Copar Handouts - Lecture notes 5-10 PDF

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ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY ORGANIZING PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH...

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Community Organizing Participatory Action Research (COPAR) Community is:  A social group determined by:  geographical boundaries  common values and interest  members know and interact with each other  creates norms, values and social institutions Characteristics of A Healthy Community  People are concerned with their health status  Parents/Guardians are role models  Health needs are accessible and affordable  Environmental and physiologic needs are sustained  Members are aware of their own health and biologic status.  Attains independence  Characteristics of A Healthy Community  Gives credit to the governing body  Has a strong and reliable governing body  Everyone is working to attain HEALTH CITIZENRY.  Resources are open for everybody IN SHORT A healthy community is…

PPHEMAGHER Characteristics:  Human Biology  Environment  Population  Systems of health care Classification:  Urban  Rural  Rurban Components of A Community  Core - PEOPLE  8 sub-systems  Housing  Education  Fire and safety  Politics/government  Health  Communication system  Economy  Recreation Community Organizing  In its strictest definition refers to organizing which takes place in a geographically defined living area, such as an urban poor community or a rural village  A means for empowering people; its primary aim is to transform a situation of societal injustice, inequality and poverty.  Both a process and an orientation; an orientation for genuineness and liberating social transformation. Mike Miller’s Definition of CO:

- CO rectifies the problem of power imbalance Transforming individuals from being passive into mutually respectful co-creators of public life 

A social development approach that aims to transform the apathetic, individualistic and voiceless poor into a dynamic, participatory and politically responsive community.

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During the 1994 National Rural CO Conference , CO was defined as a collective, participatory, transformative, liberative, sustained and systematic process of building people's organizations by mobilizing and enhancing the capabilities and resources of the people for the resolution of their issues and concerns towards effecting change in their existing and oppressive exploitative conditions.

Community Organizing History:  Declaration of Martial Law in 1972 led to:  Elimination of formation of groups/organization grassroots activities were started by NGO’s and church leaders like:  Urban and Rural Missionaries of the Philippines  Task Force Detainees of the Philippines,  Episcopal Commission on Tribal Filipinos,  Share and Care Apostolate for Poor Settlers SAUL ALINSKY – father of community organizing     

1st Qtr 1970’s – CO was Philippine Ecumenical Council for Community Organization (PECCO). December 1972 – establishment of ASSOCIATION OF FOUNDATIONS with 10 members From PECCO, ZOTO was born through the use of ALINSKY’s method 1976 – AF had total of 40 members including Philippine Alliance for Rural and Urban Development (PARUD). NGOs recognized the need to band together into networks for purposes of linkaging, synchronization of activities, and cooperative exchanges of experiences and resources.

Principles of CO       

The social condition of the poor itself gives opportunities to conscienticize the people. Tactics should be within the experience of the people and outside the experience of the target. People generally act on the basis of their self-interest. Man learns more effectively and more deeply from his own actual experiences. The process of organizing moves from simple, concrete, short term and personal issues to more complex, abstract, long-term and systemic issues. Man needs to deepen and widen his horizon, therefore, he must move from the particular to the universal, from the concrete to the abstract, to apply one's experience and its lesson to another situation. Throughout the organizing process, the people must make their own decisions.

Types of CO  Grassroots  FBCO  Coalition Strengths of Community Organizing

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It is usually successful in building critical, self-reliant, creative grassroots organizations Openness to experiment It is rooted in the community Generates immediate success It immediately breaks the culture of silence, As an approach for empowering people, it is relatively simple and can be learned easily by anyone

Key Principles in Community Organizing Participative Culture

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Inclusiveness Breadth of mission and vision Critical Perspective

Community Development’s Assumptions

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People’s worth and dignity are CD’s basic values. Everyone has something to contribute People have the ability to grow and learn Opportunity to reveal a new “SELF” Characteristics of Community Development It is for the entire community and community life Brings about social change Finds solutions to community conflicts It is based on SELF-HELP and PARTICIPATION CD’s programs should be based on a felt need/desire/aspiration It is an educational process Involves technical assistance whether task or process goals

