Social Mobilization
SOCIAL MOBILIZATION
2.1 Introduction
Social mobilization is the primary step of community development for recovery from conflicts and disasters. It allows people to think and understand their situation and to organize and initiate action for their recovery with their own initiative and creativity. Through mobilization, people can organize themselves to take action collectively by developing their own plan and strategy for recovery rather than being imposed from outside. Communities that take charge of their own recovery will make informed decisions, reach sustainable solutions, and achieve better results faster, while at the same time enhancing their solidarity and capacity to undertake development initiatives. This action is one of the most effective means of overcoming the trauma of a conflict or a disaster. Social mobilization is practiced in many different ways by development practioners. This chapter describes the common threads of
UN-HABITAT’S practice in its work in the
Asian region.
2.2 What is a community?
A community is a body of persons sharing common problems, living in a physically identifiable area. In a disaster or conflict situation, the affected community is the focal point in the implementation of the
Programme. The number of families in a physically identifiable area can be any number from 10 to 250.
The community living in any settlement needs to be responsible for decisions about their own development or in larger developments that will affect them. This should essentially be the cornerstone of the recovery and the reconstruction effort of the Programme.
Vulnerable groups including women headed households and disabled should be given special attention because their
2
Pakistan
Promoting Active Participation of Women
©UN-HABITAT ©UN-HABITAT ©UN-HABITAT
People’s Process in Post-disaster and Post-conflict Recovery and Reconstruction
6
needs may be particular. Political, social, religious or
2.1 Introduction
Social mobilization is the primary step of community development for recovery from conflicts and disasters. It allows people to think and understand their situation and to organize and initiate action for their recovery with their own initiative and creativity. Through mobilization, people can organize themselves to take action collectively by developing their own plan and strategy for recovery rather than being imposed from outside. Communities that take charge of their own recovery will make informed decisions, reach sustainable solutions, and achieve better results faster, while at the same time enhancing their solidarity and capacity to undertake development initiatives. This action is one of the most effective means of overcoming the trauma of a conflict or a disaster. Social mobilization is practiced in many different ways by development practioners. This chapter describes the common threads of
UN-HABITAT’S practice in its work in the
Asian region.
2.2 What is a community?
A community is a body of persons sharing common problems, living in a physically identifiable area. In a disaster or conflict situation, the affected community is the focal point in the implementation of the
Programme. The number of families in a physically identifiable area can be any number from 10 to 250.
The community living in any settlement needs to be responsible for decisions about their own development or in larger developments that will affect them. This should essentially be the cornerstone of the recovery and the reconstruction effort of the Programme.
Vulnerable groups including women headed households and disabled should be given special attention because their
2
Pakistan
Promoting Active Participation of Women
©UN-HABITAT ©UN-HABITAT ©UN-HABITAT
People’s Process in Post-disaster and Post-conflict Recovery and Reconstruction
6
needs may be particular. Political, social, religious or