Community welfare is one of the foremost responsibilities of the local government and the local authorities engage in meticulous work to ensure the well-being of the individuals of the community. Habitat for Humanity works to build homes for the poor people with voluntary labor and sells the houses at no profit. The local authority plans to enhance the living standards of the people of the region with the help of Habitat for Humanity.
This process, however, would require the consensus of the citizens and their active participation in the procedure of work. Hence, the local authorities have chalked out the basic requirements and the necessary steps which are to be taken to initiate civic engagement in the process of development. The people need to be communicated with and the authorities need to make them understand the paramount importance of the issue and the logic behind the plans.
The first and foremost agenda of the authority was to grow a trustful relationship with the citizens before the commencement of the plans. Getting the support of the media is a main objective as that is always instrumental in the process of gaining the public support. The homes built under the guidance of habitat for Humanity would mean prosperity for the community and would be a big step toward advancement of the region.
Poverty and homelessness is a burning issue of the day and the program aims to counter the ills of economic weakness of the citizens. The program would facilitate many people and would boost the standard of life in the region. A major initiative as it is for the entire community, the coordination, support and involvement is the prime concern for the local authorities. The concept of mutual responsibility has to be promoted among all.
The workers employed with the authority have to be notified of their duties. There should be honest and open communication between the authority and the people. Also, the diverse opinions should be taken into account by the authority. The vision for the development has to be shared by both the sides and the goal should be a common one. It is the primary duty of the local officials to ensure the fact that the citizens comprehend the common values and commit to the mutual welfare for the greater development of the community. The connection between the individual interest and social welfare needs to be made clear to the citizens.
Thus, it is of paramount importance to initiate the citizens to take active part in the entire process. Their bonding and participation would ensure the required impetus for the program and the plans for the development would be carried out smoothly. Building a social capital through this process is hence required at the initiative of the local authority which should be instrumental in mobilizing the masses.
The role of the local authority is not only to respond to the differences of opinions and work out a viable compromise, but it should also be ambitious in engaging all the citizens with each other and thus promote societal interests, which is the completion of Habitat for Humanity program.
Public dialogue is one of the best ways for the authority to ensure its ambition. This would help in the process of articulation of the shared interests of the people and the possible positive consequences would also be comprehensible to one and all. A way of gaining the trust of the people is to get the ides across to them that the authority is actually going ahead with the plan in response to the public interest. It has to be made crystal clear that the demands of self-interested citizens are in no way linked to any plan of the authority.
The enhancement of Habitat for Humanity in the city is solely based on the motivation to ensure better lives for the entire community and it would mean a holistic development of the society.
The local authority has undertaken the initiative to increase the well-being of the people of the community and hence is aiming to bridge the gulf between the authority and the citizens of the region.
The organization, Habitat for Humanity would perform a detailed background check on the people who wish to own the houses. This would include employer interviews, audit and character references. The people applying for the homes would require signing release forms which would give the authority to the organization to carry forward the procedure of checking. Thus, the risk of loss of the organization would be nullified and the ability of taking on the onus of mortgage by the potential owner would be ensured. The city authority would help the citizens in every possible way so that they can apply with the organization without any roadblocks.
The collectively held values would ensure the action and participation of the people of the city. Once a powerful consensus is reached in this regard, the entire process would be performed smoothly. The public sentiment has to be on the side of the authority for the program to succeed. The sense of commitment has to be evoked among the public. If a large number of people accept the program’s validity and utility, it would amount to political gain and support for the authority and the collective will of the mass would produce legitimacy for the entire program of enhancement of Habitat for Humanity in the city.
Spreading the information among the people of the city is the most important concern for the authority. Although the mass media would play a paramount role in this regard, there are other ways which need to be employed for proper communication of the matter. Public meetings, involving the public organizations, hoardings and so on would prove to be very useful in this work.
The city authority should be open toward any query regarding the program. A toll-free helpline with well-informed executives would be of great help in the process of communication. Also, the city authority’s official website would be updated with the detailed information regarding the program. Thus, utmost effort would be given in communication with the public so that they might be mobilized to participate actively in the program.
There has to be authentic dialogue between the people and the authority and all would be informed and equally empowered. Thus, if the opinion and queries are listened to carefully and then addressed accordingly, the work would interest all of the people. Thus, the authority should work as a catalyst to ensure joint action for the Habitat for Humanity program.
