A few months back, in my pre-video blog, I droned on about how my understanding of macro practice centered around examining issues and the “big picture.” I believed it involved policies that affected client systems and that it was difficult to do micro work without also doing macro work because of their interdependence on one another. While I still believe most of this to be true, I now have a deeper awareness of how much more macro practice really entails. A large part of what I have come to understand about macro practice revolves around the concept of community and the relationships that we build with others in that community. I don’t think I ever had a true sense of what community involved, least of all the role I played in the different communities of which I am a member. I still believe that a clinical social worker must also consider the macro perspective in order to work effectively with an individual client. Ignoring the macro piece neglects to honor the systems and communities to which the client belongs. It ignores the connections that individual have with others in their everyday lives.
Leadership Qualities
In my last blog post, I discussed my leadership qualities as they were identified in my Strengths Assessment. I believe the themes of learner, achiever, responsibility and connectedness also apply when considering my leadership qualities. Back in January, I expressed that I felt I was even-tempered, able to handle pressure, non-judgmental and self aware. Reflecting on the events of the semester, I can see that these same qualities allowed me to make the contributions I made. More importantly, I think what I’ve learned about myself, is that I need to be more aware of the talents and abilities of other members of my community. In my quest to do whatever I could to make the events a success I think I may have overlooked the potential contributions of other members of my class. The one quality that I mentioned in January and feel that I continue to utilize most effectively is my sense of humor. I think when things with our events got stressful and/or chaotic, I was able to diffuse some of the tension by making others laugh so that we could get back on track and continue to push ahead instead of getting “stuck” in the small stuff.
Me as an Activist
Reflecting back on my pre-video, I talked about working collaboratively and presenting a unified voice with other members of my community to effect large scale change. While this sounds like a good idea, and it may be, I now realize that my activism starts in the small details of my life and involvement in the issues. It is about being more intentional and less passive in every thing that I do. The blog entry entitled, “Active Being!” really spoke volumes for me. It pointed out that conscious, intentional decision making means we embrace the mistakes and learn from them and live a more purposeful life. Even more importantly for me, this blog talked about learning to “let go.” I will admit, this is a struggle for me, but one I know I will continue to work on as I learn to trust in the commitment and passion of others in my community as we work to achieve a common goal.
When I first read the syllabus for SCWRK 432 I thought I would be sick. I had decided long before that I was meant to be a clinical social worker and ONLY a clinical social worker. Then, I was exposed to some concepts associated with macro social work in the previous semester during a class visit to the Occupy Boston site and began to realize that maybe macro work wasn’t so bad after all......there seemed to be an opportunity to have an impact on such a larger scale while still fulfilling my goal of becoming a clinical worker. Then I sat in our first Tuesday morning class and felt the world shift beneath me! Okay, I will admit, it didn’t seem like the easy semester I had hoped I would be spending for my last semester at BSU, but I felt the spark of a small fire ignite deep inside my core. I decided then that this last semester would be the one where we would leave a lasting mark on our school, and I would do whatever I could on my part to make that happen.
Looking back and reflecting on this entire process has been difficult for me. I have always been a firm believer in the philosophy that everything happens for a reason; that there are no true coincidences in the world. The “old” me would have immediately assumed that evaluating the interventions and identifying things we could have done differently would imply that we must have done something wrong. The new, more connected, reflective, self-aware me realizes that while our week was amazing and successful, there is still so much room for improvement. That is why I feel strongly that evaluating the interventions and assessing their impact should be an integral part of the process (and why I’ll be gently harassing my classmates for some feedback over the summer......more to come on that later.)
Evaluating the Interventions:
As noted in the Community Toolbox, evaluating a program is important to clarify plans, improve communication and gather feedback. Unfortunately, we are in a position at this point to only accomplish one out of the three goals; clarifying the plans is something that we did not have the opportunity to engage in as the concept stage occurred (out of necessity) before our semester even began, and the time to improve communication for our purpose has passed. However, we do have the opportunity now to gather feedback and assess what worked and what did not work, what we learned, and what we can teach future students. A few classmates have already mentioned in their blog posts how important it is to the success of future interventions to truly assess what we have accomplished, and I am hopeful that they will be able to assist me in accomplishing this task in the very near future.
