This article discusses how the people of Efule village can maintain diversity in their local culture. Community development based on local culture is a development strategy that places local wisdom as the basis of values, knowledge, and various practices in the community empowerment process. The purpose of this study is to explain the local cultural values that can be integrated into community development efforts in order to achieve inclusive and sustainable development . The research method used in this study is descriptive qualitative research with a participatory approach through direct interviews and literature studies on various local community development practices. The results of the study indicate that local culture plays an important role in shaping social interaction patterns and support mechanisms for empowerment programs. In addition, the involvement of traditional and community leaders in the application of values such as mutual cooperation and social solidarity has been proven to strengthen a sense of ownership and collective responsibility for development. Integration into local culture in development policies needs to be maintained as a form of development.

This paper presents a community development-grounded and community-led research approach that explores Roma employment experiences in Ireland. The study used a research process rooted in the values of participation, collective analysis, and action for social justice, while centring Roma epistemologies and community accountability. The research was developed collaboratively by community workers and Roma researchers from Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre and Department of Applied Social Studies, Maynooth University. It used narrative, conversation-based interviews inspired by the Biographic Narrative Interpretive Method, which supported participant-led storytelling and oral traditions central to Roma culture. Ethics was guided by both university review and Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre’s internal Research Advisory Group. This paper explores five interrelated methodological dimensions: (1) grounding research in a community development process; (2) the composition and dynamics of a participatory research team; (3) Roma epistemologies; (4) community-led research governance, and (5) accountability to the community beyond the life of the project. The analysis and dissemination were co-produced, including co-authored and co-presented dissemination and public engagement. This paper adds to the growing field of community-driven research methods, demonstrating how research that is embedded in community development practice and guided by community development principles can move beyond extractive practices, contribute to epistemic justice, meaningful participation, and systemic change and by doing so can organically realise decolonising goals.

Abstract Digital literacy is increasingly recognized as being key to advancing the digital inclusion of adults across societies. While recent scholarship has illuminated the needs of adult learners seeking to acquire digital skills, less attention has been paid to the role played by people in the community who support adults’ digital learning. This study investigates the practice of ‘digital mentoring’ as a key enabler of adult digital literacy in community contexts in Australia. A co-design methodology, informed by a Community of Practice sociocultural approach, was applied to investigate how practising digital mentors work with members of the public to help them develop relevant digital skills. Through workshops, telephone interviews, and mind-mapping activities, the researchers and participants co-designed a Digital Mentor’s Handbook. This article extends this work by situating the applied research in national and international digital inclusion, adult learning, and community development scholarship and practice. Specifically, in the absence of existing explicit research on digital mentoring, this article builds on the scholarship of ‘mentoring’ more generally to propose both a definition of digital mentoring and eight principles of effective digital mentoring. The article’s contributions lie in providing one of the first scholarly accounts of digital mentoring as essential to advancing digital inclusion. It also presents eight principles of digital mentoring, packaged in a handbook, to help meet the changing, nuanced, and underserved needs of digital mentors in their communities.

Abstract Improving well-being did not use to be a controversial idea in community development. Yet, in recent years, the growing focus on well-being at the policy level has made many become critical of the term. Well-being has been employed to support government neo-liberal agendas by emphasizing individual responsibility over social justice. On this framing, improving well-being is thought to shift community development practice from challenging injustice to helping people feel and cope better with their lives. This article argues that, despite attempts to associate well-being with individual responsibility, the greater focus on well-being at the policy level is something to celebrate. This article draws upon the philosophy, psychology and sociology of well-being to make two arguments. The first argument is that conceptualizations of well-being are diverse and contested, and as such, it is important not to associate well-being with the narrow conception one is critical of. The second argument is that a greater focus on well-being can help communities challenge the reduction of welfare spending. Well-being, instead of de-politicizing development, can help reinforce its political stand. This article advocates for the use of pluralistic understandings of well-being within the framework of the capabilities approach to ensure community development advances social change.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between transformational leadership and community development initiatives in Ghana, with social capital serving as a mediating variable. A quantitative research approach underpinned by a positivist paradigm and explanatory research design was employed. A structured questionnaire was employed to gather data from 384 respondents. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling was implemented to evaluate the structural models and measurements. The findings indicate that transformational leadership has a significant positive impact on community development initiatives and social capital. Social capital also has a significant impact on community development initiatives and fully mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and development outcomes. These results indicate that transformational leadership indirectly improves development outcomes by fostering social capital. As a result, to promote sustainable community development, leaders and policymakers should prioritize transformational leadership approaches that foster trust, enhance cooperation, and build a strong sense of shared purpose among community members. It is essential to establish social capital to convert leadership into fruitful development initiatives. Finally, this study makes a valuable contribution to the limited empirical literature on the mediating role of social capital in the leadership-development nexus within the Ghanaian context, providing valuable insights for both theory and practice in community development.