The political system also wants to ensure greater support as it would strengthen the pillar of democracy and authority. Thus, by promoting utmost participation, the authority can ensure that there would be a significant rise in the capacity of the governing body to deal with social challenges.
The people need to comprehend that they have a productive role to play in the society and in the processes of development. They also need to know that the government is responsive of their opinion and ideas and hence would get encouraged in the process of engagement. Most importantly, there has to be a sense of trust which would be effective in resolution of problems which might arise. The collective decision would be accepted more readily and the program would be successful in time.
Participation would ensure better cooperation and understanding between the common masses and the governmental organization. The potential of the authority and the developmental program would also get comprehended and appreciated. The concerns of the community would be addressed better and there would be holistic development in the city.
Utilizing the political leadership for the cause is of primary importance as that is a major way of communication and mobilization in a community. Leadership is required in identification and resolution of various issues. The current situations can be assessed properly and any opposing interests can be easily identified. In the implementation of the solutions to the issues, the leaders play a huge role. Political leaders are also the opinion leaders of the community and hence their functioning becomes very relevant for the program.
Effective leadership is needed for the developmental program so that the work of the community can be turned back over to the group only. The community has to take the onus of the work on its shoulders rather than pushing it onto the authority. Thus, the people can be made to understand the utility of this program which would serve the community greatly. The consensus formed about the program would provide the plans with great inertia and the houses can be built with minimal problems.
The entire idea behind programs like Habitat for Humanity rests on the success of civic engagement. With the guiding force of the experts from the organization, the common citizens can get involved in the process of making homes and in turn can be rewarded with houses for dwelling.
The process of functioning of the organization is clear to everyone as they come forward with detailed description of the regulations and procedures of putting in labor and getting the benefit in return. Active participation in such a program would bridge the economic gap and would bring about constructive change in the city’s society.
It needs to be conveyed to the people that the experts cannot bring about change for the better without the engagement of the people. They need the assistance of the citizens in the work process to materialize their goals which is only to provide homes to the poor and homeless in the city. It is the primary aim to make the people understand the amount of advantage and gain they would have by the enhancement of Habitat for Humanity program. They would be able to own an asset in return of the collaborative labor they put in for materializing their dreams.
It has to be understood that the American political system needs to provide the citizens with more opportunities for civic engagement. The individual should be given a viable opportunity to socialize and contribute to the betterment of the society at large. The Habitat for Humanity is one such program which comes up with the perfect opportunity for the citizens to engage in developmental works and contribute to the entire community. The return which they would receive as active participants is of great value and would also serve to do good to their lives ahead and their families as well.
Habitat for Humanity opens up an avenue for the citizens to reverse the structure of consumer culture and build the things which would be used by them only at no extra expenditure. A small number of the total population of the country is actively engaged in state politics. But, in programs like these, the participation would mean the enhancement of social capital as the results of the toiling would cumulatively go back to the people of the city.
The city authority would keep a close watch on the procedure of construction of houses and the citizens can come up to the city authority in case of any discrepancy or confusion which might arise under any circumstances. The authority is committed to aid in the process of development of civic life in the city and provide for homes for the poor and homeless with the active help of the citizens themselves in the entire process.
The private citizens have a huge role to play in the society and civic engagement also boosts the quality of the democratic structure and governance. The active participation and interest of the people in the program would mean support for the same and that is a positive thing for the society as well as the authority.
The civic engagement in the program would also mean giving legitimacy to the plans and the authority itself. The success of the Habitat for Humanity plan would mean holistic development and economic uplift of the city’s population.
The active participation would enhance the quality of lives of the dwellers of the city and their productive capacity would be put to proper use. Thus, the plan can be taken as a noble enterprise which would bring constructive change in the city life. With mutual engagement and results, their lives would be better and the community would bask in advancement.
The democratic structure would get better with the successful completion of the Habitat for Humanity initiative. Wide participation is a clear sign of a healthy democracy. The cooperation among the citizens beyond the racial, social, religious and economic barriers would mean unity and amalgamation of the population beyond possible constricted boundaries.
Thus, the Habitat for Humanity program would be a great success with the engagement of the people of the city.
References
Civic Engagement Lesson One.
Civic Engagement Lesson Two.
Civic Engagement Lesson Three.
Civic Engagement Lesson Four.
Civic Engagement Lesson Seven.
Civic Engagement Lesson Eight.
