Principles In Neighbourhood Rebuilding

Rebuilding a neighbourhood simply is not possible if the local residents do not want to have any of it. They might lack the expertise or even the confidence to manage the whole affair. Because of the backlashes they have suffered in the past they might not only be squatting or fragmented physically but also emotionally, socially and psychologically. This needs to be addressed immediately and effectively in order to formalise the partnership that is key to sustainability. Till such a time efforts need to be taken towards achieving this goal of local partnership and ownership.

As mentioned in the earlier paragraph, taking ownership and responsibility comes with conviction and trust. People should see that it is important. This cannot be forcibly instructed or inculcated. It needs a volitional decision making from the neighbourhood and that needs enthusiasm and the tangible proof of positive change. To provide this evidence and to tap the enthusiasm neighbourhood based social activities are needed. It allows the people the liberty to take part in the activities without too much of fear and hesitance. It is like playing a game in their home ground. The familiarity of the set up dispels inhibitions and encourages interaction with one another that leads to a highly interactive and responsive neighbourhood.

Once the ground is activated, it is easier for the facilitating group to identify local potentials in terms of human resource such as local leaders, volunteers and also facilities such as halls, temples, kindergartens, fields, playgrounds, schools and so on. Once the resources are pooled in, it is easier to divide the labour and set the goal towards a sustainable neighbourhood that in future may not need external intervention and intrusion. Identifying local resources to rebuild a sustainable neighbourhood is not an option or a choice but a principle that is mandatory. If not the rebuilding becomes top-down rather than building the capacity of the locals.

Identifying local potential also leads to the next principle of forming them into a formal committee for this where identified potentials will have to be groomed as leaders with leadership qualities, skills and understanding. With that enhancement they take the lead to mobilise the people, planning and delivering activities in an organised way that woos the people of the neighbourhood for it is organised by people of their own kind and at their own mental, emotional and social wavelength. This leadership shift cuts across any barriers or inhibitions and brings back the informal social control and social support system into action.

This is another principle that solidifies the loose relationship that lurks in the neighbourhood for fear of getting hurt and rejected, for fear of the unknown and uncertain. Involving people cross sectional may be initially difficult but it is important. So the programmes and activities conducted must attract the different groups of people in the neighbourhood. This is where the neighbourhood ownership at a wider level gets strengthened. This also leads the whole neighbourhood into the neutral ground of setting the goal, focus and vision for the neighbourhood rebuilding.

Adhoc programmes are easier to organise and to publicise while regular, integrated and holistic programmes are an uphill climb, which needs a serious plan of action, and undertaking that suggests the rational and the outcomes. It involves also a monitoring and review system that checks the outcomes and the impact. This might seem to be a tedious and painful process compared to the much-preferred adhoc programmes that do not require a long time commitment.

However changes do not occur overnight. There is a process and in that involved as change requires a lot of learning, unlearning and relearning. That is where the programmes need to provide the correlation between changes that are behavioural and cognitive and relationships, which provide the social and emotional platform needed to support the impact of change.

Even while it is true that it is important to involve the people of the neighbourhood to move them towards sustain the positive changes and also to review the situation, it is equally important to involve concerned parties or organised groups to contribute towards the rebuilding of neighbourhoods through their expertise. This way the people of the neighbourhood will be able to secure organised support in special fields of concern such as education, motivation, health and legal awareness and to conduct relevant training of trainer sessions. This will accelerate the process of upward social mobility of the neighbourhood.

The principle of networking is mandatory to rebuilding of neighbourhood; as this requires a lot of resources such as manpower, mind power and material power. To source these it is prudent and wise to plug onto existing systems such as the local authorities and agencies. The proverbial reinvention of wheels is just a sheer waste of energy and resources. More over these agencies and authorities have the system blue print that fits as the missing piece in the wider national plan.

As these are the policy makers this provides them with an appreciation of grass root issues that need to be discusses at greater lengths at the policy forums and also the opportunity to deal with these issues effectively and efficiently. Moreover the community also gathers courage to approach them to find solutions immediately instead of waiting for the mediator to appear.