I would like to comment on the structure that was used in the division of tasks among the three class sections for this year’s intervention though. I feel that assigning one facet of the intervention (fundraising, planning, publicity) to each class did not utilize each class' strengths to their fullest potential. Perhaps there were students who would have more comfortable with the planning that felt uncomfortable working on fundraising; or maybe some people who were sent out into the community to publicize the events would have preferred to assist in the planning of the events. We may never know. I am of the opinion that this problem could have been avoided if students were either (A) given the opportunity to commit to a job they were comfortable with, regardless of which class they were assigned to, or (B) if each class was held accountable for all aspects of one event, from planning, to fundraising, to publicity, students could have chosen roles within their class based on their own perceived strengths. I believe allowing students this flexibility may have resulted in a higher level of commitment and participation on their part.
Finally, on the topic of evaluating the process, I would like to make a few observations on the communication strategies that were used. I think there was a lot of good communicating going on that often got overlooked when something didn’t work. In other words, the few “bad” episodes of communication far out-shadowed all of the “good” communicating that was happening. The weekly summaries that were submitted to a single, responsible person and subsequently were distributed to the entire “community” were beyond helpful. It provided such an unbelievable opportunity to stay connected and informed about what stage the process was in and what “action” was required of the participants. In his blog, The Value of Difference, Joe Gerstadt states that building a dynamic, creative community “requires listening and dialogue, maturity and courage. It requires “I” and “we” language, not “them” and “they” language.” When the listening and dialogue were interrupted and people didn’t have the courage to stand firm on their beliefs and opinions, our community became divided as a result of the “they” and “them” dynamic. Instead of becoming more united, we became a group divided. Once we were able to rise above and embrace our differences and be mature enough to recognize that not everyone HAD to agree on everything, things seemed to work themselves out.
Looking ahead for future interventions, I think it would be important to address the common vision of the group and address the various stakeholder’s perspectives right from the beginning. By writing the common goal down and keeping that goal visible for everyone to reflect on, the vision of the intervention would be concrete and not be lost among the details. Empowering members of the community to voice their perspectives, thoughts and ideas from the beginning and encouraging them to remain vocal throughout the process would allow the differences not to subvert the common goal.
My Learning:
The Break the Silence/Stop the Violence week at BSU for me was inspirational, powerful and amazing. While many people are still talking about the week’s events, I recognize that the week was about so much more. Few people outside the three sections of classes would be aware of the enormous effort that was made on behalf of all those involved. And while it was a requirement for a class, I know that for me it became so much more than that. It was a chance for true connections with my classmates to develop. It made me appreciate everyone for the part they played in making the week a successful one. I have learned so much from all of them and will be forever grateful, because in making the connections and doing my part to help build “the community,” I was able to discover that I want and need to be an active member of my community.
I also took the opportunity to reflect back on my strengths assessment after the conclusion of the event week, and I was amazed at what I read. It seems like a lifetime ago that we completed it and posted the results, and I honestly never gave it another thought. Everything is clear now! The “Learner” theme explains my thrill with gaining new skills and the process of becoming a macro social worker, and while I may never be the perfect macro worker, I will absolutely revel in the process that gets me there. The “Achiever” theme explains how, even when I didn’t think I could accomplish another task or make it through another sleepless night, I did. Apparently, it is the “theme that keeps me moving.” The “Responsibility” theme set my mind at ease more than any other. It logically explained away my fear that I had become too much of a perfectionist or control freak (or at least it helped a little.) This theme explains the psychological ownership I feel when engaged in a project. The “Connectedness” theme explains my need to reach out to others and do what I can to engage them in the process and work towards creating an atmosphere of inclusiveness; honoring the connection we all share as humans, recognizing that we are all part of something bigger than each of us on our own. I think now that I have taken this opportunity to connect my strengths assessment to my “active being” in our community, I have a better understanding of myself and can appreciate and value the differences and similarities that we all share. Because “real, living community requires us to embrace both the truth that we are all different and the truth that we are all the same.” (Gerstandt, 2012)
Advice for future students:
Below is my list of suggestions for future classes:
Find your voice - You are each as important as the person sitting next to you, and while you may not think you have anything “important” or useful to share, you do! A truly successful program takes the thoughts, ideas and opinions of everyone involved.
