OK, so you have listened, learned and started to understand the complexity and depth of the challenges at hand. You have also started to recognize all of the incredible talents, ideas, visions and skills that the local community already possesses. Great! In these conversations, you have probably already begun to develop relationships and even have a few ideas, or even just one idea, that you are most excited to implement. Wonderful! But wait…it’s still time to hold back just a bit more. Now is the time to clarify your mission and vision, and to make sure that this vision is not simply YOURS but OURS, but rather a combined effort between you, your organization (if that exists) and the community. Make sure that youth, women, people of different religions, financial capacities, abilities and values are included whenever possible. And make sure, one last time, that your project is smart and helpful. Take a second to make sure that your mission and vision are the right ones.
Strategies for Collaborative Community Development
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