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Based on UK fieldwork in the West Midlands, Manchester and Liverpool and London, the paper explores the impacts of asylum-seeker dispersal on the formation of refugee community organizations (RCOs). An outline of policy precedes discussion which demonstrates how dispersal has consolidated a solid core of established RCOs in London, whilst stimulating a regional periphery of volatile semi-secure and insecure RCOs competing for shrinking financial support. The main part of the paper challenges the prevailing paradigm of RCOs as formally constituted organizations of social capital which crucially mediate the process of integration. This traditional role and rationale has been sacrificed for largely short-term, defensive tasks in a hostile policy environment. Despite their proliferation, RCOs resist institutionalization within both the state apparatus and their community networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the use of 'networks' in community studies. The author refers to the nebulous meanings attached to the term and likens its omnibus application to that of the concept of 'community'. In the literature, a mode of intercommunication, whether technological, organisational or inter-relational or merely social is described as 'a network'. To date, its widespread usage is unquestioned in academia and community development practice. However, this paper demonstrates that the concept of network is a metaphor which is only valid when referring to formal modes of communication and relationships and not when referring to informal connections, such as within self-help or user-led groups, or relationships between kin, friends or neighbours. The author makes the sociological point that network as a metaphor cannot be used to denote both the formal and informal, because conceptually they are opposites. Social scientists are mixing their metaphors. The author also evaluates the mathematised uses of network analysis, concluding that 'circle' is a preferable less mechanistic alternative when referring to the informal domain. The usage of circles in community development studies is illustrated in selected empirical research programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the light of high unemployment in deprived neighbourhoods, this paper considers whether community exchange is being used as a coping strategy. Examining its current magnitude and character as well as the barriers to participation in a particular deprived neighbourhood, this paper finds that community exchange currently reinforces, rather than mitigates, the plight of the poorest in this deprived neighbourhood. In the absence of any likelihood of a return to full employment in such areas, this paper asserts that unless action is taken to re-build community exchange, these populations will continue to be unable to satisfy their basic needs and wants. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a model for community leadership capacity building. This model for individual and organizational development is being used with the Resource and Development Foundation (RDF) in Stellenbosch, South Africa. RDF is a non-governmental organization with the aim of providing resource-based training and capacity-building services to the socially excluded and disadvantaged youth, women and rural people of the Western Cape. Here we examine the process of capacity building, theoretically and practically, with the intention of discovering lessons to inform management education in relation to leadership and change. The paper explores the issues related to developing empowerment: the capacity of a system to engage in enterprising dialogue where power is unequally distributed. It proposes a community leadership development framework that comprises three components: leading change through dialogue, collective empowerment and connective leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the potential of the partnership model to minimize and transform the marginalization and disadvantage experienced by an Australian rural community suffering the effects of globalization. Torrens Valley Youth Programme is a successful example of how an innovative Community Partnership model in rural South Australia was accomplished with minimal funding. This case study examines the evolution of a partnership between a community centre and a non‐government organization that responded to the needs of local young people. The paper identifies potential barriers to successful partnership and demonstrates how these might be overcome. Our evaluation offers possibilities for developing partnerships in other countries experiencing similar issues. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The objective of this paper is to explore indicators for sustainable financial schemes in rural areas and to evaluate such schemes in terms of their contribution to rural community development. During the 1970's, when economic development was recognised to be the dominant paradigm, scant attention was often given to non-economic benefits of financial incentives in rural areas. This paper argues that rural financial schemes are often evaluated with quantitative criteria in spite of profound non-economic benefits such schemes have for community development. Evidence are presented from success stories in the developing world and fieldwork done in South Africa which reveal that successful rural financing are often determined by indicators of a qualitative nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors are health promotion and community development practitioners in the David Thompson Health Region of rural central Alberta, Canada. Like our peers, we struggle to carry out our practice in a way that honours the underlying values and principles of health promotion. Our experiences with two Regional health promotion programs over the past five years have led us to conclude that we must adopt and refine an emphasis upon community capacity building in our work. In this paper, community capacity building is defined and its importance for the work of health promotion and community development practitioners is outlined. We provide an overview of the literature on this subject and on related concepts such as asset based development, community competence, social capital, and civic infrastructure. Finally, we indicate some directions for further research. Ultimately, our work should provide guidance on how to deliver health promotion in order to more effectively strengthen and empower communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how resident perceptions affect the successful implementation of community-based tourism (CBT) in a least developed country (LDC) scenario. By realizing how past and present experiences of war affect resident perceptions, including how they view themselves, their community and tourism, we can build an understanding of how to assess the capacity for a community to successfully embrace and sustain CBT for development. This will be achieved by exploring two cases of CBT in Cambodia: the Banteay Chmmar subdistrict and Banlung town. These two cases represent a successful and unsuccessful implementation of CBT in Cambodia as an LDC utilizing tourism for development. Learnings from this situation can be applied to other post-war tourism and development destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper explores the significance of emotions in community life. Emotions are defined as value judgements about ‘objects’ over which individuals and communities have little control. These objects could be places, things, events or people. When we respond to objects with sadness, anxiety, anger, gratitude, joy, or a range of other emotions, we are making value judgements. It is asserted that emotions cannot be separated from community life or rational thought. We also address one aspect of a community's emotional life, a ‘great faith in soul.’ We define soul and investigate how a community developer can help a community to respond to its ‘great faith in soul’ in ways that recognize the messiness in community. Community rituals dealing with transition and chaos, celebration and healing are explored. These rituals are links between the ideals associated with soul and the disorderly aspects of community life. