They talk with other gardeners to learn new ideas and to share cuttings and bulbs. They might draw a picture of their ideal garden, then periodically check results and adjust their efforts as they compare their vision with how the garden actually grows. As gardens vary from little backyard tomato patches to abundantly flowering front flower beds to communal plots shared by a whole neighborhood, the plots in which the seeds of an asset movement are planted and nurtured will vary in size, readiness and richness of the community “soil,” the availability of those who will commit to the work, and the history of what has already been planted there. Because of such differences, people who begin asset-building initiatives may organize their efforts to nurture asset building in different ways, depending on the nature of the community in which they seek to build a movement. In fact, the initiative you begin will likely grow at a different pace than one in another county, state, or province; the weather there, the seasons for planting and harvesting, and the “readiness” of seeds to grow will be different. Before planting begins, you need to “turn and fertilize the soil” to prepare to launch your efforts. To aid you in preparation, this chapter presents: ● ●
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Key principles that define an asset-building initiative; The importance of incorporating cultural competence into your work at its inception; and A theory of community change (the change pathway) that will help you see the phases of change to address throughout your work.
Key Principles for Asset Builders Asset building can’t ignore the need to address risks many young people face, but it does challenge our assumptions about how communities work and it inspires us to realign our focus in some very significant ways. A community initiative begins to become an asset-building initiative when some shifts in people’s thinking occur. The most energetic communities craft their initiatives around core asset-building principles that embody those shifts: ● ● ● ● ● ●
Strengths more than risks or deficits; Engagement with young people, more than services for young people; Relationships as well as programs; Unleashing, not controlling or directing; All adults and youth, not just professionals and parents; and Long-term process, not a quick fix.
Strengths More Than Risks or Deficits Asset building focuses on building strengths instead of just reducing problems, risks, or deficits. Initiatives have a dual role: to bring that strength-based mes-
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Assets in Action