Community Development Case Study Guatemala

Question : Summarize in your own words the specific types of community-development, the ODAHG and RCT have used in Guatemala: Answer : The ODAHG and RCT have utilized the psychosocial treatment to develop, reconcile and empower the traumatized people who are suffering from severe mental illness due to torture and violence in Guatemala. The reason behind conducting this programme is to help the victims of the community to come out of the mental trauma by respecting and promoting the human rights and also restore the democratic social fabric that has been damaged due to the war (Anckermann et al., 2005). This intervention is community based approach that focuses on influencing the national policy with regards to the psychosocial support to the traumatic people. This approach helps in developing activities that aims at sustainability in the society. This approach is a long-term commitment and contribution towards the struggle against torture and violence. This community based approach shows a sense of belongingness towards the victims, motivating them to participate to protect the community interests (Cavaye, n.d.). I did not find any differences among this approach and the one I am aware of. I found that all the community development approaches relies on the interaction among the action and the people instead to taking it as an individual activity. Similarly, the ODAHG and RCTs community development approach emphasized on vitality, improvement and change through functions, attitudes, equity and flexibility. This helped in building relationship with the community and helped them to pr omote maturation, acquisition and relationship with the assets of the community (Tan, 2009). The community development assistance helps in connecting the people with the community by providing the available resources and assets. This approach helps in developing the society to help the people to increase the confidence. It is all about reconstruction of economy, institution and infrastructure of the country as a whole. This assistance ensures that the country is developing rather than sliding into conflict. This development aid approach mainly emphasizes on analysing the structural factors that influences conflict like social inequalities, economic and political. It is an attempt to reduce the socio-cultural or economic issues in the society to promote peace (Owens, 2004). On the other hand, the humanitarian aid assistance approach aims at preventing the human causalities that might have been strongly affected due to civilian conflicts. The main aim of this assistance is to help the people who are suffering from mental illness, maintain the relief work and providing assistance in a frantic situation (Brownlie Bojang, 2009). In general, the humanitarian assistance is mainly related towards relieving the people who are suffering by meeting their basic needs like food, medicine, protection, shelter and water. This approach does not focus on any political condition unlike community development assistance. It mainly deals with people in need but try to negotiate for improving the conditions through public media (Branczik, 2004). Reference : Anckermann, S., Dominguez, M., Soto, N., Kjaerulf, F., Berliner, P. and Naima Mikkelsen, E. (2005). Psycho-social support to large numbers of traumatized people in post-conflict societies: an approach to community development in Guatemala. Journal of Community Applied Social Psychology, 15(2), pp.136-152. Branczik, A. (2004). Humanitarian Aid and Development Assistance | Beyond Intractability. [online] Beyondintractability.org. Available at: https://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/humanitarian-aid [Accessed 19 Jan. 2015]. Brownlie Bojang, A. (2009). Aid and development. Mankato, Minn.: Black Rabbit Books. Cavaye, J. (n.d.). Understanding Community Development. [online] vibrantcanada.ca. Available at: https://vibrantcanada.ca/files/understanding_community_development.pdf [Accessed 19 Jan. 2015]. Owens, T. (2004). External Support During the Transition Phase: Roles for Humanitarian Aid and Development Assistance from a Village Perspective. World Development, 32(10), pp.1711-1733. Tan, A. (2009). COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THEORY AND PRACTICE: BRIDGING THE DIVIDE BETWEEN MICRO AND MACRO LEVELS OF SOCIAL WORK. [online] nacsw.org. Available at: https://www.nacsw.org/Publications/Proceedings2009/TanACommunity.pdf [Accessed 19 Jan. 2015].