Community Empowerment Strategy: definition, concept, objectives, and examples

Community empowerment strategies-Hello, buddy Grameds, did you know? Community development activities are closely related to a community empowerment. Empowering people to fight poverty and inequality and encouraging people to be more active.

Community Empowerment itself is an effort to empower the community through the realization of its potential. One of the potentials of human development can be realized through community education activities.

This activity emphasizes the importance of understanding the needs of the community and how to solve problems by taking into account the potential that exists in the environment. Community-based education is education organized by the community, in the community center, built upon the strength of the community, meeting the needs of the community, the management of education is in the hands of the community.

An education based on society leads to the independence of society in managing its education. Any agency, institution or organization can participate in community education because its purpose is to empower the entire community, without discrimination, nor control.

The process of education because this education belongs to the community. So instructions are needed now. However, it does not close the ability to prepare people to continue studying at a higher level. Indirectly changing the global development model affects development patterns in various countries. Reality is not

regardless of the global shift from economic growth to developing.

The needs of life are always aimed at improving human quality (human quality). As determined by the United Nation Development Program (UNDP), in determining the development indicators built into the Human Development Index (HDI), namely: Knowledge Index; Health Index; and Purchasing Power Index.

The indicators clearly show an improvement in human quality through the active participation of society and government in the development process, from a top-down model to a bottom-up one. This reality revives the development of the community, by the community and for the community, or in the current context is called the community empowerment model.

Empowerment exists as a long-term process caused by ‘disillusionment with power’ or ‘loss of power’, i.e. loss of power within a given community. As a result, people do not have full access to productive assets that are often controlled by ‘powerful’owners. Before we know the Community Empowerment Strategy, we first discuss the definition of empowerment, let’s look at this article to find out more about community empowerment strategies.

Understanding Empowerment

The term empowerment refers to measures designed to increase the degree of autonomy and self-determination of a person to allow them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting in accordance with their authority.

So that with this process you will become stronger and more confident, especially in managing his life and demanding his rights.

On the other hand, empowerment or in the English word empowerment, comes from the word “power” with the prefix ber being the word “empowered” which means to have power. Power means strength, while being empowered means having power. Thus, this empowerment can be understood as giving something that is empowered or has power or strength.

Empowerment in action refers to a process of self-empowerment and professional support for people that helps them overcome feelings of helplessness and lack of influence, and to recognize and use their resources to work to the best of their ability.

In social work, empowerment is a practical approach of resource-based intervention. In the field of civic education and democratic education, empowerment is seen as a tool to strengthen civic responsibility.

Thus, empowerment as a key concept of discourse promotes community engagement. Empowerment as a concept, which is characterized by a shift from deficit orientation to stronger awareness, is increasingly found in management concepts, as well as in the field of education and training.

Understanding empowerment according to experts
Understanding empowerment according to experts, among others :

Suhendra (2006 film
Empowerment is part of the existence of activities that are dynamic, sustainable and encourage the participation of all potential evolutionarily with the participation of all potential.

Wijaya (2003)
Community empowerment is an effort to improve the ability and potential of the community, so that people can maximize their identity, dignity and dignity in order to survive and develop independently both economically, socially, religiously and culturally.

Merriam Webster
Empowerment is an effort made to impart skills and abilities or allow each individual to develop further.

Ife (1995 film
Empowerment is the best effort made to empower the weak or disadvantaged.

Rappaport (1984)
Empowerment is seen as a process: a mechanism by which people, organizations, and societies control their lives.

Robert Adams
Empowerment can be simply defined as the ability of an individual, group and/or community to take control of their situation, exercise power and achieve their own goals, and the process by which in that way, individually and collectively, they can help themselves and others maximize their own self, quality, life, and livelihood.

Community Empowerment Concept

Source: Pixabay

Empowerment as a process of development, independence, self-sufficiency, strengthening the bargaining position of the lower classes against the forces of pressure in all fields and spheres of life (Sutoro Eko, 2002).

The concept of empowerment (village community) can also be understood from two angles. First, empowerment is defined in the context of putting society in perspective. The position of society is not subject to beneficiaries (beneficiaries) who depend on external contributions such as the government, but rather the position of actors (agents or participants of the state) who act independently.

Acting independently does not mean escaping the responsibility of the state. Providing public services (health, education, housing, transportation, etc.) to the public is certainly a certain duty (obligation) of the state.

An independent society as a participant means open spaces and the ability to develop creative potential, Master its own environment and resources, independently solve problems and participate in determining political processes on the territory of the state. Communities participate in the process of development and governance (Sutoro Eko, 2002).

Permendagri RI No.7 of 2007 on the framework of Community Empowerment, states that community empowerment is a strategy used in community development as an effort to achieve competence and independence in the life of society, nation and state (Article 1 Paragraph (8)).

The core of the concept of community empowerment is a strategy to realize the ability and independence of the community.

Community Empowerment goals and strategies
The purpose of community empowerment is to enable and independent the community, especially from poverty and underdevelopment/inequality/powerlessness.

Poverty can be seen from indicators of inadequate/inconsistent basic needs. These basic needs include food, clothing, shelter, health, education, and transportation.

While underdevelopment, such as low productivity, weak human resources, limited access to land despite the dependence on the agricultural sector is still very large, the weakening of local market methods/traditions when used to supply the needs of international trade. In other words, the problem of underdevelopment is structural (political) and cultural (Sunyoto Usman, 2004).

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