Lead Partner: RUAF Foundation
Description
RUAF has functioned since 1999 as a global network of 6 regional organisations that share a common vision on urban development and poverty reduction and together implement an international programme focused on urban agriculture and food security.
In recent years, the Asset-Based Community Development Approach
(ABCD) has been recognised as an innovative strategy for community-driven development in urban and rural areas and as an alternative to the traditional needs-based approach applied by national government agencies, NGOs, and institutions such as the World Bank and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (O’Leary, 2007).
Usually, community development work starts with the process of identifying needs and gaps within the community, and in most cases, this list tends to be very long. The focus on the community’s problems, however, conveys negative images of the community and the residents begin to accept these images as the only guide to the reality of their lives. As a result, communities often believe their situation can only be improved through outside assistance, and, thus, they remain passive. In contrast, the ABCD approach seeks to uncover and highlight the strengths within communities as a means for sustainable development. The basic tenet is that, although there are both capacities and deficiencies in every community, a capacitiesfocused approach is more likely to empower the community and therefore mobilise citizens to create positive and meaningful change from within.
The Cagayan De Oro Experience
Urban agriculture related community projects using the ABCD approach have been introduced in the past four years to five urban poor communities and two elementary schools in Cagayan de Oro, Southern Philippines.
These pilot projects were initiated following the completion of agronomic, health and socio-economic studies conducted in cooperation with universities and local government units from Europe and Southeast Asia (Holmer & Monse, 2006). Located on allotments and school gardens, the projects focus on ecological sanitation and basic hygiene practices in combination with health promotion, food security and environmental sustainability within the WHO frameworks “Healthy Cities” and “HealthPromoting Schools & Communities”.
Resources
RUAF Foundation UA Magazine no. 18 - Building Communities through Urban Agriculture: http://www.ruaf.org/ node/1440
“Urban agriculture related community projects using the ABCD approach have been introduced in the past four years to five urban poor communities”
Contact Details
Robert J. HolmerPeriurban Vegetable Project, Xavier University College of Agriculture, Philippinesrholmer@xu.edu.ph Anselmo B. MercadoSoutheast Asia Rural Social Leadership Institute (SEARSOLIN),Xavier University College of Agriculture,Cagayan de Oro City,Philippinesboym@xu.edu.phWebsite: http://www.ruaf.org