ABSTRACTThe lack of an established policy framework by government in Northern Ireland for community development, within the contested objectives of an enforced coalition, mirrors theoretical perspectives that see community development as a contested concept. In contrast, a research programme working with community development organisations in Catholic and Protestant disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Belfast identified that community development practitioners did have a clear understanding of what constituted community development. Successful community development practice in Belfast involved both conflict and collaboration with government. Effective leadership that interpreted meanings between sometimes consensual, sometimes conflictual interpretations of the nature of inequality stood out as a factor in the success of the researched community development organisations. The research findings indicate that ethnographic research in situations of poverty cannot avoid examining the positionality of the researcher and the impact of a reflexive methodology. A framework for planning and evaluation that is rooted in the common values exhibited by community development practitioners is proposed as a method to deliver support to successful community development organisations as independent influencers of government policy. In essence, those values see the primacy of the experience of the individual as a starting point for collective endeavour; of recognising the difference individuals can make for themselves and the greater difference for themselves if they work together. They are values of collaboration through participative democratic means whilst recognising the integrity of the individual.

ABSTRACT This paper articulates a rationale for adopting a trauma-informed oral history methodology to operationalize the spirit and values underpinning community development practice and research, by placing care for the participant and for the researcher at the heart of empirical enquiry. Underscored by the political ethics of care, the method shines a light on the collective caring work done by communities, an area given less attention than caring for individuals. Trauma informed is a novel approach in community development research, despite being well established in mental health responses and clinical practice. This paper contributes to the current limited body of knowledge surrounding why and how to conduct trauma informed qualitative research in the community development space.

A plethora of evidence indicates rapid industrialisation and urbanisation contributed significantly to the estranged relationship between humanity and nature. The environmentally pro-active mandate is clear. Ecological social work and environmental citizenship have become as popular catchphrases as their originator, sustainable development, in contemporary discourse. Yet, despite their growing popularity, conceptual and operational clarity for achieving sustainable community development through environmental citizenship empowerment remains a challenge. The global development agenda, reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals, is grounded in a holistic view of sustainability interdependent with well-being dimensions (health, income, education, housing, energy, sanitation, environment, transport, security, food, recreation and communication). The leading theory for community development——socio-ecological systems theory——is linked to different forms of community capital (ecological, physical, economic, human, social and cultural), which are collectively required for sustainable community development. Each is seen as a sub-system of the larger ‘community’ system interconnected with the status of the well-being dimensions and influenced by policies and legislation that unfold at micro to macro levels. Challenges to sustainable community development, and their solutions, are presented across these well-being dimensions, development levels and legislative policies which influence development initiatives. This paper discusses concepts of sustainable community development, environmental citizenship and the importance and relevance of socio-ecological systems theory in sustainable community development practice. It proposes a Sustainable Community Development Framework for environmental citizenship empowerment informed by the Triple Bottom Line pillars within the context of socio-ecological systems theory. It concludes with suggestions and recommendations to social service professionals for sustainable community development.

