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KEEP ON LEARNING

By Phil Bartle, PhD

Training Handout

There is no finite quantity to the methods and skills used by mobilisers

The world changes, societies change, communities change, you change, other mobilisers change. There are many hidden bits of experience and methods that may be practiced, but are not yet widely known.

Community Development is taught at universities, in departments of Sociology, departments of Social Work, or departments of Social Administration. Each of these may have a finite curriculum or a fixed syllabus. Most community workers get a degree, go out to the field, and then begin learning about the real world and how to practice their profession.

Anyone who thinks or believes that she or he knows everything about how to empower a community, is either lying or missing a few bricks from their load.

Meanwhile many successful community empowerment programmes have started with field workers with no formal training in community development (perhaps having degrees in science, journalism, engineering) or with field workers who have not finished secondary school. They do it by offering a brief training at the beginning, and ongoing meetings every two months for training and sharing. Many persons who have retired from a regular career, become activists as a way to fill their retirement years and, without formal training, are very successful in guiding communities to become self reliant.

In the sociology module, we learn that the process of socialization, learning how to be human, begins at birth and continues until death. If you are not sure, then check to see if you are learning or not. If you are learning, then you are still alive.

And learning new things keeps you youthful and energetic. It helps you to be healthy and productive.

How?

Use the Internet. Search with Google or Yahoo. Read mobilisers’ blogs. Join discussion groups. Ask questions. Find experienced mobilisers and ask them to reveal their secrets. Join the Community Empowerment Collective.

Never Stop Learning. It makes you younger. If you stop learning, then you are dead.

© Copyright 1967, 1987, 2007 Phil Bartle
Web Design by Lourdes Sada

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Last update: 2012.03.23