Building Resilience– How can a village rise a child ?

Ted Smeaton

Building from the inside out and bonding, bridging linking social capital

Social capital refers to the features of social life such as networks, norms and social trust that facilitates coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit (social WD40)

• Social capital is thought to have direct benefit for individuals, families and communities

• Naturally occurring networks have major effects on the wellbeing of children and families

• Social supports most influence child functioning by strengthening parents’ ability to raise their children effectively

• Informal support has a greater influence on personnel functioning than formal support (Centre for Community Child Health, Royal Hospital for Women Melbourne, 2005)

• Bonding

• Bridging • Linking social capital

(Woodcock 2000)

Sam Remo Child Community Action Program

Learning about the community

• Who’s not around the table

• Loitering with intent

• Finding the real expert

• Finding ways to connect

Whole of Community – Linked by Place

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Links facilitator has been involved with

The Inner Circle Comprises:

NESB; Aboriginal People School Children; Youth Parents

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Kids at the shops

General Community

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Mothers in Transition

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• That communities where life is getting better pay attention to the assets that they have within the community. They can mobilize what they have to start working on what is missing in the community

• That community building is relationship driven. Relationships are different to partnerships.

• That everyone is needed and you are trying to create a space where everyone gets an opportunity to contribute their skill, talent, to community life.

• Build relationships within and outside the community.

• That community members set and drive the community building agenda when it works well.

• Discovering what people are motivated to work on, what they care about, what they are willing to get out of their seat for is worth paying attention to.

• Agencies have an important role to play in community building but recognizing their power and leading by stepping back instead of forward is the only effective way for them to be involved in this kind of community development

• The power of hope

• Questions for conversation at the dinner table, pub or coffee shop

• What do you most value about your neighbourhood • What two most important concerns do you have about

your neighbourhood• A time when you experienced something successful –

something you were proud of in the neighbourhood • Would you like to become more involved in making

the neighbourhood better? How • What are your skills, interests and talents

• Capture people’s dreams and they will shape the future

• There is no power for change like a community discovering what it cares about