Sustainable development in the mining sector demands comprehensive practices that ensure environmental preservation and empower local communities. This study aims to descriptively analyze the implementation of Environmental Sustainability Practice (ESP) and Community Development Practice (CDP) in Indonesian mining companies, highlighting their contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Utilizing a descriptive-analytical approach, primary data were collected through surveys distributed to operational managers across various mining sites. Statistical indicators such as mean, standard deviation, variance, skewness, and kurtosis were employed to examine patterns and variability. The findings reveal that ESP initiatives are moderately implemented, reflecting a consistent effort toward environmental management and resource conservation, whereas CDP shows uneven performance, particularly in stakeholder engagement and socio-economic development programs. Discussions underscore geographical disparities and commodity-specific influences that affect the effectiveness of these practices. It is concluded that, although mining companies have made notable progress towards sustainable practices, significant gaps remain in optimizing community development outcomes. Strengthening regulatory frameworks and encouraging best-practice adoption are crucial to closing these gaps. This study provides empirical insights for policymakers, industry practitioners, and researchers striving to advance sustainable mining operations in emerging economies.

This community service program is a storytelling training program through folklore storytelling activities for elementary and junior high school age children at the Localish Reading Corner This training activity is a continuation program of the ART PkM Program (Ask, Read, and Tell) which was implemented last year. In this program, Tell (telling stories) begins to be taught, children are not only able to tell stories, but know how to tell stories. Community development practice is the method used in this program. Meanwhile, the steps used in the learning process are: orientation, training, feedback, and continuation. Pre-test and post-test are carried out to determine the success of the program. From the test results, it can be concluded that the storytelling skills of elementary and middle school aged children at the Localish Reading Corner in Kampung Cantilan, Sukarame Village improved after participating in this program. Children can not only tell stories but are able to convey them in a structured, expressive, interactive and creative manner. Interest in reading has increased as seen from the increasing demand for additional books in reading sessions.

Youth leadership is a concept that is distinctly separate from adult leadership practices and is commonly misunderstood as a non-valid source of knowledge to influence the conversation in leadership development. Expanding the capacity of rural communities and furthering the discussion surrounding youth leadership provides a foundation for sustainable rural livelihoods. The purpose of this project is to connect frameworks for practitioners in the field of rural development. The project will contain an overview of the current status of rural youth leadership in Ontario and connect the cynefin framework and johari window to practitioners in order to provide further depth in the discussion of leadership development. Through providing insight on the contemporary landscape of rural youth in Ontario and highlighting frameworks that have been borrowed by other fields can support the conversation of rural youth leadership. Rural youth leadership as a practice in community development recognizes the struggles youth face while set on the periphery of practical elements that attract youth such as post-secondary education and career opportunities. While also recognizing rural youth have advantages when compared to urban youth in terms of sense of community, volunteer opportunities, and civic participation. All in which are factors practitioners can use to develop tools to further empower frameworks in practice.

This research explores community development in India from a bottom-up perspective, focusing on grassroots initiatives, local governance, and community participation. The study investigates how bottom-up approaches can effectively address socio-economic challenges and foster sustainable development in Indian communities. This research explores the dynamics of community development in India through a bottom-up perspective, emphasizing the role of grassroots initiatives, local governance, and community participation. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, this study combines qualitative and quantitative methodologies to comprehensively understand how bottom-up strategies can effectively address socio-economic challenges and promote sustainable development in Indian communities. The qualitative component involves case studies and interviews with key stakeholders, including community leaders, local government officials, and beneficiaries of grassroots initiatives. This provides in-depth insights into the experiences, challenges, and successes of various community-driven projects. The quantitative aspect involves surveys and statistical analysis to measure the impact of these initiatives on socio-economic indicators such as income levels, education, health outcomes, and infrastructure development. The purpose of this research is to identify successful models of community development that can be replicated or adapted in different contexts within India. By highlighting the strengths and limitations of bottom-up approaches, the study aims to offer actionable recommendations for policymakers, development practitioners, and local communities. The usefulness of this research lies in its potential to inform and enhance community development practices in India. It provides empirical evidence on the effectiveness of bottom-up approaches, which can guide the design and implementation of future development projects. Furthermore, the research offers valuable insights into how community participation and local governance can be strengthened to ensure more inclusive and sustainable development outcomes. This study ultimately seeks to contribute to the broader discourse on development by demonstrating that community-led initiatives, supported by effective local governance and robust policy frameworks, can lead to significant improvements in the quality of life for marginalized and underdeveloped communities in India.

