Journal Entry 1: Eye On The Prize
When comparing all of the articles I reviewed this past week, I believe the article which spoke about strategizing capacity was the most relatable. I was able to relate to the portion which discussed keeping your community members and leaders motivated. Similar to what was discussed within the reading, I believe that keeping your eye on the prize is a great way to motivate a group while trying to achieve their goal.
There has been many instances in the past where I have lost focus on a goal because I was distracted by other problems which occurred along the path, or because I felt unable to keep working and quickly gave up. I think the solutions and techniques offered by the readings were very useful. The readings stated that when you are within a group setting, having another person remind you of the objective can help keep you focused on the tasks that need to be completed. Also encouraging and working with one another as opposed to discouraging and working against one another, can have a huge effect on how successful your efforts maybe. When it comes to community organizing I believe this techniques are pivotal to insuring the peaceful atmosphere within which these members interact with one another. As I mention in a previous journal entry, each member brings a unique and diverse talent to the group. When one person feels unable to perform at their best, due to an unpeaceful atmosphere, its the group that suffers in the end. The group suffers because they are then unable to benefit from the expertise of that neglected community member. Overall it seems keeping your eye on the prize, as well as creating a positiver working environment is key to a successful group endeavor.
Journal Entry 2: Collaboration of Talents
I believe the main purpose of community organizing is to assemble a group of diverse and talented individuals to work together for a common purpose. Many of the tasks set out to be completed by organized communities are far too large for one person to work on, and it is due to this that a committee is formed. Similarly to what has been presented within the articles, I believe that the success of a committee greatly depends on what talents and experience each member can bring to the group. No one member is far more important than the next one, but each member is unique within the structure of the community or groups.
An example of this understanding can be seen in political offices, where individuals are rung for office. One a candidate runs for a political office, they typical choose a group of talented individuals to help coordinate and oversee their political campaign. Each individual has a specific task that they are responsible for completing, where this task corresponds to their talent. With this understanding it becomes apparent that their is a symbiotic relation between leaders and those that they lead, where one cannot survive with the hard work and focus of the other.
Journal Entry 3: Foundation Provides Support
Some people may believe that the organizers are the important figures within an organized committee, while others might believe its the committee itself. In my opinion its the community leaders who really are the pivotal factors within an organized committee.
There has been many instances in the past where I have seen groups and committees fall apart due to an unfocused or weak community leader. For example, when I was younger, my family and I attended a well known church in North Miami. It was so well known that it was often reported that our conjugation was the largest. However, this soon came to past as a scandal struck our church. Our pastor was accused and found guilty of stealing money from the church collection in order to pay off his gambling debt. As a result the numbers within our congregation dramatically fell, and within 3 weeks of this scandal the numbers had dropped to 30 people. It was deeply saddening to see that so many people had lost faith in a leader who they cherished more than anything else.
In many ways our pastor acted as a community leader and a community leader is the foundation of the community. The community relies on the foundation to keep them strong and focused on what is most important. If there a crack within the foundation or any form of instability, then the entire structure or community is likely to crumble. Yet there are times that communities have been able to rebound from an insatiable community leader. Some communities are so heavily rooted within their beliefs and goals, that the problem of an in stable leader can not deter them from their goals.In any event, I still believe that a community leader is an important figure within the community organizing role. Their ability to guide their members is key to the success or downfall of their joint venture.