If you work in civil society or the socioeconomic development sector, you have probably heard, or used, the term “community ownership” because it aligns with broader goals of promoting social equity, empowering local communities and sustainable development.
Community ownership goes beyond passive involvement or consultation and aims to empower communities to actively participate in decision-making and take responsibility for outcomes. In principle, civil society organisations and development experts use this term to describe communities with a significant degree of control and influence over projects, initiatives, or resources that directly affect them.
The principle underpinning “community ownership” is that people from within a community are more adept at articulating the barriers and enablers to their own development than technical experts from outside.
In this Nourish & Flourish podcast, we talk about barriers and enablers of community ownership. We speak to Sinazo Nkwelo, Director of DGMT’s Place-based Synergies portfolio.
Explore more here: https://dgmt.co.za/community-ownership-is-not-a-means-to-an-end/