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Community Development We believe that real development is an internal process that opens individuals and communities to the possibility and reality of making the choices that lead them toward their aspirations, primarily using their own capacities and assets. Development is not completed projects, but rather the result of an internal process that allows people and communities to do the things that move them in the direction that they want to go. In that sense, Alistar becomes one of the facilitators that open new opportunities to those we serve and with whom we work. By focusing our efforts on building peoples capacity to move in directions they choose, we will be assisting the development process. The programs Alistar supports must be consistent with Alistar's strategies of: empowerment, technical assistance, training and applied science (both western and indigenous). From time to time we may, as a part of our facilitator role, broker additional outside resources that might be needed. We may also be asked to partner in implementing selected short term projects where extra effort, knowledge, technology or expertise is needed to achieve the short-term strategy of reaching a long-term goal. Our job is to pass this expertise and knowledge on to those we work with so that we will be needed less and less over time. The key for development, then, is to assist in enabling the internal means for people to further their own capacity to determine their agendas, and implement them, using their own assets as much as possible. This process is very relationship driven. Development must always work to strengthen the relationship between the community and its natural environment as well. Both are interactive and interdependent with each other. Understanding, preserving and enhancing that environment is critical to the sustainability of the community. Back Site
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