As mentioned in my previous learning blog (Learning Blog 5), Social Mobilization gives importance to the overall process of social change. This is considered as the primary step for community development. It allows people to think and understand the situation and to organize and initiate action for their recovery. Though this, people can organize themselves to take action collectively and device a solution.
Types of social mobilization includes the following.
- Mobilization of key stakeholders such as different sectors of society.
- Mobilization of influencers
- Mobilization of media
- Motivation of government programmes
- Consultation of concerned groups
Social Mobilization builds on a number of important concepts and skills that are commonly used by stakeholders in achieving change such as community mobilization (uses both deliberate and participatory process to involve the local institution and communities towards a collective action to resolution), advocacy (an activity by an individual or group aiming to influence decisions), behavior change communication (reaches and involves specific audiences and positions health practices persuasively as a benefit in the minds of the intended audience, Piotrow et al. 1997) and social marketing (promotion of materials for the social good) (CEDPA, 2000)
Samples of successful Social Mobilization in the country
Youth Strike for Climate Philippines (National Youth-Led movement aiming to empower young people to take action in addressing the effects of climate)
Created and released several mobilizations regarding environment preservation through summits and discussion groups. Huge Social Media Platform following.
Zero Waste Pilipinas (Pioneering zero waste in the Philippines with an energetic fusion of bottom-up planning and community participation.
Several mobilizations through Info sessions and learning. Huge Social Media Platform following.
Panay Youth Climate Strike PH (an alliance of volunteer individuals, groups and organizations in the entire Panay Island who work together for collective climate actions against ecological breakdown and climate breakdown due to anthropogenic factors)
Several mobilizations through Info sessions and learning. Huge Social Media Platform following.
On Social and Community Mobilization
Below are some of the items that differentiates social to community mobilization.
- Social Mobilization seeks to involve a lot of stakeholders
- Has participants beyond the members of the community
- Can stimulate changes in social norms, macro policy and programs
- Is work with a community defined by issues rather than locality
- Involves plan actions and processes to reach, involve all relevant segments of society
Defining community, it is a body of persons sharing common problems and located physically in the same area.
The community living in any settlement needs to be responsible for decisions about their own development that will affect them. Oftentimes, political, social, religious or other affiliations may divide a community. Stronger groups in the community can influence the decision making of the rest of the members of the community for their own benefit such in the case of recovery programmes.
Under a disaster and conflict recovery programme, the responsibility of the community will be strengthened by the establishment of Community Development Council (CDC) (UN Habitat, n.d.).
Community Development is the result of Community Mobilization. It supports communities, of place and identity to use their own assets to improve the quality of community life and helps communities and public agencies to work together to improve the services. Community development is fundamentally based on the values of human rights, social justice, equality and respect for diversity and its practice is underpin in principles of self-determination, empowerment, collective action and collaboration.
Social Mobilization is instrumental to ensuring that efforts to resolve social issues are time-bound and objectives and key results that are specific, measurable, attainable and relevant are met.
References
Sarkar, Urmila (June 2003) Social Mobilization for Time-Bound Programmes. Time Bound Programme Manual for Action Planning. ISBN web pdf version: 92-2-115165-4
Social Mobilization for Reproductive Health. (CEDPA, 2000). Retrieved April 4, 2020, from http://www.nzdl.org/gsdlmod?e=d-00000-00—off-0cdl–00-0—-0-10-0—0—0direct-10—4——-0-1l–11-en-50—20-help—00-0-1-00-0-0-11-1-0utfZz-8-00-0-0-11-10-0utfZz-8-10&cl=CL2.19&d=HASHf0f5085aa2803c9757ee6b.8.2>
UN Habitat (n.d.) Chapter 2: Social Mobilization (PDF File) Retrieved from http://www.fukuoka.unhabitat.org/docs/publications/pdf/peoples_process/ChapterII-Social_Mobilization.pdf
What is community development?: SCDC – We believe communities matter. (2019). Retrieved April 5, 2020, from https://www.scdc.org.uk/who/what-is-community-development
Images
Youth Strike for Climate Philippines [N.D.] Accessed https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rappler.com%2Fmove-ph%2F239919-list-global-climate-strike-mobilizations-philippines-2019&psig=AOvVaw14kX-Al7QPWndPD-vR7KKi&ust=1586098757786000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCJDNjMOEz-gCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD, Retrieved on April 4, 2020.
Zero Waste Youth Pilipinas [N.D.] Accessed https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FZeroWasteYouthPilipinas%2F&psig=AOvVaw3nmO1lnTRAWcUG8QWT2tmR&ust=1586098499313000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCIDE-8ODz-gCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD. Retrieved on April 4, 2020.
Panay Youth Climate Strike PH [N.D.] Accessed https://dailyguardian.com.ph/panay-youth-strikes-for-climate/ Retrieved on April 4, 2020.