Finding Community Voice in A Global World Linking

Finding Community Voice in A Global World: Linking Grassroots Projects Loyola University of Chicago Center for Urban Research & Learning

Collaborative Research as an opportunity to challenge the “global trump card” q. Increasingly decisions made beyond the local level pgovernment decisions pcorporate decisions q. National and world events have impact at local level q. But local events also have and can have an impact at regional, national, and international levels Loyola University of Chicago Center for Urban Research & Learning

Collaborative Research as an opportunity to challenge the “global trump card; ” it’s a matter of…. qnot sitting back since “it’s all decided somewhere else” qcreating a grassroots voice at local, regional, national, and international levels qstrengthening networks in the U. S. , Europe, Australia, and other areas Loyola University of Chicago Center for Urban Research & Learning

Community voice is missing in national and international policy-making process q. National policy developed by “inside-the -beltway” think tanks and elite universities q. Difficulties in community-based organizations accessing national/international policy-making circles Loyola University of Chicago Center for Urban Research & Learning

We have the potential for creating “local-to-local” international policy making networks by weaving together university: community collaboratives at the community level. Loyola University of Chicago Center for Urban Research & Learning

Creating grassroots-anchored international policy-making networks This is made possible by…. qimproved access to sophisticated communications systems qincreased sophistication of community-based organization leadership, national/international connections more possible qincreased access of faculty and students to resources to connect them to international networks Loyola University of Chicago Center for Urban Research & Learning

What are the implications for local-toglobal networks? q. For community organizations: pregularizes communication with other organizations with possible different, but useful, problem-solving strategies pprovides information from other cities/countries that increases political influence locally pelevates the work of CBOs in eyes of potential supporters Loyola University of Chicago Center for Urban Research & Learning

What are the implications for local-toglobal networks? q. For universities: pprovides comparative perspective/data which is at the heart of most research pallows researchers to counter the bias in academia that sees community-based research as parochial and unimportant pcreates opportunities for students and faculty to increase knowledge base Loyola University of Chicago Center for Urban Research & Learning

Examples of growing linkages: University of Birmingham UK q. Exchange visits of faculty, students and community leaders q. Formal university exchange q. Association House/Birmingham Settlement House project q. Developing housing, racial/ethnic diversity projects Loyola University of Chicago Center for Urban Research & Learning

Examples of growing linkages: University of Technology Sydney q. UTS Shopfront psimilar approaches to communityanchored research psharing project information pparallel interests in racial/ethnic diversity ppotential for interdisciplinary work: social sciences to engineering p. Possible faculty, staff, community leader, student exchanges Loyola University of Chicago Center for Urban Research & Learning

Examples of Growing Linkages: Living. Knowledge Network q. Science Shop Network q. European Union connections q. Differences between European & other approaches in U. S. and Australia Loyola University of Chicago Center for Urban Research & Learning