[Note: This reflection provides context for why highlighting my community’s assets is so important to me. If you want to jump straight to the list and benefits, click here.]
When I was first applying to Peace Corps, I will admit that I was a bit nervous about how I would “fit,” philosophically, with the organization. This hesitance came from two sources:
- My work within the university service-learning field has given me a more critical lens of volunteerism. I have a better understanding of the values I hold (and conversely, do not hold) when it comes to approaching this work. Specifically, I want to volunteer with organizations that seek to understand community desires AND existing assets. I value a servant-leadership approach to service. I especially want to work with an organization that challenges all of its volunteers to reflect on their personal biases related to the community and actively seek to move from “us versus them” thinking towards a more community-focused approach.
- My long-time obsession with the Peace Corps led me to devour as much information as I possibly could about the organization. I sought out as many varying viewpoints as I could, including some pretty harsh criticisms. I knew that the original philosophy of the Peace Corps was very volunteer-centered. Meaning, the volunteer came in with his/her own skills. The volunteer decided the community’s needs. The volunteer designed his/her projects and was the driving force behind their implementation. The community was in the back seat or left behind. [For a sample of this philosophy in action, simply rent the Tom Hanks comedy “Volunteers.” This movie makes me angry. The community didn’t even WANT the stinkin’ bridge!] ...This approach was highly criticized and I knew (from my aforementioned veracious reading on the topic) that the Peace Corps had shifted its philosophy a few times over. But, what would this look like in actuality? I wasn’t sure.
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“The Peace Corps describes development in human, people-to-people terms—helping people develop capacity to improve their own lives… A capacity-building approach focuses on empowering local people to be their own decision-makers and develop the skills to carry out those decisions and improve their lives…Thus, information gathering begins by acknowledging what is working at the present time, what resources are already available in the community and what assets are present for creating change.”
(Peace Corps OPATS, 2005).
(Peace Corps OPATS, 2005).
This new approach is aligned with the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) model, which is a model I was inspired by in my former role. I believe that ABCD is essential for sustainable, motivational community change and am excited to explore this model further in my service with the Peace Corps.
The Danger of a Single Story (or…Why is this model so important for service work?)
All of us receive a constant stream of narratives about the deficits (poverty, unemployment) within the many disenfranchised communities in our world. This becomes the “single story” of the place and the people within it, which leads to a sense of “otherness” from dominant society and is used to justify indifference and discrimination. But, there is never a single story and to be content with this narrative is harmful and divisive, as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi explains in her TED Talk, The Danger of a Single Story.
With this context, Joe and I made the decision to be more explicit about the many assets of our community. The purpose of this blog is to provide a window into our service/community. It would be a disservice to our readers if we neglect to highlight the elements that make our community strong. In Part 2 of Community Assets, you will read more about the specific assets of our host community. Stay tuned!
Reference:
Peace Corps OPATS. (2005). PACA: Using Participatory Analysis for Community Action. Washington, DC.
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Dig Deeper...
- Fundamentals of Asset-Based Community Development: http://www.uniteforsight.org/community-development/abcd/module2
- The ABCD Institute at Northwestern University. They have a treasure trove of resources for teaching and implementing ABCD: http://www.abcdinstitute.org
- Download the PACA Manual for yourself: files.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/library/PACA-2007.pdf
- NPR article titled "Ugandan to Aid Groups: Don't Tell Us What We Need--Ask Us!" http://n.pr/1Gq3MEb
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