Adapted from “Building Communities From the Inside Out” by John P. Kretzmann and John L. McKnight
- Community builders believe that every person has gifts.
- Community builders assert every person’s right to dignity.
- Relationships between individuals are the foundation of a strong
- community.
- Community members are always the center of community building.
- Leaders involve others as active members of the community.
- Community builders know that all people care about something.
- Building community involves activating individual’s motivation to act.
- Community builders engage in listening conversations.
- If you have questions, do not hesitate to “Ask, ask, ask.”
- Posing questions rather than giving answers invites stronger participation.
- A community member-centered “Inside-out” organization is the key to
- community engagement.
- Institutions have reached their limits in problem solving.
- Institutions should function as servants in the process of community
- building, and not as the source of transformation.
- All people can participate in creating and re-creating their communities.
- Community development people and organizations should continually
- learn how to enhance the collective capacity of people and communities.