ASENZ Conference
Wellington: September 2009
(We need to) harness
the internal productive capacities,
both money and people,
that already exist in communities
Barak Obama
“Despite the deep insecurity of our times,
community is more important than ever.
…. We have the power to create a new
story and ignite a new movement for
community”.
Eric Young, Canadian Social Change leader, President of EYE
Covering today…
•
Conversations, connection, intention
•
The ‘Great Start’ Taita story….
•
… and others
•
About Inspiring Communities
•
Community-led development
Setting the Scene…
•
•
•
Where do you live now?
When is your community
at it’s best?
What makes ‘the best’
possible?
Great Start Taita
Taita
A “supported”
community
6,000 population
Taita, Lower Hutt, North Island NZ
Barnardos NZ
Beyond Silos to
Integrated Services
The Old Nunnery
A building from which to base services
30% of Taita’s population under 14 (Hutt City 23%)
Knocking on 1000 doors
And ending up on front lawns, around kitchen tables,
on doorsteps, in lounges, at front gates, on street
corners and in offices.
Those houses: 70% (49%) rental; 60% government rental (29%); median income
$36,000 ($56,000)
It’s all about connecting and
re-connecting
Person by person, opportunity by opportunity
From the kitchen table to the
community table
Larger conversations – getting to know you events, public
meetings, open homes, celebratory gatherings, learning
forums, planning days.
Learning
Learning how to notice – what happens,
patterns, the unexpected, the familiar,
strengths, the spaces in between ..
building intention and possibility.
Presencing
Staying with the “not knowing” until
something new emerges
Having faith
that what you have done is enough, rather than simply
doing more and more. This leaves others space to
come and stand beside you.
Developing the local economy
Small steps to start
• Market Days
– 1st market, 30 stalls
• Small businesses
– Two men and their toys
– Roopu harakeke
flax weaving, language
art and business
The story of the children and the council
Inspiring new energy and new perspectives
.
The world has changed for expectant
parents
A community that notices
.
Access to midwifery, pre and postnatal care almost impossible 2 years
ago... then
• Because of energetic midwife and
Great Start a pregnant mum, partner
and children can visit midwife and get
all support locally
• Connect with other families
• Be linked to support once baby born
While at Great Start:
• create ‘memory box ‘ for new baby
• Local mum taken another step – baby
packs for each new baby to celebrate
and welcome to the community
More than Taita
Communities that notice, act and build
change together
Neat Streets, Massey
www.waitakere.govt.nz/
OurPar/masseycommunity.asp
Community rat trap making
Stewart Island/Rakiura
20% community involved
35,000 visitors– for 1/3rd bird
life is key attraction
What is Inspiring
Communities?
NZ as a network of strong, interdependent communities
who connect, collaborate and thrive .. To be
authors of their own destiny
We support local communities to achieve their goals by:
•
Promoting the power of working together
•
Supporting leadership and learning in
community-led development
•
Linking people, projects and place with
resources, tools and new knowledge through
the Inspiring Communities Exchange
What drove us?
•
Connecting with the
‘wish for community’ in place
•
Understanding the magic?
•
Stop re-inventing the wheel – connecting and
learning
Three levels of collaboration
•
1.
2.
3.
Across the country- between communities
Across organisations and institutions
At resident/street level
What is Community-Led Development?
•
•
•
Outcome: thriving and resilient communities
Intentional focus on communities of ‘place’
– Local residents at the heart: actors not clients
– Intersection with communities of interest
“You need
Co-creating a shared way forward
champions
– Collaborative multi-sector tables
willing to
– Look for commonalities
step off the
– Celebrate diversity & difference
kerb”
People
In
Communities
Central
Govt
Local
Govt
Funders
Academic
Business
Iwi
Maori
Community
groups
What is Community-Led Development?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Building from strengths and assets
Unleashing creative solutions
Supporting catalytic leaders
Increasing connections and participation
Learning and adapting
Celebrating tangible results and changes
Whole systems change
People
In
Communities
Central
Govt
Local
Govt
Funders
Academic
Business
Iwi
Community
Maori
groups
Core Learning Cluster
Gaining focus - Strengthening local leadershipBuilding collaboration
Tamaki, Auckland
Massey Matters,
Waitakere
Opotiki
Good Cents, Porirua
Stewart Island/
Rakiura
Great Start Taita,
Lower Hutt
Mataura, Southland
Inspiring Communities Exchange, Guiding Group –
business, Maori, funders, community organisations, government
Auckland
Network
Core
Learning Cluster
Wellington
Network
Experience from core learning cluster of 8 initiatives spiraling out to regional
networks and a growing national network supported by the Exchange
What we are learning….
• The Cathedral within…
– “Small steps not giant leaps”
– “It takes as long as it takes”
• No ‘one size fits all’ model
– But transferable principles and tools
• Relationships and trust
–
–
–
–
Go to people where they are
Active and deep listening
Add value to others first
Mentor, inspire, support and resource
• Invest in passion, energy and opportunity
What we are learning….
•
Understanding the ‘unknowing space’
–
–
–
–
•
Innovation and new knowledge found at the ‘edge’
Be prepared to take risks
Emergent
Be prepared for living with uncertainty
Quick runs to show change is possible
– Seeing is believing
•
A learning journey…
–
–
–
–
Expecting and accepting failure
Growing our evidence base
Telling and Valuing stories
Developmental evaluation
“There will be
failures along
the way – we
need to make
them smart
failures”
Mark Cabaj
• What are we seeing and learning? How could it change what we do?
What we are learning….
•
Social capital - often missing…
– Bonding
– Bridging
– Leveraging
•
The what and the HOW
•
Expect and manage the ‘tango’
•
– Growing movements for change
– Egos at the door
– Tension healthy and normal!
– Top-down meets bottom- up
– Analytical vs intuitive styles
Empowering resident voice and action
– Door knocking
– Local events
“We can do
it ourselves,
but we can’t
do it on our
own”
“Faster
alone,
further
together”
Funding
True partnership based on agreed purpose,
trust, shared learning and joint
responsibility.