Approaches to Community Development

 Welfare  Modernization  Transformatory/ Participative Guiding Principles in Community Development

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Participation by all Commitment Voluntary involvement Democratic practices Transparency Learning thru reflection Flexibility Organized group Partnership between the people, NGO’s and LGUs Outsiders act as facilitators

COPAR  A social development approach that aims to transform the apathetic, individualistic and voiceless poor into dynamic, participatory and politically responsive community.  A collective, participatory, transformative, liberative, sustained and systematic process of building people’s organizations  A process by which a community identifies its needs and objectives, develops confidence to take action  A continuous and sustained process of educating and mobilizing the people to develop their capability and readiness to respond and take action on their immediate needs towards solving their long-term problems Importance of COPAR   

Important tool for CD and people empowerment Prepares community for self-independence Maximizes community participation and involvement; community resources are mobilized for community services.

Principles of COPAR  People, especially the most oppressed, exploited and deprived sectors are open to change, have the capacity to change and are able to bring about change.  COPAR should be based on the interest of the poorest sectors of society  COPAR should lead to a self-reliant community and society PHC objectives of COPAR   

To make people aware of social realities To form structures that holds people’s basic interests. To initiate responsible actions

Emphases of COPAR in PHC    

The members of the community work to solve their own problems. The direction is internal rather than external The development of the capacity to establish a project is more important than the project There is consciousness-raising with regards to the situation of health care delivery within the total structure of society

COPAR Process    

A progressive cycle of action-reflection action Consciousness through experimental learning central to the COPAR process Is participatory and mass-based Is group-centered and not leader-oriented.

3 Dimensions of Participation   

Mode Intensity Effectiveness

Phases of COPAR 1. 2. 3. 4.

Pre-entry phase Entry phase Helping phase Phase out/ sustenance phase

Pre-entry Phase 1. Preparation of criteria and guidelines for area selection  Criteria for selection:  Leaders and community are receptive/supportive  CO can serve as model for elimination/ reduction of diseases  High prevalence of diseases  Economically depressed  Must have a population at ten thousand and above  As much as possible no RHU/BHS 

Phases in Guideline Preparations:  Piloting  Implementation of activities 2. Identification of target area 3. Assessment of target area Entry Phase

1. Establishment with leaders and agencies 2. Immersion A. Integration with the community B. Identification of potential leaders C. Information campaign on health Programs D. Provision of basic health services 3. Agreement 4. Direction Setting Guidelines for Health Care Worker

 Must recognize the role of local authorities  Her appearance, style, speech and lifestyle should be in keeping with those of the community residents  Must keep a low profile Helping Phase 1. Community profiling and analysis  Collection of primary data thru surveys  Walk through of the community  Collection of secondary data thru interviews/review of records  Data Analysis 2. Core group formation 3. Community planning Implementation 4. Monitoring and evaluation Functions of Core Group    

Serve as a training ground for democratic and collective leadership To build people’s potential and self-confidence Help organizer gather data for deeper community studies and identify potential secondary leaders Helps in laying out plans for formation and maintenance of a community-wide organization

Problems in Data Gathering  Uncooperative community  Preventive measures:  Proper info dissemination  Conduct gen. assembly  Proper explanation  Defective or Inappropriate questionnaires  Preventive measures o Formulation of appropriate questionnaire o Avoid using ready made questions o Proper observation of the researcher  Too many dead files  Preventive measures:  Researcher should be well taught on how to fill up the forms  Proper observation of the researcher  Source is reliable  Questioning techniques should be reviewed and practiced  Marking of the interviewed families  Inconsistent data  Preventive measures:  Proper observation of the researcher  Inform the source of info to answer survey as honest as possible  Avoid leading questions  Questioning techniques should be reviewed and practiced...