Community work partnerships in a global context

Abstract

The above words adopted as a motto in Australia at the beginning of the 1990s reflect the mood of community development workers and grass roots activists as we head into a new century. Communities have struggled over centuries about the way to allocate resources within society and how to live in harmony with each other. Those who have resources have power over others. This power can be used often to exclude others and to set up structures that perpetuate oppression in society. Privileged positions in society and within communities are only sustained because significant sectors of society carry the burden or bear the damages. The current changes in society have had enormous impact on communities and have caused a great level of social unease and restructuring. Community workers and activists have had to manage the impact of this crisis in many circumstances. This paper examines the impact of global changes on communities at a macro level and their implication for community organising and community development.