Types of community resources and their mobilization
Answers
Community mobilization is the process of bringing together as many stakeholders as possible to raise people's awareness of and demand for a particular programme, to assist in the delivery of resources and services, and to strengthen community participation for sustainability and self-reliance. A lot can be achieved when people from different parts of the community share a common goal and actively participate in both identifying needs and being part of the solution. Community mobilization helps to empower communities and enable them to initiate and control their own development.
Little progress will be made towards mainstreaming disability until community support is built up and the different sectors of society become actively involved in the process of change (11). CBR programmes can use community mobilization to bring together stakeholders in the community, e.g. people with disabilities, family members, self-help groups, disabled people's organizations, community members, local authorities, local leaders, decision- and policy-makers, to address barriers within the community and ensure the successful inclusion of people with disabilities in their communities with equal rights and opportunities.
This element focuses on how CBR programmes can bring people together to act and bring about change in the communities in which they operate.