What do we mean by gaining public support for addressing community health and development issues? ___You know that community support for addressing an issue means that most people in the community see resolution of the issue as extremely important to the well-being of the community, and want to accomplish it as quickly and effectively as possible. Why do you need public support for addressing community health and development issues? ___You seek public support for community credibility. ___You seek public support in order to gain more support. ___You seek public support in order to take action on the issue. ___You seek public support in order to accomplish political goals concerning the issue. ___You seek public support to foster public ownership of solutions and their implementation. Whose support do you need? ___You seek the support of community leaders and other influential individuals. ___You seek the support of representatives of the media. ___You seek the support of those most affected by the issue. ___You seek the support of policy makers. ___You seek the support of community activists. ___You seek the support of opinion leaders. When should you try to gain support? ___You seek support when there's a crisis involving the issue. ___You seek support when the issue has reached a point where it can no longer be ignored. ___You seek support when a critical number of people have been affected by the issue. ___You seek support when new information calls attention to the issue. ___You seek support when a publication or media story calls attention to the issue. ___You seek support when a crucial event bring s the issue to the fore. ___You seek support when the political time is right. How do you gain public support for addressing community health and development issues? ___You frame the issue carefully. ___You enlist respected leaders and other members of the community as representatives and spokespersons. ___You make common cause with other groups. ___You establish yourself as the authority on the issue. ___You take advantage of opportunities. ___You use the media. ___You use the Internet. ___You gain support one individual and group at a time. ___You ask people to do something specific. ___You create activities and events to highlight the issue. ___You demonstrate your broad base of support as often as possible. ___You recognize and reward community members for their efforts. ___You publicly celebrate your successes. ___You cede control to the community if possible. ___You follow up and maintain support.
