ABCD-Training-of-Trainers-Tools-July-2013

10. Communities are drivers of their own destiny
11. All communities are rich; it’s not just money
12. Every community has success stories, skills, talents
13. Everybody has something of value to contribute
14. Assets on their own are not enough – putting to use and action
15. Nobody has nothing. Everybody has something to contribute.
16. A hand up, not a hand out
17. A focus on the positive
18. Helping to give communities a hand-up instead of a hand-out
19. A way of being and living (lifestyle, not only tools)
20. Move from dependence to independence
21. Taking ownership
22. The magic is in the process (and results)
23. Adopt development process according to the context of each particular community
24. Lead by stepping back
25. Building local economy from the inside
26. Unlock assets ; identify, utilize, sustainability
27. Finding and following the energy
28. Development cannot be forced
29. Allowing learning from mistakes
30. Dispersed/collective/ shared leadership
31. Working with the community and not for the community
32. What do you have?
33. Working with what communities can control regardless of outside environment
34. Focus on assets and opportunities, not needs
35. Identifying the strengths, gifts and skills of the community
36. Assets on their own are nothing. Put into use and action.
37. Everybody has something of value to contribute
38. Stimulating community mobilization and ownership
39. Every community has success stories, skills, talents – positive deviants
40. Communities are drivers of their own destiny
41. Creating active citizens
42. People feel confident and energized to move into the future when they can bring with them
experiences that have given them a sense of pride about their abilities in the past.
43. Some people in any situation are getting it right.
Examples of ABCD Principles (2)
(Source: Australian Africa Community Engagement Scheme (AACES) by Chris Dureau, 2010, A Resource
for Strength-Based Approaches in Development)
1. Constructionist Principle: Words create worlds; meaning is socially created, through language and
conversations.
2. Principle of Simultaneity: Inquiry creates change; the moment we ask a question, we begin to create
change
3. Poetic Principle: We can choose what we study; organizations, like open books, are endless sources
of information and learning.
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