WHY 1SW?
It takes educated and empowered residents to transform their own communities and create a thriving, sustainable world. In both international and local development, frontline community members and the environment are stakeholders that are often left out of planning and decision-making processes. This can lead to community members becoming disengaged from the process altogether as well as negative social and environmental consequences that can have both local and global impact.
1SW seeks to change this dynamic by providing a framework and program that helps community members and organizations to collaborate by, first, seeking to understand their local community assets as well as their needs and, then, creating opportunities for government, organizations and residents to realize this vision and co-create a community that empowers and benefits all stakeholders.
1SW seeks to change this dynamic by providing a framework and program that helps community members and organizations to collaborate by, first, seeking to understand their local community assets as well as their needs and, then, creating opportunities for government, organizations and residents to realize this vision and co-create a community that empowers and benefits all stakeholders.
We envision a world of connected and thriving communities empowered to maximize the unique strengths of places and to work together to solve problems.
Community-Powered Development
1SW works to strengthen existing community organizations by helping to create a shared community vision based on the realization of aligning goals. The process also helps to identify areas where resources are lacking in a community and to develop a strategic approach to bringing these needed resources to the community sustainably and effectively for the long term.
Not only does this process put the power back in the hands of the stakeholders, it also helps to increase communication between existing entities providing services, thus making ongoing programs more efficient, more stable and more sustainable. Through the engagement of residents in their local communities and with their environment, groups and individuals are challenged to look within their communities and themselves for solutions.
A Proactive Approach
Much of the current work done in community development, both locally and internationally, is reactionary- only after the serious issues arise are steps taken to intervene in the name of a lasting solution. In realizing this, the 1SW approach is proactive. By focusing on identifying strengths and building capacity within communities today, the 1SW approach prepares communities to solve their most immediate issues and tackle future challenges. We believe this is at the core of resilient community-building.
Knowledge Transfer
The 1SW approach seeks to strengthen local communities across the globe. In doing so, we build a powerful network of communities united in sustainable, resilient development. The result is a vast pool of experience on which diverse countries, climates, and cultures can draw to supplement their own knowledge. The power of the 1SW approach is in linking community leaders, from the hyperlocal to the international, to facilitate the transfer of knowledge globally.
1SW works to strengthen existing community organizations by helping to create a shared community vision based on the realization of aligning goals. The process also helps to identify areas where resources are lacking in a community and to develop a strategic approach to bringing these needed resources to the community sustainably and effectively for the long term.
Not only does this process put the power back in the hands of the stakeholders, it also helps to increase communication between existing entities providing services, thus making ongoing programs more efficient, more stable and more sustainable. Through the engagement of residents in their local communities and with their environment, groups and individuals are challenged to look within their communities and themselves for solutions.
A Proactive Approach
Much of the current work done in community development, both locally and internationally, is reactionary- only after the serious issues arise are steps taken to intervene in the name of a lasting solution. In realizing this, the 1SW approach is proactive. By focusing on identifying strengths and building capacity within communities today, the 1SW approach prepares communities to solve their most immediate issues and tackle future challenges. We believe this is at the core of resilient community-building.
Knowledge Transfer
The 1SW approach seeks to strengthen local communities across the globe. In doing so, we build a powerful network of communities united in sustainable, resilient development. The result is a vast pool of experience on which diverse countries, climates, and cultures can draw to supplement their own knowledge. The power of the 1SW approach is in linking community leaders, from the hyperlocal to the international, to facilitate the transfer of knowledge globally.
