Summary of BBND Campaign

“Building a Better Ninth District” is the blueprint for a civic engagement, built on the framework of the Community Empowerment Model for mobilizing community initiatives.

The frameworks consists of four primary components:

Step 1: Perception and People

We begin by reframing the conversation and giving consideration to a new point of view. By changing the way we see things, we change the perception of those things we see. Changing the perception means changing the meaning, changing the application and therefore changing the potential.

We begin by acknowledging the community for what it really is. The community is not a compilation of problems, or buildings, or streets. People are the community, and they experience the problems.

The community is not a problem to be solved. People are our communities. They are the central resource of the community and the hub of all internal efforts.

Community Empowerment means the people are resources with capabilities, talents, abilities, and problems, together making up our social structure.

Communities are only happy if the people are happy; healthy if the people are healthy, only diverse if the people are diverse, only thriving if the people are thriving.

Step 2: Imagination

It comes down to asking questions about what type of community the people want to create.

We did this in the 9th District by hosting an "Imagine the 9th District" planning session, on August 30, 2010.

Step 3: Discovery

The next step is to undertake a "community discovery" to rediscover what the community holds as possible resources.

Discovering removes the traditional bias of a needs or resource assessment and puts this effort in a neutral frame.

Discovering our community with all its strengths and weaknesses, allows us to see what we have so we can move forward to prioritizing what we want to create and consequently, the items of concern for the community.

Are there individuals, groups, or systems within your community who have been overlooked or underutilized which could now provide valuable resources?

Are there untapped resources within the community with talents, resources or abilities are who are willing to offer them to the community?

These existing resources form the infrastructure for development of a balanced approach to empower the community.

Step 4: Coalition Building

The final step is Utilization, Networking and Coalition Building.

Utilizing various resources within the community allows for a more comprehensive and diverse plan to be developed.

As networks evolve, additional organizations within the system are identified and brought into the mix. The more organizations are brought in, the greater opportunity to make substantive change.

This process expands to form a net for the residents of the community, creating community empowerment and greater opportunity for residents and organizations to participate within their community.

Credit for the spirit of this model must be given to Kriger Consulting in New Jersey, however many components have been included from various community examples throughout the country.