COMMUNITY

ORGANIZATION

By: Cymbeline S. Martinez

Palawan State University
 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
• Method, process, approach to development, program
strategy
• Sustained process of:
– Educating people to develop critical
consciousness
– Working with people to work collectively
and efficiently towards meeting needs
– Mobilizing people to develop their
capacities and readiness to take action
 Values of CO
•Commitment to the democratic process and
inherent worth and dignity
• Commitment to scientific method
• Commitment to communication as basis to
understanding of a group
• Self determination
• Belief in the ability of people to change
• Commitment to social justice
 Basic Assumptions

• People have potential and capacities for

change
• People want change and can change
• People brought by people’s own effort and
permanence than imposed ones
• Wholistic perspective on change
•People’s participation and collective action
necessary in any program that concerns
them all
• Skills in participation and democratic
can be taught and learned by individuals
and group
• Planning, coordination, and integration of
social welfare provisions and services and
programs is necessary, human welfare
provisions, services and programs are
interdependent .
• Organizing aims to establish a democratic
organization
• People need help in organizing
 OBJECTIVES OF CO

– Continuously raise people’s awareness

about their poverty situation in order
to effect social change
– Form structures or mechanisms that
uphold basic rights and interest
– Initiate actions that will bring about
changes in the community and group
relationship
– Help people develop awareness of their
potentials and harness human and
materials resources to pursue programs
meant to improve their quality of life
Guiding Principles in CO

• Trust in the people

• Critical and active participation is crucial
element to people’s empowerment
• The responsibility to direct change lies
with the people and not with the
organizer
• Avoid raising expectations and false hopes
to the people for it only reinforce their
negative

• CO is not an end in itself, it is a means to

achieve just and humane society

• Organizing work is biased for the poor

 • Start where the people are, with their
needs, resources and capabilities

• People’s participation should be geared

towards the promotion and interest of
the greater majority