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Showing posts with the label community-based approach

Detox Shack

There is this teenie tiny shop in Leicester Main Street called the Detox Shack that serves juices, smoothies and food and more.  The more is the capabilities of the host to ask questions to its customers directly to create a connection and to remind them that their body and mind is their temple and they can take care of it by choosing the food they eat and the thoughts they think. He invites us to feel blessed for the things we receive and at peace with whatever comes up. The place and all its trinkets with positive messages written on them are also there to remind us those values. He does not preach. It is when the customer asks him questions that his wisdom shines through. Ask a question and you will get a story that weaves itself with yours. As I listened to him and how at peace he was and all the kind words he spoke, I reflected upon another place I visited that was also wonderful in colours and design and yet the words spoken by the staff members about the failings of their co...

Jazzing our way towards a powerful community

The Tamarack Institute sent today an invitation to attend their ABCD Community of Practice session on Wednesday 29.09.21 . The session will centre around John McKnight, Co-founder, Asset-Based Community Development Institute and Senior Associate at the Kettering Foundation latest learning bulletin called ABCD, Jazz and the Structure of Powerful Communities. In the learning, he present the local innovations which occured in neighbourhood over the pandemic though dispersed actors and then go on to introduce the invisible neighbourhood structure which enable innovative citizenships to emerge. The three elements that creates this specific context are: 1. Communality - the place, the desire tot celebrate, entertain and enjoy 2. Individual Capacities - Every neighbour has the belief that they have special gifts, talents or knowledge to share 3. Connectivity - the consideration that all local capacities are latent and what brings them to life is connectivity. Through connections the capacitie...

A Book Nerd Gifts

A community-based approach starts with collecting stories and identifying what are the gifts (skills, abilities, strength and interests) of those we meet and eventually start shaping projects that magnify those gifts and talents. It is my favourite part of my job to uncover those gifts and then see in the milky way of stars how I can create a constellation and give it a name I've met a person interested in volunteering for Quetzal. As we spoke, she mentioned that she was a book lover and we could may be create a book club. I thought to myself "How great I could match her with a survivor and poet who've just published a book and we can organise an event together". It is about taking the time to listen  properly to what people say and be open to the opportunities of something great to happen. Give it a go. Something magical may happen!

Asset-Based Community Workshop in London, March 13 & 14 2019

This is the workshop you need to attend if you are involved with communities. It is the ABCD you need to promote Citizen Participation at a neighbourhood level. It is a two day workshop, hosted by Cormac Russell, exploring asset Based Community Development and Sarah Burns (Head of Communities) from Croydon Voluntary Action. If you are not familiar with Cormac Russell, watch this amazing video of him where he explained how we can support community by helping each one of their members how special each of them are. I was first introduced to the ABCD programme by a colleague of mine called Deana Wildgoose she run the Hero Project CIC where they empower communities with tools so they can reach their dr " Nurture Development have mentored Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA) in Asset Based Community Development since early 2011. CVA have gained a wealth of local community building stories to share and are now delighted to partner with Nurture Development to offer a UK wide programme...