Page 17 - Economy_Local Development
P. 17
17
Chapter 3
Community and Capacity building
3.1 Community Development – THE CONCEPT
Source: http://teampactsolutions.com/capacity-building
The United Nations defines community development as „a process where community members come
together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems.”It is a broad concept, applied
to the practices of civic leaders, activists, involved citizens, and professionals to improve various aspects of
communities, typically aiming to build stronger and more resilient local communities. The purpose of
community development is to help create the conditions for an inclusive and sustainable society by
supporting communities to engage in collective action for transformative change.
Community development seeks to empower individuals and groups of people with the skills they need to
effect change within their communities. These skills are often created through the creation of social groups
working for a common agenda. Community developers must understand both how to work with individuals
and how to affect communities’ positions within the context of larger social institutions.
