we left them with (a) a sense that – again, regardless of their personal situation – they have a lot to offer others; or are they left with (b) the sense things are bad and help is somewhere out there? If we left them with (b), it is not enough… We must leave them with (a): A sense that they have lots to offer and and the excitement to do so.
When building our blog, it is critical that we drive people to people – not just to hyperspace. The blog is a tool for informing, yes. But, it is also a tool for exciting people to come together. And people come together in places and spaces where other people are: others’ living rooms; the County’s help center; the street corner happenstance gathering; accompanying others to do more door knocks; etc.
Hi-tech alone can be very efficient in mobilizing for action, getting many people to respond to an immediate situation, and disseminating information. But only good old fashion hi-touch can build long term sustainable relationships that will lead to systemic change in communities. It is through a combination of these two venues (hi-tech and hi-touch) that the soul of the community is most effectively nourished.
http://neighborscampaign.wordpress.com/
Friday, December 19, 2008
Is a working definition of Community Engagement possible?... Here’s a try!
Community engagement connects people to improve lives where they live.
Community engagement brings together individual, institutional, and social network interests to serve the common good. It is through the community building (institutional), community organizing (social networks), and community leadership (individual) infrastructure that community engagement happens.
Community engagement thrives in a context where partnerships, collaborations and coalitions are nourished. Its values are rooted in inclusion, tolerance, and active participation.
These values and context are operationalized in a real-world environment that is first and foremost diverse. This ‘diversity reality’ must be understood, acknowledged, and recognized as the driving cultural paradigm of community engagement.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
The definition offered above is intended to be a ‘working draft’. It is intended to be a ‘starting point’ for people embarking on a community engagement process to mull over, revise, and adjust to local realities.
Please chime in with your comments and ideas.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
What exactly is community engagement? A Google search and the Wikipedia definition provide some rather interested, but narrow and incomplete results. Academic research does not fare much better.
It appears that the term ‘community engagement’ is currently being used most in university settings referring to engaging students in community life. Also, there seems to be quite a few entrepreneurs that are trying to claim it as an area of consultancy. Interestingly enough, the domain name ‘communityengagement’ is still available as a .com and .org.
One thing that community engagement is not, is ‘civic’ engagement. Civic engagement connotes a certain level of formality, duty, ‘citizen-driven’, voters registration, Elks Club-type engagement that is intuitively different from ‘community’ engagement.
Neither is community engagement the same as ‘citizen participation’. Citizen participation usually refers to involvement in the political process; i.e.: public hearings.
Democratic governance, citizen juries, innovative polling practices and other emerging techniques offer a glimpse of how related fields can have similar “feel” to community engagement. New technologies (the internet and smart phones in particular) are reshaping how engagement, participation, and mobilization can happen in lighting speed. Certainly, the recent elections are a vivid example.
While all of the above is certainly related to community engagement, community engagement is more… Yet, can we define it? We can try.
The definition offered below is intended to be a ‘working draft’. It is intended to be a ‘starting point’ for people embarking on a community engagement process to mull over, revise, and adjust to local realities.
Please chime in with your comments and ideas.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Community engagement connects people to improve lives where they live.
Community engagement brings together individual, institutional, and social network interests to serve the common good. It is through the community building (institutional), community organizing (social networks), and community leadership (individual) infrastructure that community engagement happens.
Community engagement thrives in a context where partnerships, collaborations and coalitions are nourished. Its values are rooted in inclusion, tolerance, and active participation.
These values and context are operationalized in a real-world environment that is first and foremost diverse. This ‘diversity reality’ must be understood, acknowledged, and recognized as the driving cultural paradigm of community engagement.
Successful community engagement yields tangible, practical, meaningful, measureable, and impactful results valuable to the community at large, not only to those engaged in the process or vested in the results.
Monday, September 15, 2008
TOP TEN TRENDS IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
ok... Let the debate begin...
