MODULE 2 – EMPOWERMNT AND ADVOCACY OF A COMMUNITY

QUARTER 4
ACTION INITIATIVE

At the end of this module, students are expected to:

Analyze strategies of empowerment and advocacy of a community action initiative

(HUMSS_CSC12 -IIIh - j -15) and explain the importance of commitment and action in
participatory development for community well -being (HUMSS_CSC12 -IIIh - j -16)
1. Define empowerment and advocacy in connection with community action.
2. Describe the significance importance of commitment and action in participatory
development for community well –being; and
3. Promote empowerment and advocacy of a specific community action.

What I Know

Direction: In your own ideas and words, define advocacy and people empowerment.
ADVOCACY-
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PEOPLE EMPOWERMENT-
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STRATEGIES OF EMPOWERMENT AND ADVOCACY OF A COMMUNITY ACTION

INITIATIVE

Understanding advocacy of community action initiative or plan is vital for people to

be empowered. Communities all around the world are facing issues and problems that are
needed to be resolved. In this sense, it is seen that every human being is seeking

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ACTION INITIATIVE

improvement in every aspect of human lives, that it is important for an individual to have
improvement is the situation that they are into. Thus, human being is seeking for social
change.
Due to the above stated realities in the community, actions and initiatives from its
members are very relevant and needed. Taking part in community actions and initiatives
mean: a human being is ready and willing to embrace a specific advocacy. They are seeking
solutions to a certain issue or problem that the community is facing. In this regard it is
also reasonable to say that the certain person who is embracing an advocacy is also ready
for empowerment which is a vital in social change and improvement. According to United
Nations, empowerment is not new to us. There are long-standing efforts to protect human
rights, promote job creation and obtain improved access to water, sanitation, energy,
education and health care all have empowerment at their core — the goal of ensuring that
people have the opportunities they need to live better lives in dignity and security.
Hence, it is important for you to understand the strategies of empowerment and
advocacy of a community action initiative.

What’s In

Direction: TRUE or FALSE. Write true if the statement is correct and write false if the
statement is incorrect.
_____1. Community actions must give members and leaders a “voice” in the community
action.
_____2 There is a single approach to community development.
_____3. Social change is not wanted by every individual in a community.
_____4. Human Rights, Gender Equality, Participatory Development and Social Equity are
the core values of community action initiatives necessary for advocacy and people
empowerment.
____5. There can be social change and people empowerment even without advocacy

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 MODULE 2 – EMPOWERMNT AND ADVOCACY OF A COMMUNITY
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ACTION INITIATIVE

DEFINING EMPOWERMENT AND ADVOCACY

According to Oxford Dictionary, empowerment is the act of giving somebody more

control over their own life or the situation they are in or giving somebody the power or
authority to do something.
On the other hand, advocacy is the support, advice and help given to people, often
with special needs or aims, who are unable to speak for themselves
Thus, if it will be applied to community engagement, solidarity and citizenship, these two
are both modes of community engagement. It highlights the collaborative nature of various
groups and people working together to attain a specific goal that may promote betterment
of the quality of life and social change.
To elaborate, according to Taguibao (2016), in connection with community action,
people empowerment is the process that increases community autonomy and individual
self-determination. These processes are designed to help gain control of their own lives.
As stated by Ban Ki Moon, Former Secretary General of the United Nations, this
aims to ensure that people have the right set of skills and opportunities they need to live
better and dignified lives.
Now, let us move to advocacy. It refers to enabling marginalized groups and
promoting their individual rights. It is a process of supporting people and advancing or
promoting the rights these individuals have.
Advocacy, in connection with community engagement, also means attaining people
empowerment. It can be led by people who are not part of the community or by leaders
within the community. The most effective advocacy and people empowerment is the
combination by both.
Empowering sectors like the poor, indigenous people and the likes need strong and
effective advocacies for protection and promotion of their interests. In this sense, according
to Huberman (2014), these are the strategies is community mobilization resulting to people
empowerment and advocacy:

1. Secure Strong Leadership-Engage strong leaders within the community members. The
leader should possess these characteristics: the will to serve as the leader of the
community over a significant period of time; the capacity to provide both infrastructure

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and human resources; financial stability; the ability to gather and manage financial
resources, and the respect and support of the community.
2. Establish Formal Structure- a formal structure must be created for it can effectively
lead community change efforts. These may include specific committees, organizational
charts, rules like by laws, policy statements and formal letters of agreement for those who
lead, organize, and participate in the community effort.
3. Engage the stakeholders- engage people, groups or institutions that may be affected
by or are important to the achievement of the stated purpose of a project. They include
government, civil society, and the private sector at national, intermediate and local levels.
4. Conduct a Needs assessments-it's a way of asking group or community members what
they see as the most important needs of that group or community. The results of the
survey then guide future action.
5. Create a Strategic Plan- develop a strategic plan that lays out the goals and objectives.
The strategic plan should identify the social, structural, and individual changes that will
lead to people empowerment.
These are some of the many strategies of empowerment and advocacy of a
community action initiative.

