Open to ALL
This participation is encouraged regardless of socio economic status or racial divide. This participation principle recognizes that diverse input from the community’s wide seeks diversity of experiences, needs, constraints and other backgrounds will ensure broad ownership and reflect the aspirations of the whole community.
Transparency
Community & Stakeholder participation inputs is be both solicited and collated through a transparent process at community/stakeholder meetings and outreach events convened in partnership with local organizations and project stakeholders. These inputs and their outputs will be reviewed and shared with the community/project stakeholders through open forums and most importantly transcribed in local vernacular/vocabulary for the community’s understanding.
Equal Representation and Engagement;
In order to achieve an inclusive outreach process, this strategy will accentuate the efforts to reach under represented community groups such as youth, unemployed, homeless and other socially excluded groups. Special outreach activities will be organized to both reach and include these groups in the participation process.
Valuing Local Knowledge
We believe that Local Knowdlge is value of culture and therefore presents unique options for locally based economic and other development. This makes it crucial to consider the importance of culture in efforts to improve local well-being. We beleive that by paying attention to, and incorporating unique cultural values, traditions, and related factors, more efficient and effective development efforts can be achieved.
Local culture provides a sense of identity for rural communities and residents. This identity facilitates common understandings, traditions, and values, all central to the identification of plans of action to improve well-being. Culture contributes to building a sense of local identity and solidarity.
Voluntarism and Local Advocacy;
Where community members can be encouraged to volunteer and advocate for any special interests through the process, efforts will be taken to support and encourage such initiatives. These will include individuals or groups that may wish to volunteer to stage activities or events such as recreation, community education and outreach to the wider community.