Reflecting on elements of community participation in a community meeting

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Dear Sir/Madam,

As you are familiar that community participation is very important for community meetings that is why there are different models of social welfare programs in communities. There are number of methodologies which vary according to the focus and the background of the people involved in the design of the proposals. This is the reason why it is often found only in the projects based on frameworks; however, practical experience gives us the understanding that makes possible the production of viable proposals. Planning and program design proposals do not become empirical. By contrast, the approach should be professional and multidisciplinary.

Constant critical reflection is an essential element in monitoring and evaluation activities. There are no blueprints for an ideal program, but in each case the social, cultural, political, religious, economic, historical, and geographical and must be taken into account. This involves thinking about the perception of the beneficiary families and communities, rather than relying solely on the perception of the outsider, that might not be aware of the processes of community service. The successful experiences of community participation are proposed global scale, but small premises.

Conducive to success Items can be capitalized, of course, but remember that repetition or cloning procedures do not always work: social development is a laboratory process. Proposed program where community involvement and inter-institutional linkages play an important role to call a local strategy in line with the context and a sound overview of social reality. We must give priority to the views of members of the community, based on their experience of everyday life, rather than organizational needs of the program. This will ensure responsibility and sustainability of programs, whether sponsored by private or public sector, academic institutions or social development agencies.

Also prevent the fragmentation of the whole situation, which often occurs when programs do not have enough in the target population into account. This fragmentation occurs when the goals of trying to institutionalize the needs and objectives are focused on the proposed information rather than the individuals composing the population. The community, families and individuals who are part of the target population should be considered in the intervention process as subjects, not objects. People should be considered as beneficiaries of the program, thinking people with feelings and needs, and not as passive objects of intervention and beneficiaries of the proposals and the willingness of foreign subjects.

It is of utmost importance to achieve a horizontal relationship between the organization and outside the community, i.e., a list of pairs, where community involvement knows and voluntary, and not the result of manipulation. This means that the "top down" is necessary to eliminate some programs, through agreements and mutual commitments. This process will be facilitated if the knowledge of the population on the issue to be addressed is evaluated, systematized and strengthened. Knowledge of the community, and explain the situation of the population is socially legitimated knowledge of the fact that the program is modified. They are outsiders who have to ...