TIGblogs - Dave Matthews

Note: This was a recent post to a number of community development organizations in the USA -- thought it might be of interest to a few TIGers as well.

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G'Day All --

For small rural towns to successfully overcome the many adverse forces that that are currently causing so many to simply "wither away," one of the most difficult challenges is to attain the required "critical mass" (or -- to use a different metaphor -- "escape velocity") in their counteracting positive development efforts.

There are many examples in the literature where this has been successfully accomplished, in both: (a) the pre-Internet, and -- to a lesser extent, because of the brief time that the Internet has been operative -- (b) the Internet eras. In virtually every case, however, a very substantial mobilization of community-wide participation, knowledge, creativity, energy, and activity has been required.

The towns in question need to have every possible asset and resource going for them in order to overcome the obstacles with which they're confronted, and in order to effectively move toward viable on-going growth.

A specific case that I've followed for several years is the "CAN DO" Community Development Corporation, in Hazleton, Pennsylvania:

http://www.hazletoncando.com/

If you have the opportunity to do so, let me encourage you to spend a little time exploring the CAN DO web site, to see what kinds of worthwhile and potentially transferable information it provides.

Numerous additional (more, or less) relevant examples can be identified with Google search terms:

"community economic development"
"community revitalization"
and/or
"community economic revitalization"

From my own (undoubtedly biased) perspective, the Internet has now become an especially valuable -- and now, perhaps, essential -- ingredient in the process. Communities that manage to fully include and utilize the 'Net in their mobilization efforts are likely to achieve substantially greater measures of success -- and at substantially greater rates -- than those communities that do not.

I hope you'll find the above comments to be of interest. Differing and/or alternative perspectives are always welcome.

If you have comments, suggestions, or need additional information, please let me know.

Best wishes, Dave Matthews
Facilitator, The Civic Action Free University
http://www.tcafu.net
E-Mail Address: civact6@yahoo.com

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