Trust yourself - While this macro work stuff may feel uneasy to you, you can do it! Believe that you have been given the knowledge and abilities to be successful in this type of work. Make mistakes, identify them, learn from them - no one ever learned anythingfrom being perfect.
Trust your classmates - They may be different from you or they may be just like you, but you all share a common goal......making the world a better, more equitable and just place. (If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be here.)
Trust your professors - They believe in you, your abilities and your dedication to the field of social work. They, and those before them, have given you the tools you need, whether you have identified them in your toolbox yet or not.
Take care of yourself - and allow those who care about you to take care of you too! Everyone has limits and recognizing what they are will make you a better social worker.
Take care of each other - this one is pretty self-explanatory.
EMBRACE the experience - while it may seem like a daunting and impossible task, it will change your life! My favorite thing to remember is that... - “It always seems impossible, until it is done.” ~Nelson Mandela
Okay, so I am a bit embarrassed to say that I havefallen victim to the traps of “bad-vocacy” in the past. I was raised with the philosophy that “Doing something is better than doing nothing,” and while I am sure that my parents, teachers, girl scout leaders and religious educators all had the most honorable intentions in instilling this idea in my mind, I have opened my mind to an alternate reality and can see where this notion isn’t always an accurate one. I have donated “needed” items to numerous natural disaster relief efforts, bought the colorful rubber bracelets to raise awareness for issues and cleaned out my closets to help those less fortunate. On the flip side, I have donated money to various fundraising initiatives, telethons and radio-thons. Money is what is really needed, so I guess I’m okay, right? Maybe not……. I have to admit that I have always given (money or material goods) without much thought to where the money goes or to whom. This should have helped to assuage my “Catholic guilt,” but after spending the weekend “enlightening” myself by digesting the various articles and videos assigned to cover aid-based and community based approaches to macro work I have a whole new understanding of the differences between the two.
Aid–based approaches, while sometimes deeply rooted in the best of intentions, do not always address what the intended recipients actually need to improve their lives. After reading, "Haiti Doesn’t Need Your Old T-Shirt," by Charles Kenney and watching the brief video, “A Day Without Dignity," the dumping of leftover t-shirts and shoes on the residents of Haiti and Nigeria opened my eyes to the problems with some aid based efforts. Also, the discussion of how the US food aid program has put native rice farmers out of business in Haiti and textile workers out of jobs in other countries were two strong examples that the best intentions do not always result in the intended outcomes, unless the intended outcome was to achieve some misguided notion that what is best for us (Americans. Corporations and the federal government) must also be best for those being “helped.” According to the reading, the intention is all too often to unload our surplus of goods and send our leftovers to less fortunate communities are Pop-Tarts really beneficial to anyone?
Community based efforts are much more far-sighted than their aid based counterparts. The grass-roots types of efforts that were illustrated in our readings and in the videos we watched had a much more long-lasting effect for the communities involved. In addition, the people who were affected by the issues had a vested interest in the process of affecting solutions. In “Pray the Devil Home,” Leymah Gbowee talked about the process the women implemented to achieve the intended effect on their situation. What was especially interesting to me was how the women spent one hour after each peaceful protest to conduct an analysis of the protest. The goal of this hour was, in essence, to see what had worked, what hadn’t and how to improve their efforts. This was truly a community effort conducted by the affected community and it definitely got noticed. The women were able to achieve their goals and so much more. Their efforts became a model and an inspiration for other global efforts in the approach to creating peaceful communities.
When Gbowee made the statement that, “Peace is a process, not an event,” it had a particularly strong impact on me. It helped me to understand the level of her commitment to uniting both Muslim and Christian women in Nigeria to take a stand against the war in their country. It brought a new light to the plight of women living in a war zone. As was discussed in the video, “War Redefined,” the focus of war and its coverage has always been on the man’s story; how to fight, the weapons used and the politics involved. This group of Nigerian women and others like them, have begun to force us to shift this lens with which we view war to also include the impact that war has on women and the impact that women can have on a war. Patrick Cammaert, a former UN Peacekeeping leader stated that, “It is more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier in an armed conflict today.” One US initiative that seems to be having a positive effect in the war in the Middle East is the use of female engagement teams in the Afghan countryside. Because it is unacceptable for Afghan women to speak to an unrelated man, the US has begun to use teams of military women to tour the villages and engage the female population in Afghanistan to explore their needs and the needs of their children. Soliciting this information from those directly involved in the conflict should help to ensure that we are providing the correct type and amount of help these women so desperately need.