BackgroundThe primary objective of this study is to assess the association between household cooking energy sources and under-five mortality. This is significant because it informs public health interventions and policies for clean cooking sources and improved child health. It uses weighted logistic regression to assess the association of various cooking energy sources with under-five mortality. The data consists of 38,446 survey responses from the 2018 demographic health survey, Zambia dataset. The dependent variable was measured as a binary outcome with 1 being no under-five mortality has ever occurred in the household and 0 being at least one such mortality has occurred. The regressors were cooking fuel choices, access to health care, mother’s education, wealth index and child spacing. Binary coding was used to measure access to healthcare and child spacing. Mother’s education was categorized into; no education, incomplete primary, complete primary, incomplete secondary, complete secondary, and higher education. The DHS wealth index showed the poorest, poorer, richer, and richest households. All the fuel choices in the DHS dataset were adopted without modification.ResultsA child in a household using charcoal cooking fuel is at least 1.58 times more likely to experience under-five mortality than one using electricity (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.09—2.29). Neither distance to a health facility (OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.84—1.14) nor access to money for health services (OR = 1.057, 95% CI = 0.89—1.26) had significant association with under-five mortality. A child whose mother has secondary education or higher is at least 0.38 times less likely to experience under-five mortality compared to one with no education (OR 0.62, 95% CI = 0.42—0.92). Being from the richest households had lower odds (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.38—0.73) of under-five mortality than being from poorest households.ConclusionsBased on the above, we recommend various energy, health and community development policies, practices and scholarly directions. We recommend inter alia; energy transition, subsidies for communities who comply, comprehensive education and investment in health infrastructure. We further note the limitations of the study.

Pendidikan merupakan salah satu aspek penting dalam kehidupan. Maka dari itu pendidikan dan pembelajaran supaya memiliki kualitas yang baik maka perlu adanya dukungan kurikulum. Dimana kurikulum yang sekarang baru diterapkan di Indonesia adalah kurikulum merdeka, yang pastinya guru dituntut untuk lebih berkualitas juga dalam melakukan pembelajarannya. Salah satu kualitas guru adalah pada kompetensi pedagogik terkait dengan perencanaan pembelajaran. Dimana dalam menyusun perangkat pembelajaran kurikulum merdeka yaitu modul ajar, guru masih mengalami kesulitan apalagi jika harus dikaitkan dengan keunggulan lokal. Hal ini juga dialami oleh guru IPS kabupaten Kudus dalam mengimplementasikan kurikulum merdeka. Maka dari itu tim pengabdi melakukan pengabdian supaya masalah bisa teratasi. Metode yang digunakan pada pengabdian ini adalah praktek pengembangan masyarakat atau Community Development Practice dengan prosedur pengabdian terdiri dari perencanaan, pelaksanaan, evaluasi dan follow-up. Pengabdian ini menggunakan Luaran dari pengabdian ini adalah Berita pada Media Massa Cetak/ Elektronik, Video Highlight Kegiatan dan publikasi pada jurnal nasional terindeks sinta. Pengabdian terlaksana dengan baik dengan optimalnya kegiatan dan meningkatnya kompetensi pedagogic Guru IPS dalam menyusun modul ajar berbasis keunggulan lokal Kudus. Education is an important aspect of life. Therefore, in order for education and learning to have good quality, curriculum support is needed. Where the curriculum that is currently being implemented in Indonesia is an independent curriculum, of course teachers are required to be of higher quality in carrying out their learning. One of the qualities of teachers is pedagogical competence related to lesson planning. Where in compiling independent curriculum learning tools, namely teaching modules, teachers still experience difficulties, especially if they have to be linked to local advantages. This was also experienced by Kudus district social studies teachers in implementing the independent curriculum. Therefore, the service team provides service so that the problem can be resolved. The method used in this service is community development practice or Community Development Practice with service procedures consisting of planning, implementation, evaluation and follow-up. This service uses the output of this service, namely News in Print/Electronic Mass Media, Video Highlights of Activities and publications in national journals indexed by Sinta. The service was carried out well with optimal activities and increased pedagogic competence of Social Sciences Teachers in compiling teaching modules based on local excellence in Kudus.

