Community Action: Core Values and Principles

Concepts in Community Action Initiatives

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states all humans are free and equal, regardless of color, age, gender, nationality, religion, and state
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the inspiration, platform, and a reference for community action

Core Values and Principles of Community Action

• Human rights are universal rights inherent to all, regardless of nationality, sex, origin, color, religion, or status, as per the UN High Commissioner
• Social justice is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political, and social rights and opportunities, NAtional Association of Social Workers.
• Empowerment involves gaining control over decisions to improve quality of life and address community issues
• Advocacy involves promoting a cause and enabling marginalized groups to know and exercise their rights
• Participatory development is a process where stakeholders influence and share control over development initiatives with community engagement
• Gender equality is achieved when women and men have equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities, according to the UN Entity for Gender Equality

Human Rights in Community Action Initiatives

• Every person has rights, even before birth
• Human rights are inherent because we are human

Classes of Human Rights

• Natural rights are possessed by every citizen without being granted by the state and cannot be repealed such as the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
• Constitutional rights are rights protected by the constitution
• Example of civil rights include equal social opportunities and protection under the law, like the right to property
• Political rights enable participation in government, like suffrage and election to public office
• Social, economic, and cultural rights ensure human well-being and economic security, like the right to education

Principles of Life, Liberty, and Property

• The 1987 Philippine Constitution states no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process or equal protection
• Life means human existence from birth to death, and one has the right and duty to preserve it
• Liberty means freedom to decide and act without interference with the rights of others
• Property refers to a thing itself or ownership, allowing a person to own, sell, and give away possessions
• The 1987 Philippine Constitution prohibits the deprivation of life, liberty, or property without due process
• Deprivation of life means taking away any limb or faculty
• Deprivation of liberty means unduly preventing someone from acting as they wish
• Deprivation of property means physically taking it away or destroying its value

Social Justice in Community Action Initiatives

• Social justice aims for equal economic, political, and social rights and opportunities
• Social justice occurs when there are equal rights, equal opportunity, and equal treatment for every community member
• Freedom of Initiative means the ability to assess and act independently
• Self-reliance means the ability to act and make decisions independently
• Social justice requires protecting human rights, access to essentials, participation, and equity
• Social justice and equity encompass various areas and transform oppression
• Inclusive policies and advocating for the marginalized promote social justice
• Communities should promote social justice by supporting and assisting their members' needs

Gender Equality in Community Action Initiatives

• Gender equality is reached when men and women have equal rights, freedoms, conditions, and opportunities
• Gender equality implies considering the interests, needs, and priorities of both genders and diversity
• Gender equity is being fair to men and women, compensating for historical disadvantages
• Gender discrimination is any distinction based on sex that impairs the recognition, enjoyment, or exercise of women's rights
• Women's empowerment promotes their self-worth through strengthening their capacity to make decisions and contribute to social change
• Women's empowerment combats discrimination and violence toward women
• International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th
• Women's autonomy, empowerment, and improved status are vital for community & sustainable development
• Participatory development aims to engage every community member
• Achieving gender equality in participatory development can be done by giving women opportunities, enabling them to vote and be leaders
• Involving women affects them, their families, and communities

Seven Principles on Women’s Empowerment by the UN Global Compact

• Establish corporate leadership for gender equality
• Treat all women and men fairly at work and support human rights
• Ensure health, safety, & well-being of all workers
• Promote education, training, and professional development for women
• Implement enterprise development & marketing practices that empower women
• Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy
• Measure and publicly report progress to achieve gender equality

Empowerment and Advocacy in Community Action Initiatives

• Empowerment and advocacy strengthen communities so they gain control over their circumstances

Empowerment and Advocacy

• Empowerment is achieved when people gain influence and control over their life and environment
• Empowerment allows understanding of their situation, awareness of rights, and acquired ability to overcome experiences
• Advocacy influences decisions related to political, economic, and social issues
• Advocacy is mobilization with network and relationship-building to form alliances and create social movements

Types of Advocacy

• Policy advocacy impacts policy and regulations by influencing government, such as lobbying for/against certain policies
• Public advocacy influences public behavior, opinion, and practices & build support for the desired change, such as supporting social action groups
• These types of activities provide equal opportunities for all sectors of society
• Creating awareness empowers disadvantaged groups through rights and access to services

Types of Empowerment

• Individual empowerment increases self-efficacy and personal power
• Psychological empowerment increases awareness and understanding of issues
• Organizational empowerment makes organization members more effective in working toward empowering communities
• Community empowerment allows a community to manage resources and control affecting factors
• Societal empowerment results in fair distribution of resources and community being able to challenge oppression, segregation, & discrimination

Participatory Development in Community Action Initiatives

• Participatory development aims to include every population member, in initiatives and projects
• It holds the principle that without commitment, creativity, and efforts, development is slow
• Active participation refers to co-determining and power-sharing among community members throughout program implementations
• Participation leads to developmental efficiency, access to resources, citizenship, well-being, community empowerment, and promoting change

Ways of Promoting Participation in Communities

• Encourage participation to educate and motivate people
• Solving conflicts to encourage teamwork
• Build local-level support groups as an organizational base
• Involve local-level support groups, government initiatives for equal opportunity and NGOs to advocate

Developing a Community Action Plan

• Community action is action that promotes achieving common community goals
• This is achieved through social interactions and relationships while maintaining local life
• Principal actors are the local community members directly involved or affected by community action
• Goals represent community interests based on community needs
• Actions ensure efforts improve the community’s well-being

Community Action Plan

• A community action plan is a tool that uses action approach for community to take action on issues & developments
• It provides a framework for steps

Importance of Community Action Plan

• Builds community capacity by enabling members to discuss and share ideas & skills
• Promotes community resilience
• Prevents problems from recurring

Elements of a Community Action Plan

• Goals & Targets are desired conditions
• Objectives are specific actions that contribute to set goals
• Strategies are plans of action
• Activities/Tactics are actions aligned with strategies
• Resources are materials used
• A timeline describes when activities are expected to be finished

Needs of a Community Action Plan

• Report on the community's current situation include information that identify problems
• Project ideas are ideas used as a foundation of community actions from member discussions
• Community needs assessment identifies the needs so problems can be addressed
• Fund sources are resources and funds essential to carry out community action

Creating a Community Action Plan

• Community organizers immerse in order to understand current situations
• Study the community. Then conduct a needs assessment and engage the community
• Analyze needs, then organize and keep it documented, monitored, and evaluated

Parts of Community Action Plan

• The cover page consists of basic information such as the title, date of the proposal, and date of update
• Table of contents is a list of all parts of the plan segmented into sections
• Executive summary gives a brief walk-through, including the vision and mission statements
• The Community Profile provides in-depth information and problem description
• Profile includes demographics, household needs, local institutions, and available resources
• Introduction includes the background, purpose, stakeholders, goals, objectives, activities, roles, resources, and timeline
• Supporting documents like the detailed list of documents supplement the proposal of the community action plan