For me, the blog post “Before You Give, Think” was the most helpful. The seven steps listed provide even the novice explorer (like me) in the field of advocacy, domestic or international, with clear guidelines to follow when embarking on the “mission” to give. Steps two and three; reflecting on your initial emotions and questioning yourself, are especially important to me in the process. They are definitely two things I have not done in the past. I am more of an emotional participant in that I get caught up in my own emotions and have to “do something” right away. This advice also aligned well with the knowledge I gained during LEAD Day at the state house this week. The importance of researching your cause and creating a plan was stressed by all of the panelists that participated in the workshops. They did speak of the need for being passionate about your cause when participating in grass-roots advocacy, but Representative Enriques made a point to explain that being passionate did not necessarily insinuate a need to be emotional. He instead advised that we harness our passion on an issue, learn as much as we can about it, reflect on what we have learned and then take the time to develop a plan that best addresses it. Finally, he stressed the need for constant analysis of our actions, adapting our approach or plan, and remaining true to our passion and cause. All of the information I have been able to gain through this process will assist me in becoming the advocate I now know I was meant to become.
Watch this video for a community-based approach on a domestic level.
Create list of classmates commitments for first two weeks of intervention work
Submit list to Prof. Boutwell
Distribute to class via email with community intervention log attachment
Email communication with Deana about outreach
Feb 1st -
Create first draft of “Save the Date” flyer
Submit flyer for initial feedback to Profs Boutwell and Bailey and leadership in other classes
Created documents for each class on facebook for communication
Solicited update from fundraising class on facebook
Feb 2nd
Facebook posting soliciting ideas for naming the week of events
Email to 53 members of 432 classes for same purpose as above
Email communication with Prof. Boutwell
Revisions to “Save the Date” Flyer made and submitted
Feb 3rd
Create documents on facebook for communication between classes
Miscellaneous email communication with various classmates
Feb 6th
Miscellaneous email communication with various classmates
Feb 7th
Miscellaneous email communication with various classmates
Circulating Weekly update email and soliciting responses from classmates via Joe Thurston
Email communication with Prof. Boutwell
Email to Hybrid class looking for leadership team
Feb 8th
Created poll on facebook for voting on names of week
Compose and circulate email to hybrid class looking for input on what role each student would like to take on
Respond to classmates email questions and concerns - include Prof Boutwell when necessary
Submit summary of promotion team activities to Annemarie Sullivan
Feb 9th
Communication and responses with classmates regarding Joe’s test email
Miscellaneous communication with Prof. Boutwell and leadership team
Feb 10th
More communication with leadership team
Meeting scheduled
Feb 11th
Email communication to compile list of promotion ideas from discussion board assgnmt
Feb 13th - 15th
Email(s) with Patrice and Danielle (representing A New Day) to firm up details for Vagina Monologues flyer/tickets
Email(s) with Stef to schedule meeting with representatives from a New Day
Email(s) with leadership group to firm up task list
Worked on creation of Vagina Monologues flyer
Feb 16th
Leadership meeting on campus
Submitted first draft of Vagina Monologues flyer for approval
Email communication with MANY people about MANY things
Notable email.......hybrid class possible team assignments asking for response as to individuals preference for role
Weekly summary composed and submitted to Joe Thurston
Feb 17th
Vagina Monologues program discussion via email with Stef and Danielle
Continue to respond to classmate emails regarding promotions/outreach preferences
Feb 20th
email communication regarding Clothesline Project t-shirt collection
Continue to respond to classmate emails regarding promotions/outreach
Feb 21st
Continue to respond to classmate emails regarding promotions/outreach
Continue to work on Vagina Monologue flyer - correspondence obtaining logos for A New Day/Health Imperatives agencies
Begin to compile list of assignments for classmates and team assignment
Compose and submit email to Hybrid class with assignments for classmates (per Prof Boutwell’s request) to complete before class on 2/28
Feb 22nd - 23rd
Communication emails with classmates regarding tasks assigned, questions and results
Email communication with Prof. Boutwell
Compose and Submit weekly promotions summary to Joe Thurston
Feb 24th - 25th
Continue to finalize Vagina Monologue flyer
