Our work in community development is both at the grassroots
and at the level of institutional strengthening.
GRASSROOTS
At the grassroots level, our work primarily entails
leading and supporting interventions in communities
around the world focused on transforming social and
economic conditions. Our work is characterized by
a culturally based participatory action research approach
which engages development stakeholders in every aspect
of the process.
INSTITUTIONAL
Four Worlds has worked with many professional agencies
to integrate a community development approach into
their program objectives and processes. We work with
departments, programs and large organizations to strengthen
their capacity to move from rhetoric to action. This
involves training, mentoring and coaching and working
through the implementation of plans that reflect community
development methods and processes.
TRAINING
Four Worlds has delivered over 500 workshops and seminars
on community development principles and techniques
to groups as diverse as village court workers in Papua
New Guinea to program managers on Reservations in
the United States to senior public servants in Canada.
LEARNING MATERIALS
We have published papers, manuals, reports and a full-length
book (Recreating the World, 2006) on community
development principles and practices that brings together
many years of experience. Among the tools that Four
Worlds has developed is the Community
Story Framework, a participatory action research
tool for engaging communities in assessing their own
situation and needs and for mobilizing themselves
for action.
SAMPLE PROJECTS
Canada
Partnership between the Federal Council of Saskatchewan,
Okanese First Nation and Four Worlds to transform
the root causes of chronic violence and poverty in
the file Hills Indian Reserves in South Saskatchewan.
(2003)
A four-year
collaboration between Four Worlds and Sagamok Anishnawbek
First Nation (near Sudbury, Ontario) has focused on
developing a comprehensive community generated needs
assessment and a ten-year framework for action, as
well as building leadership and community capacity
to develop and carry out change initiatives.
A six module accredited training program was developed
to support this process. (2003 - 2006)
Ukraine
Worked with a network of NGOs across Ukraine to develop
capacity for community development and grassroots
social change in partnership with the Canadian Bureau
for International Education. (1999 – 2002)
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