2. Do you agree with the informal economy, even though it may be unfair to those who pay the right taxes? Why or why not?
3. As a leader of a community, how will you alleviate poverty? What steps or actions would you take? Explain.
Thanks
Hi Gener (or is it Jener?),
Thank you for visiting the Community Tool Box and for posing three very interesting questions to Ask an Advisor. I take it that you're from the Philippines given that Baranggays are an administrative unit synonymous with what are known as villages in other countries, is that correct? Well, Gener, admittedly I'm a little out of my depth regarding your first two questions because I'm not exactly sure what role a Baranggay Chairman has in a community, likewise his/her decision-making authority; wish I could be of more help to you in that regard. Additionally, the role of the advisor (me) is less about offering opinions on various subjects, rather it is to provide concrete information on community development. That said, I have resources for you from the Community Tool Box that will address your third question. Alleviating poverty is a tall order that requires a concerted effort from many types of organizations and individuals so I'm not sure whether one individual can have significant impact, but one never knows. Regardless, I found a couple of stories about how one community in the Philippines and one in the U. S. addressed poverty and a number of data bases within the Community Tool Box that should point you in the right direction. To get to the stories: at the top, center of our home page you will notice the "Connect - link with others" button under the heart. Click it on and scroll down to "Community Stories." Click on "Community Stories" and click on the "View All" button. So far so good? Scroll down to the very bottom of the page and click on the "last" button which will bring you to a story entitled: "Community Empowerment Programme (CEP) - ALAY BUHAY Community Development Foundation, Inc. (ABCDF) – Manila, Philippines." Click it on. In brief, this is the story of the Community Empowerment Programme (CEP) which was tailored to respond to the needs of local communities. The CEP utilized a participative process of community organizing, people’s empowerment, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and decision-making. To answer your question, as exemplified in this story, the way to alleviate poverty is to engage the whole Baranggay in a collective empowerment initiative. In essence, the power to alleviate poverty is in the hands of the people, not just one person. After reading this story, go to page 4 of "Community Stories," scroll down and click on "A Low-Income Entrepreneurship Program in Philadelphia." This is a story about the Empowerment Group’s Entrepreneurship Program which trains low-income entrepreneurs in the skills they need to create sustainable businesses in the city of Philadelphia. The group helps educate individuals on the benefits of community businesses: self-employment, additional jobs for low-income individuals, and increased commercial activity. Their program attempts to address poverty issues in the struggling communities of Philadelphia. Although this story takes place in the U. S., the same principles apply regarding alleviating poverty - it is in the hands of the people. I have two other resources for you from our database. On the Community Tool Box home page you will notice a button, second from the left at the top of the page called "Help Taking Action - guidance for your work." Click it on. Scroll down to "Databases of Best Practices" and click it on. Scroll down to "Categorical Web-Based Resources for Best Practices by Issue" and keep scrolling until you come to the section entitled "Community Development." For your purposes I think that "Knowledge Plex," "MOST (UNESCO) Clearinghouse of Best Practices. Best practices in urban and community development," and "World Bank Report - Land Policies for Growth and Poverty Reduction. Best practices for land use administration and policy" will provide you with a treasure-trove of information. Okay Gener, I think this will suffice. If you have any further questions or if the resources I found for you don't get the job done please don't hesitate to contact us again and we'll work with you until we find a solution. Remember, you are never alone! Again, thank you for your questions, sorry I couldn't answer the first two, but was pleased that I was able to help you with the third. Take care and all the best.
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