Begin work creating Clothesline Project flyer
Optimize Save the Date flyer for black & white printing per Prof. Boutwell’s request
Feb 26th
Submit Clothesline Project flyer for initial feedback
Communicate with members of event planning team regarding Clothesline Project
Feb 28th
Communication with Deana regarding outreach tasks completed
Create document with contact information for Hybrid class members and distribute via email to all members
Met with Social Work Club to promote events
Feb 29th
Communication with event planing team regarding Take Back the Night and Clothesline Project for flyers
Make changes to Clothesline flyer as requested
Begin to create TBTN flyer
Created initial draft of VM ticket template submitted to Prof Boutwell
Mar 1st
Spokesperson group meeting with members of all three sections of 432
Deliver 50 more save the date flyers to Prof Boutwell
Compose and submit weekly summary to Joe Thurston of promotion activities
Email communication with Brooke regarding supervisor contact info at field placements
Continue to work on TBTN flyer
Mar 7th
Submit first draft of TBTN Flyer
Mar 8th
Submit second draft of TBTN flyer with suggested changes made
Mar 9th - 11th
continued work on flyers for all events and tickets for VM
Mar 13th
Finalize all flyers that have been in production
Begin work on Movie night poster and “simply everything” large poster
Finish and submit movie night poster
Mar 14th (wee hours of the morning)
Submit first draft of “Simply everything” flyer
Incorporate changes into flyer
Mar 15th (again the wee hours of the morning)
Create this list and post to blog
**not included here are the many, many facebook messages and chat conversations I have had with members of all three classes and the times I have been chased down the hall for more flyers
**** also not included here is the hours of begging for my secret Jedi printer to continue to provide this much appreciated service
Sunday, February 19, 2012
The video, “Holding Ground,” was motivational and eye-opening to me as a new macro-practitioner. It focused on the history, issues, and effects of revitalization efforts in the Dorchester and Roxbury neighborhoods in Boston. This documentary chronicled the community building efforts and activities of what would eventually become the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI).
In the 1960s, Martin Luther King Jr., brought national attention to the decline of the neighborhoods surrounding Boston, most specifically to both Dorchester and Roxbury, when he called on the city to set an example for other communities around the country in abolishing ghettos and uniting around a creative vision for improving the area. The documentary discusses the problems the area faced over time and pays particular attention to the influx of newcomers after the war. As white, Irish-Americans left the cities to move to the suburbs, blacks from the South, Latin Americans from the Caribbean and Cape Verdeans moved into the area in search of jobs and a better life. Unfortunately, by the 1960s the banks and city government, in an act of racism, had “redlined” the neighborhoods, making it impossible for homeowners to sell their property to the new people moving in. In an attempt to reclaim their investments, many homeowners turned to burning their property to collect on insurance claims. Increasingly, homes were burned, properties were left abandoned and vacant lots dominated the landscape. The vacant lots became dump sites for everyone. Companies would truck in their waste and dump it illegally on the property, much of which was city owned. Residents, many of which were children living below the poverty level, were living in squalor and as a result were getting ill.
Things would begin to change when Ray Flynn became mayor of Boston. In an attempt to win over some of the black vote, Flynn would send in a team to evaluate the area and make recommendations for improvements that would revitalize the area. However, the residents of the neighborhood would not be pushed around. They had witnessed what had been happening in other neighborhoods around the city as improvements were made to bring in revenue for the city, displacing many of the poorer families. They felt the “improvements” that had been completed in some areas served only to benefit the city and the wealthier members of the communities. Nothing was being done to help them. The residents of this neighborhood decided to band together and demand that the mayor and the city listen to them and allow them to participate in the revitalization efforts. They utilized the political activist approach, as mentioned in Fraser and Kick’s article, Understanding Community Building in Urban America (2005). They fought to change the institutional structure that they saw as causing the declining conditions of the neighborhood when they demanded that representatives of each ethnic group living in the community be elected to serve on the board of the DSNI.
