PUB 655 Asset Based Community Development Approach Discussion
A sustained and well-functioning community is important to people, this type of community ensures that people can choose to live healthy lives and thrive. The asset-based community development (ABCD) approach is utilizing the gifts of the people in the community so they can create their desired world by using the ideas. Those who Implement the ABCD approach to creating a sustained community believes that possibility, power, and promise exist in every community. Asset-based community development begins with the gifts of people and their capacity to organize to create the world they want to see (DePaul University, 2021). This is a great concept because it utilizes the talents, gifts, and products that people in the community already have, to make the community more sustainable ad reduces the inequalities that people of the community may face. It emphasizes the importance of utilizing local assets as key resources in tackling inequalities (Harrison et al., 2019). This is a great concept that is considerate of the diversity and would include the assets that each person with different cultures, beliefs, talents, etc., have to offer. It is absolutely realistic to believe that people in poor communities have existing assets that can lead to different opportunities that can stimulate the economy. Different business can be created utilizing the talents and gifts these people possess. An example of this is on the beaches of Mexico, people in poorer communities set up little stations or walk around with supplies to braid the hair of the people traveling. They charge the tourist for the hairstyles; this shows that a profit can be made by the utilization of talents or a skill.
Two benefits of the ABCD method are that the assets people have to offer to help the community are local from within the community, so they cut out having to rely on outside sources. This keeps all the money or income within the community, it then is able to circulate and help others in the community, this is a part of being sustained. Another benefit is that the people in the community feel empowered and a true part of the community. Meaning that when their assets, gifts and talents are being used they are an active participant of the community and can hep the community be effective and sustained as well as cultivate the opportunity to choose healthy lives.Two challenges of the ABCD method are that it takes time and supplies to create a business or economic opportunity even with talents or gifts of a person, another challenge is critics maintain that asset-based community engagement fails to address significant power differences in the community, power, privilege, and influence make a difference in community work (The University of Memphis, 2019). Facing and changing inequalities is difficult, even when things are hard it is important for the people in the community to stay goal focused and push through to help sustain the community through this asset-based approach.
Reference
DePaul University. (2021). Values. DePaul. https://resources.depaul.edu/abcd-institute/about/…
Harrison, R., Blickem, C., Lamb, J., Kirk, S., & Vassilev, I. (2019). Asset-based community development: narratives, practice, and conditions of possibilityA qualitative study with community practitioners. Sage. 9(1). Doi https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244018823081
The University of Memphis. (2019). Challenges of asset-based community engagement. https://www.memphis.edu/ess/module4/page6.php