Era teknologi dan informasi yang semakin maju ini, budaya dengan kearifan lokal tidak boleh dilupakan. Peran kearifan lokal secara kritis mengubah dan membentuk budaya global menjadi bermakna dan sesuai dengan kehidupan sosial dan budaya masyarakat, termasuk di dalamnya dunia pendidikan. Maka dari itu guru saat ini dituntut untuk mampu melestarikan nilai-nilai lokal ditengah arus kemajuan teknologi yang begitu deras. Salah satu upaya yang dapat dilakukan melalui kegiatan pembelajaran dengan menggunakan Virtual Reality oleh guru IPS di Kabupaten Kudus. Kabupaten Kudus kaya akan kearifan lokal yang dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai sumber belajar IPS seperti Masjid Menara Kudus, Museum Kretek, Situs Pati Ayam, Rumah Tradisional Kudus, dll. Melalui Virtual reality berbasis kearifan lokal ini diharapkan dapat melatih peserta didik untuk melestarikan nilai-nilai konservasi sosial budaya melalui kearifan lokal yang ada di Kabupaten Kudus. Metode pelatihan dalam kegiatan ini yaitu Praktek Pengembangan Masyarakat atau Community Development Practice. Kemampuan dalam mengembangkan media pembelajaran digital yang relevan dengan jaman tentunya merupakan keterampilan yang sangat dibutuhkan oleh guru pada era digital ini. Melalui kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat ini, guru dapat meningkatkan keterampilan dalam mengembangkan media pembelajaran berbasis viritual reality. Guru dapat mengemas materi kearifan lokal dalam bentuk digital yang tentunya akan lebih sesuai dengan generasi native digital yang saat ini mendominasi bangku sekolah. In this increasingly advanced era of technology and information, culture and local wisdom must not be forgotten. The role of local wisdom is to critically change and shape global culture to make it meaningful and appropriate to the social and cultural life of society, including the world of education. Therefore, teachers are currently required to be able to preserve local values ​​amidst the rapid flow of technological progress. One effort that can be made is through learning activities using Virtual Reality by social studies teachers in Kudus Regency. Kudus Regency is rich in local wisdom which can be used as a social studies learning resource such as the Kudus Tower Mosque, Kretek Museum, Chicken Starch Site, Kudus Traditional House, etc. Through virtual reality based on local wisdom, it is hoped that it can train students to preserve socio-cultural conservation values ​​through local wisdom in Kudus Regency. The training method in this activity is Community Development Practice. The ability to develop digital learning media that is relevant to the times is certainly a skill that is really needed by teachers in this digital era. Through this community service activity, teachers can improve their skills in developing virtual reality-based learning media. Teachers can package local wisdom material in digital form which will certainly be more suitable for the digital native generation that currently dominates school.

Abstract One of the most significant community development initiatives in Canadian history was sponsored by Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) from 1960 to 1982. Fieldworkers employed by MUN Extension worked across the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, engaging in strategies of community change that included social action, citizen participation, public advocacy, local services development, and popular education. The fieldworkers were guided by a philosophy of community development that positioned their work as politically neutral, non-directive, and educational in nature. In the latter 1970s, this philosophy—along with the community development practices it supported—was challenged by institutional changes that required fieldworkers to engage in externally directive projects oriented towards natural resource development. This historical case study of the evolution of community development philosophy and practice in Canada has important implications for contemporary scholars and practitioners elsewhere. Those implications include the importance of understanding both the institutional politics of organizations through which community development work occurs and the socio-political realities of the communities served by those organizations. Readers of this article will appreciate its nuanced account of a major community development initiative and will be inspired to reflect upon the institutional and socio-political context of their own work.