The DSNI organized community meetings at St. Patrick’s Church, instituted multi-lingual button campaigns to get the word out, carried out protests and marches to block further dumping on vacant lots, planned cultural street fairs to unite the citizens as a community, held door-to-door surveys and informational campaigns to educate the members of the community. As mentioned in Netting (Chap 5), according to the resource mobilization theory, a social movement needs a collective identity, structure and a strong message. Leaders like Che Madyun, would recognize the need to build a collective identity, uniting all three cultural groups as one in a demand for change. They would eventually consult with city leaders to seek to take back the land that had been abandoned through the use of eminent domain and would buy back the land previously owned by the city. The community building efforts would not be swift, but would need a sustained effort over the course of many years. Today, the DSNI has more than 3600 members, has rehabilitated over 1300 vacant lots in the Dudley St. triangle, built more than 400 new homes and rehabbed another 500. They have been able to build various types of capital for the
community. As Homan discussed in Chapter 2 (2008), a healthy community needs various forms of capital to be successful and continue to thrive. The DSNI built social capital within the community by fostering both horizontal relationships within the community and vertical relationships with government and city agencies outside the community (Netting.) In addition, human capital was developed with the fostering of a youth movement that grooms future leaders, provides scholarship money and incentive to the youngest members of the community and ensures that its youngest members have safe places to play and learn. Political capital was developed as the relationship between community members and city officials grew. The positive interactions between these forms of capital should provide a long-lasting effect that would not have been allowed to happen had the city come in with the original plan of revitalizing this neighborhood without participation by the community.
What I have most noticed through the readings and videos we have watched is that these types of successful changes in communities cannot happen without some form of conflict. As Saul Alinsky said, “Change means movement. Movement means friction.” If there is no conflict, the status quo prevails. But, making change happen requires in-depth planning and a sustained commitment on the part of those involved, AND above all else, participation is key!
Fraser, J., & Kick, E. (2005). Understanding Community Building in Urban America. Journal of Poverty, 9(1), 23-44.
Homan, M. (2011). Promoting community change. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Netting, F. E., Kettner, P. M., McMurtry, S. L., & Thomas, M. L. (n.d.). Social Work Macro Practice (5th ed.).
Marian Wright Edelman is an acclaimed author, attorney, activist, speaker, wife, mother and daughter. She was born in 1939 in South Carolina to humble parents. Her father, Arthur Wright was a baptist minister and her mother, the church organist. A philosophy of service was instilled in her as a young girl by both of her parents who taught their five children that service in the world was required of true Christians. She recalls her father saying, “If you don’t like the way the world is, you have an obligation to change it. Just do it one step at a time.” (Shetterly, n.d.) He did not only lead by his words, but by his actions. During segregation in the south, African Americans were banned from entering city parks, so her father built a park behind is church for the African American children of his congregation. (www.thehistorymakers.com) Marian, the youngest of the Wright’s five children went on to attend Spelman College and Yale Law School. Originally drawn to work in foreign policy, the civil rights movement in her own backyard brought her home. She returned to the south during the heart of the civil rights movement as a lawyer working for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Mississippi. It is at this time that she became the first African American woman to be admitted to the Mississippi Bar.
