COMMUNITIES IN

CONTROL > Developing Assets

Trans-national Conference > 2nd and 3rd June 2009

New Contemporary Urban Centre > Liverpool
The worldwide economic crisis is already hitting the poorest communities hardest, resulting in in-
creasing unemployment and deepening poverty and social exclusion. In the face of this economic
crisis, Government funding is coming under greater pressure than ever before. Hence the need
for new ideas and strategies which are not needs based or funding-led, but instead use exist-
ing assets more effectively and promote citizen led initiatives. In short, approaches that support
communities to take control in a democratic and inclusive way.

European examples of this alternative approach are emerging, particularly in parts of the UK,
Ireland and The Netherlands. The approach which adopts a community building model -where the
assets of communities are identified, connected and mobilised is known as the Asset Based Com-
munity Development approach (ABCD approach) or, more broadly, community asset development.

AIM OF THE CONFERENCE Conference Details

The aim is to have an exchange of experiences and
knowledge about asset based community development
taking place in three European countries. With the best of
local practice as a starting point, the questions of how
and why an asset based approach is better placed to
build stronger more sustainable communities than the
The Conference will take place on 2nd June; on the 3rd
June, field visits will be facilitated for delegates who wish
to see projects in action. Details on the conference are pro-
vided in the Conference Programme (below). The second day
will provide an opportunity to visit successful projects in the
Northwest of England, mainly in Manchester and Liverpool.

traditional need-based model will be explored. Some ‘virtual’ visits will take place, highlighting work taking
Opportunities for future trans-national cooperation will place in organisations which are further afield, including
also be identified. Having started at the neighbourhood rural projects. John McKnight from the ABCD Institute in
level, the conference will then conclude with a discussion Chicago, the founder of the Asset Based Community Develop-
between attending policy makers about the potential of ment approach and author of “Changing Communities from
redirecting policies towards community control. inside out”, will moderate together with Stephen Thake,
reader in Urban policy at the London Metropolitan University.
Who can attend?
Active citizens from urban and rural communities, as well as
professionals and policy makers, will be invited to exchange
views and learn from each other. In total around 150-200
delegates from the three named countries will attend.

The conference organisers include Novas Scarman, Carnegie Trust UK, IACD, Community
Development Exchange, Development Trusts Association, LSA, Nurture Development Ireland.

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Conference Programme
2nd June 13.15 p.m. Lunch break

09.30 a.m. Introduction and Welcome

14.15 p.m. Interaction in small groups about citizen
Cormac Russell (Conference Chair)
led initiatives

9.35 a.m. Key note Principles of ABCD

15.30 p.m. Tea break
Professor John McKnight Co-director of
the Asset Based Community Development
16.00 p.m. Panel Discussion: Policy Implications of
Institute Northwestern University
the ABCD approach
Panel to include policy makers
10.15 a.m. Stephen Thake, reader in Urban policy,
from participating countries,
London Metropolitan University interviews
John McKnight and Stephen Thake
representatives from community organisa-
tions in the UK, Ireland and The Netherlands
16.50 p.m. Conclusion
about ABCD experiences in their countries
Representatives of the organising parties
will sum up the prospects for future
10.30 a.m. Key Questions for the Conference John
cooperation between the three countries
McKnight and Stephen Thake
in developing a European strategy for
asset based citizen centred approaches.
10.35 a.m. Introduction to 6 Workshops by
Community Leaders from the U.K.
5.00 p.m. Closing Comments Cormac Russell
Ireland and The Netherlands.

11.00 a.m. Coffee Break

3rd June
10.00 a.m. Visits to projects in north-western England
11.15 a.m. Six Workshops exploring themes such
cities for all interested delegates
as Urban/Rural Communities in Control,
Youth Led Initiatives and Citizen Driven
14.00 p.m. Close
Neighbourhood Renewal, facilitated by
Community Leaders who have direct
experience of using ABCD on the ground.

For nearly three decades, John
McKnight has conducted research on
social service delivery systems, health
policy, community organizations,
neighborhood policy, and institutional
racism. He currently directs research
projects focused on asset-based
neighborhood development and
methods of community building by
incorporating marginalized people.
Stephen Thake has researched and reported on urban policy and community
regeneration activity throughout England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Stephen’s work has also included commissions from central government
departments (DfES, ODPM, Home Office), regional development agencies (LDA,
SEEDA, EEDA) and numerous local authorities to provide advice, policy analysis
and programme evaluation. He currently leads the team that is evaluating the
Adventure Capital Fund programme, sponsored by the Home Office, ODPM and
the DTI. He has also worked n Europe and North America where among many
other achievements he has developed the International Community Leadership
Programme in partnership with Millersville University, in Pennsylvania.

