International Community Development: Integration of Self, Community, and Government
by Aaron Harrison
(Cleveland, TN, United States)
International Community Development may be one of the most important needs for social justice in our world. Social justice can be considered as the effort to restore balance and equality among everyone living in our worldly community. We must help each other make better lives for each other. No one can do it alone and it would be a futile effort in doing so.
We must help development global communities that can distribute equal justice to everyone in each community. Communities must be established around current community values and assets. They must build upon what they already have and take it a step further to ensure proper structure.
In order to have a stronger foundation, each government must help support and facilitate guidance and resources so that an effective community may be established. Nevertheless, governments must appreciate and respect community values. The government must help unify economic values, social values, and even environmental and social values.
Another important part of community development is to make sure that everyone in each community has the opportunity to participate in the actual developmental process. Each member must also have ready access to the benefits of each community: social and economic benefits.
Once balance has been established, it is in the community and government's best interests to consider any plans for the future of the community. This will help build a creative and insightful viewpoint of future processes and benefits. It all begins with current mindset and how we wish to help others. We must have a desire to want to help, and we must take advantage of that desire and motivation to bring international community development.
Editors Respond:
Well said, Aaron. People who appreciate this post also may want to read our page about community engagement and then comment on what effective participation in the actual development process, to which you refer above, would look like in developing societies around the world. We’re sure that participation has a number of different cultural meanings in international contexts and welcome any additional feedback.
Your article also brought to mind our comments on environmental justice and how in many parts of the world, clean water that does not carry disease would be foundational to what you called distributing equal justice to everyone.
The call to justice throughout the world is always an appropriate focus for community development proponents and professionals.
Join USEFUL COMMUNITY PLUS, which provides you monthly with short features or tips about timely topics for neighborhoods, towns and cities, community organizations, rural environments, and our international friends. Unsubscribe any time. Give it a try.