COPAR - Community Organizing Participatory Action Research Definition Community Organizing - is a continuous and sustained process of educating the

people to understand and develop their critical awareness on the existing conditions, working with the people effectively and efficiently on their immediate and long term problems, and, mobilizing the people to develop their capability and readiness to respond and take action on their immediate needs towards solving their long term problems. Definition by DOH: Community Organizing is a social development approach that aims to transform the apathetic individualistic and voiceless poor into dynamic, participatory and politically responsive community. It is a social development methodology used to facilitate the process of forming self-reliant, selfdetermining communities which are able to sustain their development activities. In this sense, CO is complemented with the community development which addresses livelihood and other critical concerns to make a community truly self-reliant and sustaining. Furthermore, CO proceeds from the people's identified priority needs based on community analysis and reflects urgent issues and the community's resolve to act on these issues. "Interest groups" a.k.a. "core group" are formed in the process of CO. These groups work with the proper authorities on issues and concerns that affect their common welfare.

This approach is at times called "issue-based organizing". Some of these issues are basic services such as water, health care delivery system and education.

Basic Principles of CO Start where the people are: build on what they have and known. This principle shows respect for existing and indigenous knowledge, skills and capabilities of people, innovations, new ideas, approaches and technology will be more acceptable to people if these will be explained using language, concepts, and practices that are familiar to them. Existing knowledge and practices will need to be approached and enhanced since this will build confidence in people that they have the innate abilities to help themselves. The "wisdom of old knowledge and practices can Encourage active participation of the people at all times. This means providing opportunities and avenues for people in the community especially women to take part, share and contribute to decisions and courses of action that will improve their lives and well-being. Encouraging people to participate will build commitment on the part of people to support and sustain the collective efforts toward an improved status.

Walk your talk. The basic foundation for working effectively together towards collective well-being is trust and confidence. Trust is built once integrity is proven especially when what one says is seen as what one does, and vice versa. Honesty, transparency, and integrity are values important in CO work so that sincerity and mutual trust are built overtime, and the people become confident that those helping them are sincere and do not have any hidden agenda or motives. This means saying, doing and living the principles of CO as well as avoiding, raising people expectations on things that cannot be delivered or provided.

people with technical knowledge of health problems. 2. Technique of asking questions is often important in developing community organization and group discussion. 3. Major discussion should be made by the entire group. 4. Local factors and available personnel should be asked in determining what types of organization is desirable and practicable 5. Functions of an agencies and members must be defined. 6. A good organizational plan can succeed only when the people who operate it will see its values which are compatible personal and nor antagonistic professionally.

Live and work with the people. Staying in the community and sharing their daily lives will not only facilitate the building of rapport and trust between the community organizer and the people but will provide opportunities for sharing knowledge, values and technologies affecting the people's lives and keeping them in their current situation. The CO process is an iterative process

Basic Methods and Steps In CO Process 1. Fact Finding factual information serves to identify needs, determine the extent to which needs are met and make known gaps and overlaps in existing services. This will help the health worker to bring about better adjustment between needs and resources. 2. Determination of Needs once the facts are assembled, the health worker helps to define community problems and decide which problems warrant concerted community action. 3. Program Formation when a problem has been selected for action, a concentrate proposal must be developed containing a general and specific objectives. 4. Education and Interpretation all the above steps are of little value if they do not lead to action that will benefit the community. The

Community Organizing in the Philippines COPAR is inspired by the process of community organizing as practiced by the Basic Ecclesiastical Community (BEC) by the Catholic Church.

Principles Involved in CO 1. Planning group needs to represent all people concerned and the discussion must include

fourth step is to interpret and educate the public concerned to support the proposed program.

reach out to and move jointly with others in meeting common needs and problems; society has the responsibility to ensure an environment for the fullest development of its members.

Steps in Organizing a Community for Health Action 1. Gain entry to the community 1.1. Gather initial information about the community from other members of the RHU (Rural Health Unit) or from records or reports. 1.2. List down names of persons top contact for a courtesy call. 1.3. Arrange first meeting with identified key leaders, request barangay officials to sign invitation for a meeting. 1.4. Prepare agenda for first meeting. 2. Integrate with the people It is crucial to reside in your area of assignment. This is the first act of integrating with the people. Living with them will give you an in depth participation in community health problems and needs.

Aims of Community Organizing 1. Peoples empowerment. Community organizing is aimed at achieving effective power for the people. Through the process of CO, people learn to overcome their powerlessness and develop their capacity to maximize their control over the situation and start to place the future in their own hands. It is their progressive realization of the power that they possess and the ability to influence the course of history that dramatically erodes the dehumanizing effects of powerlessness. 2. Building relatively permanent structures and peoples organizations. Community organizing aims to establish and sustain relatively permanent organizational structures which best serve the needs and aspirations of the people. These structures ensure peoples maximum participation while, at the same time, they provide the venue through which the peoples organizations can link up with other groups and sectors. It is also through these structures that alternative ways of doing things can be tested and a new system of values can be internalized so that localized experiences become the building blocks upon which the blueprint of a more desirable future is based. 3. Improved quality of life. Community organizing also seeks to secure short and long term improvements in the quality of life of the people. Immediately, the process of mobilization can gain concessions for fulfilling basic needs for food, clothing, shelter,

Basic Values in CO 1. Human Rights are universally held principles anchored mainly on the belief in the worth and dignity of people; it includes the right to life and to self-determination and development as persons and as a people. 2. Social Justice means equitable access to opportunities for satisfying peoples basic needs and dignity; it requires an equitable distribution of resources and power through peoples participation in their own development. 3. Social Responsibility is premised on the belief that people as social beings must not limit themselves to their own concerns but should

education and health. In the long term, it should create a conducive environment for the development of human creativity and solidarity through equitable distribution of power and resources.

5. Community organization sets up action pattern to solve problems.

History of Community Organizing in the Philippines Community a group of people living in a particular local area. Organization a group of people working together. Community Organization a process by which people, health services and agencies of the community are brought together to: 1. Learn about the common problems. 2. Identify these problems as their own 3. Plan the kind of action needed to solve problems 4. Act on this basis Benefits 1. It contributes to the establishment of an environment with different community resources natural, institutional, technical, financial, and human resources and can function with maximum effectiveness. 2. It stimulates the various groups to examine their programs to determine how well they are meeting their problems 3. People are given a chance to study their problems, offer solutions and give a chance to plan an action. 4. As a result of this working together, a strong unity and coherence is developed among various organizations and leaders of the community represented so that they develop a feeling of responsibility for making the program successful.