Community-based Organizations Community-based Organizations as a Catalyst of Social Processesas a Catalyst of Social Processes

Arūnas Poviliūnas

Number of Number of CCommunity-based ommunity-based OOrganizationsrganizations

3

300

837

12001300

1368

1800

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

1995 2002 2004 2005 2006 2008 2011

Why the Movement?

• Community-based organizations have a clear aim.• Community-based organizations are concentrated

in the relatively uniform and tangled networks of organizations.

• The participants of community centers share a common understanding and values.

The Factors of Community-The Factors of Community-based Organizations’ based Organizations’

MovementMovement

1. A constructive response to the social exclusion of the rural communities

2. “The effect of epidemic”

3. Expectations regarding the support opportunities of EU Structural Funds (LEADER+, previously EQUAL)

Average of the Monthly Disposable Average of the Monthly Disposable Income of a Household Member in Income of a Household Member in

2001-20082001-2008

Generalization of the Generalization of the Community-based Community-based

Organizations’ ActivitiesOrganizations’ Activities

1. Mobilization of local community – 60-80%. 2. The organization of cultural and educational

activity – 40-50%.3. Activities in the field of social services – 20-30%.4. Business initiatives – 9%.

The Development Model elements The Development Model elements of Community-based of Community-based

OrganizationsOrganizations

• INSTITUTIONS– The common living together rules of society or

community that can be either formal or informal• ORGANIZATIONS

– It is a group of individuals united for a common aim (economic, political, social and etc. organizations).

I I stagestage – – LocalLocal CommunityCommunity CoalitionsCoalitions

• Institutional changes– No institutional conflicts;– Fixation of social exclusion and the importance of public sphere; – The movement from marginalized rural community towards

an active and inclusive rural community.• Organizational changes

– In towns and villages establishes the first community –based organizations;

– Concentration of towns’ communities (community celebrations, threshing and etc.).

How do the balninkiečiai spend their leisure time and how would they like to

spend it?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Dirbti ūkio/namų ruošos darbus

Žiūrėti TV

Bendrauti su šeima, vaikais

Tvarkyti namų aplinką

Skaityti spaudą/knygas

Užsiimti savo pomėgiais (mezgimu, žvejyba)

Bendrauti su kaimynais ir draugais

Dalyvauti saviveikloje

Eiti į kavinę/barą

Tenka leisti Norėtų leisti

II stage – Community Center as a II stage – Community Center as a Cultural OrganizerCultural Organizer

• Institutional changes– Conflict with the concept of culture that is organized by the top

down principle;– Formation of cultural activities involving network; – What is culture? From the providing to the involving concept

of cultural activity.• Organizational changes

– Community-based organizations are strengthening, develop the networks of community-based organizations;

– Organizations focus on involving cultural activity, originates educational and self-educational circles.

Scheme of Providing Cultural Model

Oficialiosios kultūros monopolija

Centro ir periferijos problema

Kultūros laukui būdingas fasadiškumas ir rituališkumas

Kultūros įstaigų darbuotojai sudaro oficialiosios kultūros elitą, kuris kontroliuoja tiekiamosios kultūros lauką

Oficialioji kultūra užgožia kitas iniciatyvas ir tai, kas nepriskiriama oficialiajai kultūrai, nėra laikoma kultūra

Oficialiosios kultūros monopolija

Centro ir periferijos problema

Kultūros laukui būdingas fasadiškumas ir rituališkumas

Kultūros įstaigų darbuotojai sudaro oficialiosios kultūros elitą, kuris kontroliuoja tiekiamosios kultūros lauką

Oficialioji kultūra užgožia kitas iniciatyvas ir tai, kas nepriskiriama oficialiajai kultūrai, nėra laikoma kultūra

III III stage stage – – Attempts to Provide Social Attempts to Provide Social ServicesServices

• Institutional changes– Conflict with institutionalized and separating system of social

services;– Involving network of social services; – Movement from institutionalized system of social services to the

model of social community services .– Deinstitutionalization of general social services, especially for

elder people. • Organizational changes

– The strengthening of community-based organizations and its networks;

– Community-based organizations need to acquire new skills that are needed in the provision of social services.

IV IV stage stage – – the Beginning of Economic the Beginning of Economic CooperationCooperation? ?

• Institutional changes– Conflict with monopolistic business;– The acknowledgement of alternative business and other various

forms of funs; – From the stereotypical business and entrepreneurial concepts

toward broader concept of business that includes social business and social entrepreneurship.

• Organizational changes– Diversification of community activities; alternative networks of civil

participation;– Alternative food networks, farmers’ markets , “Sūrininkų namai”

and etc.

The Movement Stages of The Movement Stages of Community-based OrganizationsCommunity-based Organizations

Pirmieji veiklos metai

2 – 3 veiklos metai

3 – 4 veiklos metai

Kultūrinės veiklos plėtra, bendruomenės narių švietimas

Socialinių paslaugų teikimas

Organizacijų ir tinklų

sustiprėjimas

Organizacijų bumas

Pirmosios organizacijos

Ekonominė veikla, kooperacija

Alternatyvios organizacijos

ir tinklai

4-6 veiklos metai

Bendruomenės telkimas ir viešosios erdvės plėtra

Important

• The Movement of communities is integral and multidimensional process

• Communities are connected with various ministries (The Ministry of Agriculture, The Ministry of Social Security and Labor, The Ministry of Culture, The Ministry of Economy, The Ministry of the Interior, The Ministry of Education and Science and etc.)

• In order to use the energy of the movement of communities, the government should deinstitutionalize itself.

The Social Economy Sector Includes:

• Community-based organizations (usually a small space and small community-based organizations, modest funding and depends on voluntary activities);

• Voluntary organizations (has its own rules, do not depend on government, self-governing, non-profit, participate many volunteers);

• Social enterprise (these are business companies that raise the social objectives for itself, and the received profit is invested in the more effective activity that seeks for social objectives.

Social Economy (European Union)

• Includes cooperatives, mutual assistance organizations, non-profit organizations, various support and charitable founds and social enterprises.

• Experts calculate that in the social economy sector – operate around 2 million companies (around 10 per cent of all

companies in EU), – Provides around 11 million workplaces (6 per cent of all

workplaces in EU, 70 per cent of it include non-profit associations, 26 per cent cooperatives and 3 per cent mutual assistance organizations);

– The number of people who are concerned with the service of this sector is up to 160 millions.

Thank You for Your attention