Community Development's Radical Agenda

Abstract

Community development is founded on principles of social justice and environmental sustainability. Its process, although often a practical response to immediate issues, involves popular education, learning to question the everyday taken-for-granted contradictions that are woven through our everyday lives. Out of these altered perspectives on life emerges a more critical awareness, and this gives rise to the confidence, autonomy and insight to act collectively together to improve the quality of life for everyone. For practitioners, this calls for an analysis of power, the generation of theory in action, and the organisation of collective action from neighbourhood to global levels with the purpose of creating inclusive communities in a more inclusive world. Social divisions are greater than ever, both within and between countries, as neoliberal globalisation extends its reach, beaming a free market principle based on a profit imperative across the world. At the same time, community development's commitment to social change is being distracted under a smokescreen of managerialism, as our transformative concepts become diluted and our practice becomes embedded in policy as improved service delivery. Meanwhile the world faces escalating humanitarian and environmental crises. This chapter is based on the hope and optimism that we can easily and readily reclaim our radical potential if we identify the spaces for creating critical dissent dialogue as a basis for vigilant practice for a fair and just democracy, a world built on respect for all people and the earth itself.