There are a zillion things happening in our culture that impact how communities engage. However, there are a limited number of these cultural "stuff" that seem to make a difference in our field... Here's my token top ten... Please add yours:
1. It's about "place". We live in a three dimensional world... After all is said and done - and respecting the increasing importance of the virtual dimension - the physical location of where we live, play, worship, socialize, and work constitutes the most sustainable venues for people-to-people engagement. (Place rules!)
2. Networking A-New. Facebook; LinkedIn; Tweeter; MySpace... That is the list today, tomorrow it'll be a different list. (The virtual world does matter!)
3. Social entrepreneurship is king. There's a fine line between non-profit and for-profit... Indeed, most of the most amazing work in our field is done by people that do the work without giving a thought to 'profit', institution, or structure. (The world is flat!)
4. Youth Yaks. Txt bk or di... If we don't engage the youth in our work, we are planning for self-obsolescence. (Period!)
5. Accountability. We'd better be good, and be able to prove it... Regardless of how good we are, if we can not account for the measurable, impactful results, others will barely notice. (Bean counters, unite!)
6. It's ok to shoot the breeze. Much to the surprise of many, conversation still matters... Good old fashion conversation, story-telling, and just simply 'hanging out' - without a definitive outcome in mind - is still effective. (Talk Talk Talk!)
7. Diversity is dead. Long live diversity... In our zeal to be inclusive, we may have lost the ability to focus, target, and be definitive. (The absurdity of political correctness?!)
8. They are us. We are them... Some of my best friends are bankers, funders, and some are even rich - yet they understand us, and even fought along side of us! (Partnerships amongst friend is easier than among enemies!)
9. Internationale. "It's a small world after all"... What happens in Pakistan matters in Peoria - and we can learn from each other. (Connecting is easy!)
10. Soccer Moms; Single Moms; Super Moms. The 'feminization' of the field... Women constitute an ever increasing number of participants in community engagement circles. (Viva la femme!)
There are a zillion things happening in our culture that impact how communities engage. However, there are a limited number of these cultural "stuff" that seem to make a difference in our field... Here's my token top ten... Please add yours:
1. It's about "place". We live in a three dimensional world... After all is said and done - and respecting the increasing importance of the virtual dimension - the physical location of where we live, play, worship, socialize, and work constitutes the most sustainable venues for people-to-people engagement. (Place rules!)
2. Networking A-New. Facebook; LinkedIn; Tweeter; MySpace... That is the list today, tomorrow it'll be a different list. (The virtual world does matter!)
3. Social entrepreneurship is king. There's a fine line between non-profit and for-profit... Indeed, most of the most amazing work in our field is done by people that do the work without giving a thought to 'profit', institution, or structure. (The world is flat!)
4. Youth Yaks. Txt bk or di... If we don't engage the youth in our work, we are planning for self-obsolescence. (Period!)
5. Accountability. We'd better be good, and be able to prove it... Regardless of how good we are, if we can not account for the measurable, impactful results, others will barely notice. (Bean counters, unite!)
6. It's ok to shoot the breeze. Much to the surprise of many, conversation still matters... Good old fashion conversation, story-telling, and just simply 'hanging out' - without a definitive outcome in mind - is still effective. (Talk Talk Talk!)
7. Diversity is dead. Long live diversity... In our zeal to be inclusive, we may have lost the ability to focus, target, and be definitive. (The absurdity of political correctness?!)
8. They are us. We are them... Some of my best friends are bankers, funders, and some are even rich - yet they understand us, and even fought along side of us! (Partnerships amongst friend is easier than among enemies!)
9. Internationale. "It's a small world after all"... What happens in Pakistan matters in Peoria - and we can learn from each other. (Connecting is easy!)
10. Soccer Moms; Single Moms; Super Moms. The 'feminization' of the field... Women constitute an ever increasing number of participants in community engagement circles. (Viva la femme!)
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Can community engagement and neighborhood revitalization actually be defined by anyone other than those individuals 'engaged' in community and those that are impacted by the 'revitalization'?... What is the role of the 'professional' in engaging communities and revitalizing neighborhoods?... Does traditional planning approach and organizing techniques suffice today? - Or, is there a new body of thought, provocative strategies, and innovation in this field?... Who knows? Who decides? Who speaks for whom?
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