Creating Community

by George West

This book is dedicated to the two thousand souls who participated in the research and demonstration of community development in 24 communities one in each of the 24 time zones across the globe. Sponsored by the Institute of Cultural Affairs, the work began in Chicago in 1965 and continues today in various countries. The book is a distillation of wisdom gleaned from their work and reflection.

The reflections in this book are what I wish I had had in 1965 when I walked into the west side, inner city of Chicago for my first experience in an intentional effort to create community. I hope that those on the journey of creating community will find the reflections helpful, if not as a guide, then as something to bounce against to deepen their own insights and intuitions. We began with the conviction that development had to be bottom up, that all the people must be involved , that all the problems had to be addressed, and that whatever operating images blocked the self esteem of the individuals had to be overcome. These were great principles, however a somewhat larger context would have been helpful, hence this book.

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Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction: UNIVERSAL NEED

PART ONE: THE ESSENTIALS FOR SUCCESSFUL FORMATION

I.Interchange - toward respect and trust

II.Awakenment - toward response-ability

III.Demonstration - toward courage and hope

IV.Education - toward effective living

V.Storytelling - toward meaningful identity

VI.Direct action - toward commitment

VII.Care forces - toward stability

PART TWO: PRACTICAL APPROACHES THAT WORK

VIII.Comprehensiveness: Foundational Principle

IX.Political approaches to formation

X.Economic approaches to formation

XI.Cultural approaches to formation

XII.Indicative Planning

Conclusion: THE TENFOLD PATH

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• Read or download the book: Creating_Community_-_by_George_Randall_West.pdf

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-- GordonHarper - 18 May 2009