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Yogi Berra is said to have said, “In theory, there’s no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.” When we launched Facilitators Without Borders several years ago, we had some pretty good theories about what would make an appropriate project. We wanted to work with and for communities in need. The words communities and in need were central to our thinking. But, as per Professor Berra’s observation, practice trumped theory, and we soon found that the definition of community was very broad indeed, and the criterion of in need depended very much on the question, “in need of what?”
Communities can be defined by shared geographies, genes, interests, histories, age, language, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, professions, beliefs, or values. For me, regardless how it defines itself, the three overarching community questions are:
If the answers to all three questions are “yes”, the community may be a good candidate for a project. If the answer to any one of them is “no”, the community may not be able to benefit from our involvement. That doesn’t mean the community doesn’t need or deserve help. It simply means that what we offer — facilitation in aid of helping people find solutions to their issues — may not be the appropriate intervention. In my next post, I’ll talk about what I’ve learned about the criterion “in need”. (Background reading: FWB Project Criteria Guidelines) What is a Border? When you think of the word ‘border’ is it the boundary between countries, the markings on a map, or an invisible line that keeps groups of people separated? In addition to geographic borders, we are often exposed to social, economic and cultural borders. They encircle communities in every cosmopolitan city in every country. These borders can isolate and frustrate those of us inside, limiting the potential benefits for all of us on the outside. To help communities in-need, we need to stretch a hand across these borders and make a connection inside communities. This allows us to facilitate meaningful processes that address challenging issues and problems within communities. The results? Everything from communities designing a community newsletter to strengthen internal communications to the formation of a school liaison that builds bridges. All is possible. Look around where you live? What groups can you see behind a border? What is being done to help them solve their problems? Could you contact some of the leaders in that community? Could you tell them about FWB? Would it feel good to start an FWB project with community leaders in your hometown? Think about it and contact us- that’s FWB at its best. |
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So here’s my personal take on what I’ve learned about the first half of the equation, communities.
