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This paper, Community Engagement: A Necessary Condition for Self-Determination and Individual Funding by John O’Brien, is based on a meeting held in Pickering, Ontario in 1999 with
service workers, people with disabilities and their family
members concerned with building strong communities in Ontario.
It is an example of using community engagement to foster local
action. Community members are encouraged to work together
towards a common goal while gaining help from associations
and other people. A model of community engagement is used
to explain this process.
It argues that mobilizing political
action and investing in engagement can build lives for people
with disabilities and their families that offer security,
dignity and involvement.
Steps are described that outline what is
necessary to form a foundation on which people with disabilities
and their families can work towards a better quality of life.
Change is thought to occur by gathering people
who are committed to working together, which will lead to
a community engagement strategy that puts pressure on different
levels of government. In this process cultural change occurs,
resulting in reduced prejudice and changing service for the
disabled. In addition, pressure is placed on local, provincial
and federal politicians and civil servants to provide funding
for further community engagement.
Community engagement emerges as people commit
to taking action. This results in direct involvement of more
people and associations in the lives of people with disabilities
and their families. People are then encouraged to influence
politicians and civil servants to acquire the resources they
need to further engage the community and support people with
disabilities. A community engagement
model is used to illustrate this process. Possibilities
for action are provided. They outline opportunities to encourage
people to work together and work through the model of community
engagement.
Source: O’Brien, John. Community Engagement:
A Necessary Condition for Self-Determination and Individual
Funding. Syracuse, New York: Responsive Systems Associates,
Inc. 1999.
Full source available at: http://thechp.syr.edu/ComEng.pdf
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