As young leaders that seek to make a positive impact in the communities we are part of and those that we have access to, one is often confronted with a lot of questions, that in end, determine how one goes about engaging with that community. These questions include: what do effective community engagements require? Can one engage effectively with a community around its issues without being on the ground to experience the realities of that community? What can I do differently? None of these questions have trivial answers and those answers may differ from one individual to another, or from one moment to the next.
I’d say community engagement is a process that seeks to address different issues that affect the well-being of a group of people and achieve sustainable outcomes through bringing in members of the community to form a collective and creating spaces that will allow for people to share ideas and work towards common goals. This is important to encourage active citizenship within our communities, integrate people with common/different views through the sharing of knowledge, create opportunities for the development of community members, and improve communication between the community and its governance structures.
Communities may have similarities but every community has its own distinct features and thus requires a unique approach. I believe the path towards effective community engagements begins with understanding the context that you are working with. This includes having a good understanding of the issues faced by that community, what has worked before, what hasn’t and why? To do that, one needs to work with members of that community and involve them in any attempt to resolve its issues. Inclusion of community members allows for democratic legitimacy, a larger scope of views and increases the likelihood of solutions that are widely accepted by the community.
Most often than not, the people that have the necessary resources to contribute to the development of underprivileged communities are people who have little or no experiences of the realities of that community. That usually results in solutions welcomed by the community, not necessarily because they work, but because it’s all they have, of which leaves them with no choice. To close that gap, it’s important for them to approach the community not with the aim to singlehandedly fix the problems, but to equip its people with the necessary skills, knowledge and resources that will allow them to take part in the works to bring about change in their communities.
Effective community engagements require a great deal of planning, collaboration with different people/organisations within the community which creates a better knowledge base, commitment from all parties involved, transparency with the community you are working with and that will give people an understanding of all steps taken within the process, an environment that allows members to express themselves freely and to take initiative, good accountability measures to ensure people fulfill their responsibilities and also, promoting a sustained culture of participation by the community members.