Reflection on June Salon: Asset Based Community Development
Posted on | August 4, 2010 | Comments Off
MotiveSpace was honored to have Mike Vander Veen join us in June for a discussion on Asset Based Community Development and placeMaking. Mike is a local expert in the Asset Based approach to community development, which emphasizes a focus on the strengths and skills within a community, instead of its needs and deficiencies. We had representatives from over a dozen of the grassroots project teams (Seed Teams) we’ve been working with, and shared a lot of strong ideas about how team members can use the ABCD approach to reach out to their neighbors and supporters.
Mike also led us on a good foundational exercise: a group brainstorm on that tricky word of many meanings, ‘Community.’ Together we brainstormed a comprehensive list of our different associations and context:
Place ▪ Flow-energy-info ▪ Block Parties ▪ Extractive/Associative ▪ Friendships ▪ Trust ▪ Endless discussion ▪ Collaboration ▪ Safety ▪ Togetherness ▪ Conflict Resolution ▪ Degree of Connection ▪ Play Space ▪ Rules and Norms ▪ Commonality ▪ Efficient Use of Resources ▪ Support Networks ▪ Small business ▪ Neighbor ▪ People ▪ Peers ▪ Knowing and being known ▪ Compromise ▪ Shared meaning ▪ Cooperation ▪ Socialism
ABCD is a powerful tool, and one definitely worthy of more detailed training, reflection, and focus. In collaboration with
the Portland based nonprofit Second Stories, Mike is offering trainings to community groups who wish to host him for the deeper 8-hour training. Mike is holding a training with Transition Towns coming up on June 30th, from 7:00 – 9:00. Contact MotiveSpace director Jim Newcomer at jnewcomer@spiretech.com to learn more. You can also reach Mike at mjonvv@yahoo.com.