Discerning
books on community development that have influenced my thinking, I find myself
asking what is the question behind the question when one asks for general literature
on community development. In Chicago the ICA is
wrestling with what does it look like to do sustainable
community development (adding environmental considerations to influencing
community change). What are people discovering that is helpful
literature on ‘sustainable community development?
The
following books have influenced my thinking on community development:
Diers,
Jim, Neighbor
Power: Building community the Seattle
Way (2004)
Hopkins, Rob, Transition Handbook: from oil dependency to local resilience (2008). Pioneered in Ireland/England since 2006,
transition communities are now in 43 countries and 1,130 initiatives (including
150 in the United States).
James,
Sarah and Lahti, Torbjorn, The
Natural Step for Communities: how cities
and towns can change to sustainable practices, 2004. Piloted in Scandinavia, this approach has been especially effective for changing large public institutions as well as geographical communities.
Kretzmann,
John and McKnight, John, Building
Communities from the Inside Out: A path
toward finding and mobilizing a community’s assets (1993). The community assets survey approach described
in this book launched the ABCD (Asset-Based Community Development) approach
*****
We have been telling the
people that this is the Eleventh Hour
Now we must go back and
tell the people this is the Hour.
And there are things to be
considered.
Where are you living? What are you doing? Are you in right relation?
Where is your water? Know your garden.
It is time to speak your
truth. Create your community. Be good to each other.
And do not look outside
yourself for the leader. This could be a
good time!
There is a river flowing
very fast.
It is so great and swift
that there are those who will be afraid.
They will try to hold on to
the shore.
They will feel they are
being torn apart and they will suffer greatly.
Know the river has a destination.
The elders say we must let
go of the shore, and push off and into the river,
Keep our eyes open, and our
head above the water.
See who is in there with
you and Celebrate.
At this time in history, we
are to take nothing personally. Least of
all, ourselves.
For the moment that we do,
our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.
The time of the lone wolf
is over.
Gather yourselves!
Banish the word “struggle”
from your attitude and your vocabulary.
All that you do now must be
done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
We are the ones we have
been waiting for.
~~ Alice Walker from We are the Ones We Have
Been Waiting For
On Jun 28, 2014, at 4:34 PM, William Schlesinger via Dialogue <
dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
I've liked Rothman's work on locality development. Parallels our historical approach and relates it to both community organizing and planning approached.
Bill Schlesinger
Frank Cookingham via Dialogue <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
The best book is Bryant Myers, Walking with the Poor (revised and expanded edition), 2011, Orbis Books.
John Friedmann, Empowerment: The Politics of Alternative Development, 1992, Blackwell.
Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom, 1999, Oxford University Press.
Abhijit V. Banerjee and Ester Duflo, Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty, 2011, Public Affairs Books.
Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor ... And Yourself, 2009, Moody Publishers.
read Easterly and Sachs at the same
time to see two very different approaches:
William Easterly, The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good, 2006, Penguin Books.
Jeffrey D. Sachs, The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time, 2005, Penguin Books.
Peace, Frank Cookingham, retired evaluator of international community development
Hi all.
An old friend has asked for recommendations on:
general literature on community development? I need to get out of project-think and into a more comprehensive mode.
Any suggestions that I should pass on.
David