Community development projects are essential for improving the quality of life and fostering sustainable growth in a community. However, effective implementation and success of these projects heavily depend on active citizen participation. This research explores an assessment of citizens participation in community development project in Auchi. The objectives of the study are; identify some existing projects carried out through citizens participation, examine the strategies adopted in carryout the projects, Assess the impacts of the projects in the area, and identify some of the challenges faced by citizens in participating in community development projects. Research methodology, both primary and secondary sources of data were adopted .sample size .one hundred (100) respondents were examined with a structured questionnaire, but a total o f ninety seven (97) questionnaires was retrieved and find suitable for analysis. The study identifies key barriers such as lack of awareness, limited access to resources, socio-economic constraints, and inadequate support from local authorities, as the major hindrance to effective citizenships participation in community development .Conclusively, the researcher concludes that provision of incentive, interest in development, felt-need motive, participatory in decision making and so on are the motivating factors of citizens participation in community development. The study therefore recommends that citizens should always involve in decision-making process, and they should be educated about their roles. By addressing these barriers, the study seeks to contribute to more effective and sustainable community development practices.

Purpose The purpose of this article is to increase understanding of the relationship between parent-teacher associations (PTAs) activities and school-community development, with a particular emphasis on the ways in which PTAs are utilized as supplemental or alternative sources of funding or support for school self-development initiatives. Design/methodology/approach The article is based on a case study conducted in two Ghanaian elementary schools. Field notes, in-depth interviews and observations of PTA members (n = 21) and activities make up the data. The article theoretically adopts a community development practice that is predicated on promoting solidarity and agency by upholding the ideas of felt needs, self-help and participation. Findings The study revealed that PTA initiatives can improve the diversity of activities available within a school while also building the skills and capacity of local communities and enabling individuals to make social connections. The study mainly recommended that in making educational systems resilient, such school-community-based resources of resilience should be preserved, fostered and valued. Practical implications The findings are practically relevant to local school managers and other stakeholders involved in school leadership, promoting the relationships between PTAs, school management, children’s well-being and community development, particularly in sub-Saharan African schools like those in Ghana. Originality/value This article explores PTA’s involvement in school-community development in Ghana, a relatively under-researched area in this approach, using a community development practice approach, highlighting PTA’s impacts, implementation and challenges at elementary schools in the post-COVID era.

ABSTRACT Qualitative researchers commonly use metaphors to explore and discuss community development conditions, models, and practices. Yet no specific attention has been given in the community development literature to the elements and techniques that inform the conceptualization and integration of metaphors with qualitative analysis. Without deliberation and intentionality, the likelihood of metaphors becoming shallow wordplay and unnecessary distractions to the qualitative community development researcher is high. Accordingly, this essay provides a concise primer and set of recommendations for qualitative researchers to use to amplify the heuristic and expressive value of metaphors when studying community phenomena. The essay articulates the attributes of metaphors as qualitative analytical devices and explores factors that influence the integration of enriched metaphors with the analytical elements of qualitative community development research. The articulation and recommendations that follow center on three principal elements that span the creation and application of metaphors as heuristic and expressive devices. The elements are (1) intended function, (2) source and target domain conceptualization and structural form, and (3) quality initiation and activation. Qualitative community development researchers are encouraged to act on the recommendations in ways that spark their imaginations and strengthen their analysis and the presentation of the findings that follow.

This essay examines sustainable practices and community engagement through a comparative analysis of the United States and an international destination, focusing on policies, education, community development, and business practices. It highlights the role of public policies, such as the Clean Air Act and the European Green Deal, in addressing environmental challenges through emission reduction, waste management, and sustainable development. The study also discusses the importance of education and marketing in promoting sustainability, with institutions like Eastern Illinois University leading the way in equipping professionals with essential knowledge and skills. Community development plans and collaborative strategies are analysed to demonstrate their effectiveness in addressing local environmental needs. The comparison of Tesla’s advancements in electric vehicles with Sweden’s waste-to-energy initiative illustrates how businesses can innovate to tackle global sustainability challenges. The essay concludes with recommendations to strengthen partnerships, advance research, and promote waste reduction efforts. This interdisciplinary analysis provides insights into achieving sustainable development, encouraging global cooperation, and fostering environmentally responsible behaviors to build a resilient and sustainable future for communities worldwide. KEYWORDS: Sustainability, Community Engagement, Public Policies, Emission Reduction, Sustainable Development