Bearing witness to the hardship of children living in poverty in the south caused Marian to take on the cause of championing children’s rights as she became a prominent activist for the Head Start program. She would eventually move to Washington DC in 1968 where she would meet her husband, Peter Edelman, an aide to Robert Kennedy. While in Washington, she brought national attention to the issue of children suffering from hunger and living in poverty in America. She would work with both Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. for social justice and civil rights in an attempt to level the playing field for the poor. During this time she would become a leading force in the struggle to overhaul the foster care system, support adoption, fight for quality childcare and protect children who were handicapped, homeless, abuse and/or neglected (Shetterly). In 1973, Edelman who found the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) which would become the strongest voice for children and their families in America. The CDF established their “Leave No Child Behind” Mission and works towards championing “policies and programs that lift children out of poverty; protect them from abuse and neglect; and ensure their access to health care, quality education and a moral and spiritual foundation” (childrensdefensefund.org). Much like Saul Alinsky, Edelman has worked to mobilize her community in bringing together parents, religious congregations, schools and other institutions with employers and the government. While she does not believe one institution is solely responsible for the protection of children, she does hold each institution accountable for their part. Just as she believes we need to address the needs of the whole child, she believes that it needs to be done in collaboration as a society. Edelman cites two inspirations for her work as Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois (founder of the NAACP.) Edelman dislikes being labeled liberal or radical, but prefers to believe in the values of private charity and personal service in conjunction with public social justice (Atkins, 1992). At the age of 72, Edelman has showed no signs of slowing down her fight for children’s rights or social justice. She continues to advocate for youth pregnancy prevention, funding for childcare, universal healthcare for pregnant women and children and for a greater responsibility of parents in teaching values and monitoring their children’s exposure to violence in the media. Her latest initiative, “The Cradle to Prison Pipeline,” focuses on the disproportionate amount of disadvantaged children, especially boys, who are being swept into the juvenile justice system (Five Questions, 2007). As a true change agent and social activist, Edelman believes we, as a society, have the power to effect changes for these children.
Unlike Edelman, Uraidah Hassani is relatively new to social activism. She is an International Relations graduate of New York University and is currently the Susila Dharma International Associations representative to the United Nations. Susila Dharma is a human rights activism network that promotes worldwide human rights and a sustainable society (SDI, n.d.) As a student in Brooklyn, NY, Hassani mentored inner-city teen girls and upon return to Chicago after graduation, worked with the Chicago Advisory Council on Women. Because of these experiences, Hassani noticed a lack of positive role models for young girls and a need for a worldwide movement to connect, inspire and educate the world’s women and girls.
Hassani explains that traveling to Indonesia, Columbia and Iran opened her eyes to the plight of women and girls in developing countries. She would pack extra of items she always took for granted to give to families and communities she visited (changents.com/uraidah/biography.) Their appreciation and joy for such simple things taught her how easy it could be to help those in need. This lesson remained in her memory throughout her life and in an effort to improve the quality of life for women and girls internationally, the Women Worldwide Initiative (WWI) was born in 2009. The WWI focuses on mentorship programs, social change projects and an online social network for women and girls that seeks to provide inspiration, information and resources to this population. The overall goal is to empower women and girls today so they may develop the confidence to affect changes in their lives. By creating stronger girls today, there is hope they will grow to be the women leaders of tomorrow who can continue to stand up for themselves, their families and provide a voice for changes that our world needs. Hassani lists the work of Mahatma Gandhi as someone who has inspired her to fulfill this need to “be the change (womenworldwideinitiative.org).” Her lasting contribution to the areas of social justice as an activist for women is yet to be seen as she is still only a newcomer to the scene. If the growth of the WWI in its first two years is any indication, Hassani should be able to have an effect on this issue.
Like Marian Wright Edelman, I have always been drawn to the plight of our children in America. There are so many children in our own country who are in need of assistance and positive role model it both saddens and angers me. These most vulnerable of our citizens often lack their own voice and need strong people to be their voice in securing the resources they will need. I strongly believe that our future lies in the hands of our children and that each child should be afforded the same rights and opportunities needed to achieve and maximize their potential. I also feel that each child should have the support and love of a strong family with positive role models, regardless of the parent’s sexual orientation. It is a disgrace that in many states in our country, families willing to love and care for children are not allowed to because of who they love. It is my hope to live by example and dispel the idea that gays and lesbians are not fit to love and raise a child. Another social issue concerning children that I am passionate about is the struggles faced by LGBT teens and young adults. The visibility of LGBT role models in our society and their acceptance is increasing, yet the numbers of children being bullied or taking their own lives as a result of their sexual orientation continues to rise at an alarming rate. It has always been my goal to lead by example, however, I am beginning to realize that leading by example is not enough for me. It is time for me, in developing my new role as an activist and change agent to become more involved in this fight on a macro level.
In choosing to highlight Uraidah Hassani, I have learned that it is possible for ordinary people, like myself, to make changes in the world. It may be necessary to start on a smaller scale but important to have the vision of making a large-scale, global impact. While she may someday be talked about in history books as having an impact on the human rights movement, right now she is a simple citizen trying to affect change. In studying Marian Wright Edelman for this assignment, I have come to learn that the change I would like to see may not happen unless I do something about it. Edelman has been quoted as saying that, “A lot of people are waiting for Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi to come back - but they are gone. We are it. It is up to us (biography.com).” I may be just one person, but I can have an impact.