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In 1998, the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, launched New Labour's policy on neighbourhood renewal. New Labour has argued for a central role for the community based on notions of community leadership and community self‐help. In this paper, we will argue that this new approach may only amount to a re‐working of old polices and practices and could result in another costly long‐term failure. We argue for further dialogue around a number of proposals that seek to enable residents to initiate and shape their own debate as a prelude to new forms of local and area regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The above words adopted as a motto in Australia at the beginning of the 1990s reflect the mood of community development workers and grass roots activists as we head into a new century. Communities have struggled over centuries about the way to allocate resources within society and how to live in harmony with each other. Those who have resources have power over others. This power can be used often to exclude others and to set up structures that perpetuate oppression in society. Privileged positions in society and within communities are only sustained because significant sectors of society carry the burden or bear the damages. The current changes in society have had enormous impact on communities and have caused a great level of social unease and restructuring. Community workers and activists have had to manage the impact of this crisis in many circumstances. This paper examines the impact of global changes on communities at a macro level and their implication for community organising and community development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For most of the nineties, the Australian state of Victoria was led by a new right government and community development (CD) practice had difficulty surviving. Community workers wondered whether Britain's CD experience had anything to teach those struggling 'downunder'. This paper is based on British and Victorian research undertaken in 1998. Data was gathered through individual and group interviews with fifty five English and Scottish and forty Victorian practitioners. While new right policies were implemented in different periods in both places, there are common themes around how people involved with CD practice handled new right agendas. Three phases of reaction: a retreat/isolation phase, one of adaptation and defence and one of rebuilding can be identified. These phases are linked to how community development practice has operated within different paradigms. It builds on work that this author and her colleagues Jane Dixon and Dick Sloman undertook in 1996 in summarising the key elements of Welfare and Contract State paradigms, which while originating from Victorian material, have many similarities with British experiences. It goes on to include how Blair's 'Third Way' relates to these thus providing Victorians with some prediction about the context in which community development work may progress if Victoria borrows yet again from British ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluation is a driving concern for arts organizations the world over, and a growing requirement from philanthropic, government, and corporate funders. There is increasing recognition of the need for evaluations of socially engaged arts programs to be appropriate for the communities, cultural contexts, participants, and stakeholders involved in their activities. This article directly addresses this need, and outlines the process of developing a bespoke framework for evaluating the social impact of a music program in the Kimberley region of far north-west Australia, a region with a majority First Nations' population. It describes the methods used to develop this evaluation framework and indicators that were grounded in community perspectives on the difference that this music program makes to community life. It situates the methods chosen within a theoretical orientation towards a capability approach and an ecological understanding of externally provided arts activities. The authors argue that this methodology offers a culturally relevant, holistic way to track and measure the direct and indirect outcomes that engagement with the arts can bring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The community economic development (CED) framework has its roots at the margins of society but has gained a broader interest. This paper examines some key principles associated with the CED framework. Interviews with practitioners within three CED organizations in Vancouver resulted in themes that link CED as a strategy for sustaining a broader vision of the organizations. CED ventures provide opportunities that enhance the connection for marginalized peoples to participate in local community organizations. Yet, there are challenges around delivering services within an alternative framework operationalized within a market-based paradigm. Nevertheless, CED initiatives can have far reaching impacts beyond the individual and the organization. Indeed, CED is about networks of communities within communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the resurgence of community organizing in Great Britain. The high profile of Citizens UK have attracted the attention of politicians, trades unions and faith organizations. The government that came to power in 2010 made a commitment to train 5000 community organizers through a four-year Community Organizers Program.

In spite of the significant government focus on community engagement, there is some question as to how effectively community views are incorporated and heard by government. In exploring these concerns, we suggest that it is more effective to consider the issue from the perspective of communities engaging government rather than government engaging community. In doing this, we have developed a methodological approach that focuses on building the capacity of community to more effectively engage government in an effort to strengthen their own community in ways that are meaningful within that community. We illustrate this process with a case study of government engagement undertaken by representatives from the small rural community of Tara in western Queensland. While the case study focuses on community engaging government, this approach could be equally well applied to other forms of non-government institutional engagement that are relevant in other community settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article illustrates and discusses the experience of one community worker in interacting with the state. The challenges faced by state institutions when interacting with local communities are discussed and it is argued that for effective constructive interaction to take place between state and community organizations, both parties need to adapt their current structures. Finally the article offers some practical suggestions for the development of mechanisms that may facilitate effective state/community efforts to operationalize local partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Many development thinkers and practitioners have been pondering over community participation for the last two to three decades - some even called the 1980s the decade of participation. To a large extent the current decade of social movements, non government organizations (NGOs) and community based organizations (CBOs), is a manifestation of organized community participation. By analyzing the dynamics of community participation, particularly in the South African urban upgrading context, nine obstacles and impediments ('plagues') are exposed which serve to illustrate participatory development as a complex and difficult, though essential and challenging endeavour. Twelve draft guidelines ('commandments') are also presented in trying to address these obstacles associated with participatory development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]