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Conference: Background and rationale
Finding solutions for urban and rural deprivation has been a political priority in many European
countries for several decades. National and local governments and the third sector continue to
engage in attempts at developing an integrated, partnership approach to tackling poverty, social
exclusion and a wide range of other related social problems.
European policies that aim to promote social inclusion,
community development, and anti poverty initiatives can
only hope to reach fruition if they are implemented in a way
that puts citizens in the driving seat. The Social Services
model that currently dominates European social protection
policies, instead of putting citizens and communities in
control, more often than not relegates them to a position
of passive recipients of state funded services, creating
more dependency than empowerment. One international
approach that embraces the real empowerment of citizens
is known as the Asset Based Community Development
approach (ABCD approach). More recently, there has also
been interest and investment in the development of assets
in third sector organisations, particularly in the UK.
In England, the government provided a £30m support
fund and a programme to encourage the transfer of local
government assets to the third sector, both were supported
by the Development Trust Association.
“For the last 40 or 50 years we have been looking at
communities in terms of their needs,” says Prof. John
McKnight, co-director of the Asset Based Community
Development (ABCD) Institute at North-western University,
Chicago. “We have run into a brick wall with that approach.”
John McKnight and John Kretzmann pioneered the ABCD
approach to urban problems that begins by looking at the
assets that exist in a community rather than simply doing a
stock take of what is wrong - the traditional ‘needs analysis’.
This new approach genuinely empowers citizens and thereby
strengthens civil society in that it draws on the abilities
and insights of local residents to solve a neighbourhood’s
own problems. This does not mean that troubled neigh-
bourhoods do not need outside help, but that any genuine
local revitalisation project must in fact be citizen-led, with
outside agencies acting in a support role.
The ABCD Institute has worked all over the world supporting
initiatives that uncover latent assets and strengthen com-
munities, including the UK, Ireland and The Netherlands.
In the last eight years, in each of the aforementioned
countries, a number of organisations have actively engaged
in ‘translating’ ABCD principles into practical action in
various European contexts. Given the value of such an
approach in mobilising citizen engagement in each of the
three respective countries, a number of the organisations
employing ABCD principles have agreed to jointly promote an
ABCD trans-national Conference on June 2nd and 3rd 2009.
The rationale of this conference finds best expression in
the shared desire of the organising partners to discuss
what has been learned in each of their respective countries
in applying ABCD principles, and more broadly how these
lessons can inform European policies on social inclusion,
active citizenship and civil engagement, as well as anti-
poverty strategies.
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Information on Organising Partners:
The Development Trusts Association (DTA)
is a network of community practitioners which helps
people set up development trusts and helps existing trusts
learn from each other and work effectively. It works to influ-
ence government and others at national and local level,
to build support and investment for our movement. There
are now over 450 development trusts in membership,
across urban and rural areas. While many are still small,
others are operating at scale: the combined income is over
£260m and development trusts have £490m of assets in
community ownership. www.dta.org.uk
The Carnegie UK Trust operates throughout the UK and
Ireland through two programmes of work: one on Democ-
racy and Civil Society and the other on Rural Community
Development. The rural programme in particular makes a
commitment to the promotion of asset based rural com-
munity development and to the creation of a “community
of practice” involving the wide participation of community
activists. It also seeks to ensure the implementation of the
ideas set out in the Charter for Rural Communities which
was produced by the Trust in 2006. www.carnegietrust.org.uk
The International Association for Community
Development (IACD) is a volunteer led, not-for-profit, non-
governmental organization committed to building a global
network of people and organizations working toward social
justice through a community development approach.
Our aims are to promote community development across
international policies and programmes, to network and
support community development practitioners and to
encourage information and practice exchange. IACD has
recognized NGO consultative status with the United Na-
tions. To learn more, visit us online at: www.iacdglobal.org
Landelijk Samenwerkingsverband Aandachtswijken (LSA)
is an association of community organisations from deprived
neighbourhoods in 31 cities in The Netherlands. Our aim is
to support the work of our member organizations in any way
we can. The main activities are exchange of information
and knowledge through conferences, regional meetings,
websites and publications, development of projects and
coaching people locally in project development. We are also
active on the policy front, trying to influence government
policies for urban renewal. Funding comes from national
government, local councils and housing associations.
www.bewoners.nl
follow-back
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Nurture Development was established in Ireland in 1996
to provide training, research, community building, facilitation
and conflict mitigation services to the Third (Community
and Voluntary), the Public and the Private sectors respectively.
Cormac Russell, Managing Director, is a faculty member of
the Asset Based Community Development Institute, North-
western University, Chicago.
range of interests in community development across all
sectors and fields.
CDX acts as a catalyst for change by sharing information,
experience and practice through a variety of means
including conferences, networks, newsletters, website and
research www.cdx.org.uk

Nurture Development’s focus is on the development of new
strategies for bringing about social change through the
more effective use of existing assets and the promotion of
citizen led initiatives. Nurture Development also operates
in East Africa, with an office in Nairobi, Kenya. This year
Nurture Development will be delivering its Asset Based
Community Development (ABCD) training and consultancy
packages to public, community and voluntary sectors in
the UK. www.nurturedevelopment.ie
The Community Development Exchange is the UK-wide
membership organisation for community development.
CDX works to ensure that community development is
recognised and supported as a powerful way of tackling
inequality and achieving social justice. As an organisation
with members from across the UK, CDX reflects a diverse
The Novas Scarmangroup works at a local level to empower
people and communities by creating opportunities for
positive change through personalised support and develop-
ment, pathways into work and learning, inclusive local
decision making and change programmes, and releasing
enterprise and cultural expression. We develop innovative
community empowerment strategies that integrate our
services and those that face deep exclusion to be at the
centre of our communities, not on the margins. We are
currently remodelling many of our large hostels to raise
the living standards for people who are homeless, within
buildings that will become a part of their local communities
through business, market space, cultural quarters, perfor-
mance spaces, retail and restaurants.
www.novasscarman.org

Colophon Realisation: Henk Cornelissen, LSA

Pleuni Koopman, LSA

Text: Cormac Russell, Design: Wow! Creative

Nurture Development wowcreative@gmail.com