Community involvement



"'...delivery involves citizens, it is not simply done to them.' Barry Quirk"

Action Ideas

 * Local quality of life conferences
 * Community involvement weeks
 * Youth Forum

New Ideas

 * Project pages in this wiki
 * Sustainable (Your town) pages in this wiki
 * Local sustainability directories in this wiki
 * Local sustainabiity picture libraries (online); share your pictures in this wiki (you need to be logged in to upload files - see Community Portal)

New technology focus

 * Podnosh grassroots channel Podcast for active citizens. Written / PDF versions of podcasts available via Birmingham Community Empowerment Network (Grassroots Channel)
 * WriteToThem.com
 * PledgeBank (Beta) Helping people get things done

Why it matters
Community involvement is about people and communities being able to play a full part in decision-making, for example local decision-making, and so influence the decisions which affect their lives. It is also about community empowerment, for example through access to appropriate information and adivce. Proper community involvement is not tokenistic. Instead it is on-going, valued, meaningful, provides extensive opportunity and is genuinely and extensively influential. Proper community invovlement is not about allowing mere comment on decisions that have already largely been taken. Instead it begins at the design stage, the very beginning of any project or programme. Proper community invovlement does not include measures of success being foisted upon the community, or worse still simply being ignored. Instead it gives a primary role to the community in judging how successful a project or programme has been. Research for the The Home Office Citizenship Survey 2001 showed only 24% of respondents agreed they could influence decisions affecting Britain, and only 43% agreed that they could influence decisions affecting their local areas. Home Office Research Development Statistics

Related Topics
Sustainability networks, Community Involvement via Community Action 2020, Together we can secure the future, Community & voluntary action, Environmental justice, Global connections, Communities online, Community resources, Networks and Networking, Regeneration

Related Sister Cities

 * BeyondVoting

International Links

 * Democracies Online
 * DoWire's E-Democracy Best Practices Wiki
 * Civicus - World Alliance for Citizen Participation
 * Imagine Chicago Imagine projects and networks in th UK, Europe and Australia have been modelled on Imagine Chicago.
 * Green Drinks international Organic, self-organising network of people who meet up monthly for a beer at informal sessions known as Green Drinks.
 * Meetup Free service that organizes local gatherings about anything, anywhere. Topic groups include 'New Urbanism and Sustainable Development'

Reference

 * Possibility Handbook: Ten Years of Imagination in Action, by Bliss Browne and Shilpa Jain, download (large) PDF file via Imagine Chicago

UK links

 * Local e-Democracy National Project
 * Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health
 * Charter 88
 * New Politics Network
 * Adviceguide Up-to-date independent advice published by Citizens Advice
 * Joseph Rowntree Foundation Independent social policy research and development
 * Environmental Law Foundation
 * EarthRights Solicitors Public interest law firm & environmental rights charity
 * Involve Aiming to bring about institutional change focusing on public participation
 * The Scottish Parliament - e-Petitioner
 * Designing for Civil Society, David Wilcox's blog on technology, engagement and governance
 * Neighbourhoods, Kevin Harris's blog on neighbourhood relations, citizenship, social capital, etc.
 * Active Citizenship Centre, website created and supported by the Home Office Civil Renewal Unit and Birmingham Voluntary Service Council, includes a 'Together we can' section, which includes information on Together we can secure the future

Consultations

 * Local Strategic Partnerships - UK government consultation, December 2005

News UK

 * Wednesday, February 8 2006, MPs from all three main parties support Living Streets' call for inquiry into community empowerment.
 * New index reveals democracy more unequal than income in Britain, September 22 2005

Links checked Philralph 11:39, 16 February 2006 (UTC)