Community Welfare and Development

Summary

Ethics and moral values are the core of community development and welfare which requires being highlighted. This report addresses two videos, A ‘Place of their Own’ and ‘Community Action and the Environment’, that shows two different community catering a similar incident of protest with the effort of the whole community. The report sheds light on the various principles and policies adopted by the two diverse communities to stand against the unethical practices performed by the company which is damaging the environment and causing harm to the community. The report, finally, concludes and recommends the possible actions that could’ve been taken by the communities to handle their situation get better results.

Additionally, the report addresses the five models of community development by Kenny (2016) used by the two communities for their development and welfare.

Introduction

A community refers to a large or small group of individuals living in a particular place, possibly sharing similar characteristics like race, religion, caste, income levels, social behaviors (Minkler & Wallerstein, 2012). However, a community can be diverse when it comes to racial and geographical backgrounds, religion and income levels but with a similar way of life, beliefs and goals which defines their social structure (Green & Haines, 2015).

Community welfare activities are meant for the development and growth of the society and the people living in it, who work collectively ignoring their differences and focusing on their ultimate mutual goal of the benefits of the society (DeFilippis & Saegert, 2013).

The overall development of the community is crucial for the personal growth of every individual living in that social structure. This is because of the actions of the rest of the community influence the behavior of an individual and how they view various topics, which contributes to their success in life. Hence, the welfare of the community holds a significant place and the unity of the people living in the community leads to its progression.

The two communities shown in ‘a place of their own’ and ‘Community action and the Environment’ depict similar traits of a developed community with individuals unanimously raising their voice against a common issue which is causing them a problem and introduces a hurdle in the way to the progress of the society.

A Place of their Own

‘A Place of their Own’ is a video that depicts the community values and struggles of the people who lived in Riviera Caravan Park during 2003, who are asked to evacuate the location of their residence in six weeks. The notice was considered to be very harsh by everyone who had lived in the area since their childhood and had no other place to go because of their income levels. However, owners of resident caravan park argued that they couldn’t afford the maintenance of the park with the compensation provided by the residents.

The new policy alarmed all the residents of the park and collectively raised voice against the activity that could destroy houses of many individuals of the community. They lead a peaceful protest to hold a strong position against the owners of the park. This action was a threat to the development and welfare of the community as it affected the lives of individuals who would be homeless if they are asked to leave their current place.

The protest was a unanimous decision which supports them in making their argument and empowering each other but it lacked organization and communication. That is where they fell weak and led to a failure in the protest. The decision of the owners didn’t change and the residents were evacuated from their homes.

Community action and the Environment

The society depicted in the video ‘Community action and the Environment’ is a small part of Melbourne. The residents are disturbed by the unethical activities of the company in their community i.e. the Australian Company of CSR. The company is reported to have been involved in unethical activities that are causing damage to the environment and is dangerous for the local residents.

Using their basic values and mutual understanding, the community stood against the actions against the company and raised awareness through their campaign which was called “no toxic waste”. The performed peaceful protests to avoid violence and further damage to the welfare of the community. Raising their voice against the wrongdoing in their society set an example for all individuals which will help them become better people and contribute to the community when required.

The significance of the actions of the community is that they unanimously took a decision and stood against the wrong, giving priority to their values and morals which their community stands upon. They ignored their difference and followed Kenny’s five models of community development which requires empowerment of the community by a leader or a team which includes the media. The locals spread awareness about their situation with effective campaigns and maintaining clear communication between individuals to be on the same track throughout the process.

Relative Efficacy of the Community Development Actions

The community shown in ‘a place of their own’ held their argument on the basis of emotions and bringing in a human factor which is not always a strong position for people who have technical and more practical arguments. Furthermore, the community united against one cause but without a leader who could empower them and guide them towards the development. There was a conflict among the aims of the community members which was a result of the miscommunication.

On the other, the community of Melbourne was able to achieve their desired result and ultimate mutual goal because they stood on strong grounds of a clean environment. Every member of the community believed in its welfare and development which brought them together for one purpose to their voice against the unethical practices performed by the company in their society. Residents of a small part of Melbourne used the media has an influencer and raised awareness about their campaign which gave them a strong position against the opposition party.

Review of the Practices and Policies

After reviewing the actions of both the communities against the unethical activities happening in their society, it is clear that the community of Melbourne was more focused and goal-oriented which led to their success in ending the immoral practices of the company that was damaging their environment. This is because they used efficient methods and effective communication as the core of their project. Involving media in their project was another excellent decision which became their community leader in the protest and empowered them throughout the process.

On the other side, the residents of the park where led by indifferent aims and opinions, without any effective communication. Their constant appeals were not relevant to the decision makers who had a stronger point with the economic losses. The community lacked a purpose in their campaign and couldn’t argue their position. Additionally, it lacked leadership and empowerment from other sources such as the media or a politician or public speaker who could support them in the matter. The community did not focus on their strengths and failed to achieve their desired results. This damaged many individuals and created an obstacle to their development.

Recommendations

Community development has many potential benefits such as the welfare of the whole society which contributes to the success of every individual that is a part of it. This is because the individuals in a society are influenced by the actions of the whole community and develop skills and knowledge due to the developments made by the community.

The residents of the park could’ve arranged a more organized way of approaching the opposite side and hired an official lawyer to empower their argument. Instead of providing irrelevant points in their campaign, they could’ve made their argument stronger with economic factors, environmental benefits of their residence, and the benefits they are providing to the whole community such as labor force or other services. With the support of other community entities, the locals could’ve won their fight.

Conclusion

It is concluded that community welfare is essential for community development and the success of individuals. The significance of policies, moral values and ethics is the backbone of every community which requires being followed by individuals and all community members. The two communities shown in the videos are facing similar issues of immoral behavior but is tackled differently and that is why not both of them succeeded in achieving their targets.

We’ve learned the importance of communication and unity for the progress of a community through the actions of the community of Melbourne and resident of the park. Additionally, leadership is crucial for the empowerment of every community to stand on strong grounds against any opposition.

References

CSR Building Products – a leading building products brand in Australia & New Zealand. (2018). Corporate. Retrieved 24 January 2018, from http://www.csr.com.au/

DeFilippis, J., & Saegert, S. (2013). The community development reader. Routledge.

Green, G. P., & Haines, A. (2015). Asset building & community development. Sage publications.

Hart, R. A. (2013). Children’s participation: The theory and practice of involving young citizens in community development and environmental care. Routledge.

Home Page. (2018). Rivieracaravanpark.com.au. Retrieved 24 January 2018, from http://www.rivieracaravanpark.com.au/

Minkler, M. (Ed.). (2012). Community organizing and community building for health and welfare. Rutgers University Press.

Minkler, M., & Wallerstein, N. (2012). Introduction to community organizing and community building. Community organizing and community building for health and welfare, 5-26.

Our community. (2018). Ourcommunity.com.au. Retrieved 24 January 2018, from http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/files/Werribee%20Toxic%20Dump%20-%20van%20Moorst.pdf

Weil, M., Reisch, M. S., & Ohmer, M. L. (Eds.). (2013). The handbook of community practice. Sage.