What’s More
Directions: Write YES If the statement is correct and NO if the sentence is incorrect.
______1. Empowerment is the act of giving somebody more control over their own life.
______2. Advocacy is the situation where somebody is giving the power or authority to do
something.
______3. Advocacy, in connection with community engagement, also means attaining
people empowerment.
______4. Strategic planning is a way of asking group or community members what they
see as the most important needs of that group or community.
_____5. The result of needs assessment survey will be the guide for future community
action initiative.
______6. Leader should possess only one of these characteristics: the will to serve as the
leader; the capacity to provide both infrastructure and human resources; financial

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stability; the ability to gather and manage financial resources, and the respect and support
of the community.
_____7. Structures created for a community action initiative may be formal or informal, for
it can both effectively lead community change efforts.
______8. Engage people, groups or institutions that may be affected by or are important to
the achievement of the stated purpose of a project for them to better understand the
program.
_____9. Stakeholders are not important in the success of community action plan.
_____10. The most effective advocacy and people empowerment is the combination by both.
Assessment
Direction: Match column A to column B.

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IMPORTANCE OF COMMITMENT AND ACTION IN PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT

Making a commitment includes dedication of self to a certain person or a cause.

Before anyone makes a commitment, it must carefully think about. A commitment
obligates a person to do something that it involves action. Hence, it is very important to
and act to accomplish a certain community action initiative through participation of the
citizens.
According to Taguibao (2016), participatory development generally aims to engage
the marginalized in development projects which are designed and initiated for their own
benefit. Participatory development is guided by the possibility of success and
sustainability of development projects is more attainable if the local community is engaged
in the process of development.
Stakeholders must not be ignored in the process. It has already been discussed in
the first lesson who the stakeholders are. They are the people, groups or institutions that
may be affected by, can significantly influence or are important to the achievement of the
stated purpose of a community action initiative. They include government, civil society,
and the private sector at national, intermediate and local levels.
These stakeholder groups are:
• General public: those who are directly or indirectly affected by the project (women’s
groups, individuals and families, indigenous groups, religious groups)
• Government: civil servants in ministries, cabinets, etc.
• Representative assemblies: elected government bodies (parliament, national and
local assemblies, district and municipal assemblies, elected community leaders.
• Civil society organizations: networks, national and international NGOs,
grassroots organizations, trade unions, policy development and research institutes,
media, community based organizations.
• Private sector: umbrella groups representing groups within the private sector,
professional associations, chambers of commerce.
• Donor and international financial institutions: resource providers and
development partners

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If all of these stakeholders will develop participation, in terms of commitment and

action, any community action initiative will be a success.
Let us not forget the forms of participatory development.
• Passive Participation- Participation is at the minimum; stakeholders are merely
informed about the plans and progress of projects. People participate by being told
what is going to happen or has already happened. Hence, this kind of commitment
is not very effective in attaining community action initiative.
• Participation by Consultation- Stakeholders being asked for their idea or opinion
about a certain problem while development professionals only listen to their views.
People involved exercised no responsibility in formulating the original plan or the
decisions that went into it, and the development professionals are not obliged to
incorporate their views.
• Participation by Collaboration- Stakeholders with predetermined goals
participates during the discussion, analysis, and decision-making stage.
• Empowerment Participation- Stakeholders actively participate in the process and
its analysis. This features a joint decision-making process, wherein stakeholders
are considered equal copartners with the external experts. Most significantly,
control and ownership of the process are in the hands of the primary stakeholders.
Thus, in all these for types of participation, it is essential to develop empowerment
participation, for it includes commitment and action in the grassroots level whom are the
direct beneficiaries of a community action. Hence, they are the ones who are being
empowered.
Hence, we should not forget that in any action there are good and bad effects. According
to NGO leader Gerardo Bulatao, these are the pros and cons of participatory development:

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QUARTER 4
ACTION INITIATIVE

Therefore, everyone should be careful in taking commitment and action in

community action initiative.

Assessment

Direction: Matching type. Match the statements being described in column A to the
words/s in column B.

Additional Activity

Direction: Search for one United Nation Millennium Development Goal, promote it by
making a poster or slogan in a bond paper.

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