Steps to Engage & Mobilize Your Community

Build relationships of trust and mutual respect

1. 1. It is important to spend time with people, to hang out with them.

   2. Meet people in places where they feel comfortable.

   3. Share humor and make time for fun things.

   4.  Share your knowledge and perspective and learn from others.

   5. Do not judge people from their educational level. Wisdom comes from experience, and it is often not gained by university degrees.

   6. Learn new, creative, and effective ways to facilitate meetings & bring  out peoples’ experiences, knowledge and ideas.

Participate in community events and volunteer your time to help with community projects

People are more likely to attend an event that has been organized by groups of people who are participating in other community events and projects.

Identify gaps...

1. 1. ...in leadership positions in your community:

Who was there before and who stepped in now? Transitions can affect future actions, help us understand trends. Were there specific events that influenced or caused the transitions?

1. 2. ….in knowledge: straighten out the facts, do research, ask people who are recognized by other community members as knowledgeable. 

It is not always the most powerful people that have the most powerful things to say. Think of a time when you felt heard. How did that impact you?

Listen – with intent to understand.

Ask open ended questions – circle back.

Communicate your understanding – reflect back to them what you think they said.

Refer to the interests of the people you are speaking with, being sure you are not just talking about things that are important to you.

Pay attention to body language; take in the environment.

Leave your biases outside the door; listen unconditionally.

1. 1. Reflect on what is actually causing problems

   2. What are leverage points where can we take what we know and use it to create change?

   3. Create an Action Plan:

      • Organize events that are enjoyable and meaningful, inclusive and empowering, in which people can celebrate the positive things they share.

      • Name stakeholders and determine their roles in the issue and community.

      • Map out power relations among stakeholders.

      • Who is best to talk with whom? In other words, who is the best person that will be listened to by the people we want to reach?

      • Create a timeline of events to tell the story of water and wastewater in your community. This will help identify important inflection points, times of change, and how things have changed - or not changed.

      • Consider long-term and short-term solutions.

      • Break down complicated problems into small steps that can be accomplished.

      • Remember that change doesn't happen overnight. We have to think about a long game. However - with many people being involved, we can take our shift, and let others carry forth.

Honor local knowledge

1. 1. Identify people who know a lot about the issue. Look for local people who have deep knowledge of local places and histories, people with a lot of experience and wisdom (no advanced degrees necessary!).  

   2. Learn about and understand the past and present of local leadership (could get at this through a stakeholder assessment).

   3. Create spaces and events in which people can share their knowledge. Be aware that different people need different kinds of spaces. For instance, if a topic is a difficult one or controversial, maybe you need to create a ‘safe space’ to which a smaller number of people are invited, and in which people feel able to say what they truly think. But, at other times, it is important to hold public events that everyone can attend.

   4. Learn good facilitation methods for holding meetings that are friendly, fair, and give everyone a chance to speak.

Document local knowledge and community wisdom

1. Listen to peoples' stories, taking notes or recording if possible.

2. Participatory Action Research provides great techniques for recording the wisdom and knowledge of the community and can help draw out ideas and knowledge that otherwise may not have voice. See the page on Participatory Action Research to learn how.

3. Community stories are valuable! Consider creating a podcast, talking to your local librarians to house recordings of community stories, post blogs, or think about a series of stories in your local newspaper to share them - of course - with the consent of the tellers and if it is safe to do so.