Sources
Atkins, N. (1992). Marian Wright Edelman. Rolling Stone, (645/646), 126.
Changents: Connecting the people who help the world to the people who help
Shetterly, Robert. (n.d.) Americans Who Tell The Truth. Retrieved February 9, 2012 from http://www.americanswhotellthetruth.org/pgs/portraits/Marian_Wright_Edelman.php
After reading through various pages of the Community Toolbox I have selected to focus on three potential problems associated with working from a macro perspective that I feel could have an impact on our specific community intervention project.
The first potential problem involves communication, both internally within the parameters of the group and externally, between the group and the target audience. This particular section of the Community Toolbox discusses the need for developing a plan to ensure your word gets out. A clear and detailed plan will help to target your audience more accurately, increase both effectiveness and efficiency and give structure to your group. The planning stage allows for members of the group to brainstorm creative ways to get the message out, establish clear channels of communication so that members don’t feel excluded and instills a sense of ownership of the project for each of the members. One important strategy for ensuring that communication channels remain open and there is a clean flow of information is to address problems immediately as they arise. By tackling a problem as a cohesive team rumors can be forestalled and respect for everyone is maintained. Of course, none of this is possible if feedback from the group is not solicited and acknowledged. It is not enough to ask members for feedback about communication if the response is not addressed and responded to quickly. I find there is an incredible potential for this problem to arise within our own class semester, but especially between the three classes involved in the project. For this reason it is imperative that we meet in the early stages of the project to establish a clear plan for communication. I think we have a good beginning plan in place, but that plan will need to be continued to be assessed and reevaluated to maximize efficiency and effectiveness. We will need to solicit feedback, both positive and negative, from members of all three classes and use that feedback to keep the channels open without alienating any members.
The second potential problem that I thought could affect our project concerns the evaluation of our interventions. The Community Toolbox addresses the need for ongoing and accurate program evaluation. It is mentioned that you have to know what you are trying to measure and the method you will use to determine if a program is working effectively or not. Not only can the group learn from any failures or negative results of the evaluation, but it could also serve to empower the group when the assessment results are positive. Both positive and negative results will help to spur further action, adjust the program as necessary, and motivate the team to continue working towards a common goal. Some reasons which are mentioned for groups choosing not to evaluate and measure program progress are the fear of revealing negative results, lack of time to see an evaluation through, fear of the evaluation process itself and a lack of awareness as to how to carry out an accurate and comprehensive assessment. It is argued however, that a thorough evaluation can allow for a better perspective of the problem, encourage participant ownership and responsibility and uncover strategies that did or did not work. If we can get the participants to “buy-in” to the project and commit to it, then the analysis can be used to celebrate the positives. I believe for our project, an ongoing evaluation, even if an informal one, will help us to adjust our strategies, discarding those that don’t work and building upon the ones that do. It will not work if we don’t buy into the project and commit to see it through to the end. Imagine the feeling of accomplishment we will experience when the event goes off smoothly and awareness of the problem grows.
The third and final problem area I choose to examine was facing opposition or conflict. There is again a need to develop a plan for addressing any potential opposition to our project. We cannot just go into this project blindly believing that we will win everyone over to our cause. There will always be some degree of opposition, and having a plan to counter it will be beneficial. By addressing the resistance and responding effectively to potential barriers we will be better able to build collaborative partnerships with those who might otherwise oppose our project. Waiting to address any opposition and then developing an intervention to that opposition would be counterproductive and waste time and resources. However, establishing a plan to deal with any resistance will allow us to prevent it form occurring and be a more efficient use of out time and resources. By responding to any potential attacks in a positive manner, we will be able to strengthen our group and develop a more favorable public opinion of our project. I found it interesting when the Community Toolbox listed the “Ten D’s” to avoid: Deflection, Delays, Denials, Discounting, Deception, Dividing, Dulcifying, Discrediting, Destroy and Deal. If we can avoid falling victim to all of these practices we should be able to enjoy a positive result from our project.
