Community Development

Community Development is a process where people come together to take action on what they need for them. In a broader sense, community members are thought to be supported by the relevant agencies to assess needs, address problems and take collective action on issues which are important to them. Community development empowers community members and creates stronger, healthier and resilient communities. It works through a holistic approach grounded in principles of empowerment, human rights, inclusiveness, social justice, self-determination and coordinated action. Community development programs are led by community members at every stage as an inner resource- from deciding on issues to selecting and implementing actions, and evaluation. Community development has an explicit focus on the authority or leadership delegation or redistribution of power to address the causes of inequality and disadvantage.