Community participation, in all stages of the cycle is fundamental to Primary Health Care and Health Promotion. Community participation can range from informing a community about a project, to having a partnership, to community control. This participation continuum is shown below.
Adapted from Arnstein in Wass 19994:44
Using a community development approach involves working together in a spirit of partnership. Partnership implies equal participation. Working in partnership means that people take part in deciding what, when, and how work will be done. Instead of just being consulted, or asked, people become joint decision makers - they share power equally (Wass 1994:43) .
Partnerships take time and effort to establish and can only succeed and continue to grow if there is mutual trust, respect and equality. Partnerships can bring a sense of real achievement and fulfilment into your work. Partnerships enhance opportunities to learn from each other and move forward together.
The following statement expresses the concept of working in partnership.
| Culture is the true vine Culture itself is a true vine and all of us are like a gardener.
We people should produce good fruit by working together from the root of the tree. If the branch is not working then something is wrong with the branch. Maybe the branch needs help? …We should be concerned about one another, helping our community in health side and other areas. Whoever remains working then we will bear much fruit in the community by helping underweight, unhealthy, skinny babies, pregnant women and people with other sicknesses. We all should be working side by side to make this community strong and healthy by sharing, talking, helping our Yolngu [Aboriginal people] to make them strong. If we work together then we cannot fall down. We will stand firm, for example we are just starting to build the foundation to be strong for our future generation for our children to be healthy. The Health Team, Milingimbi Health Centre, East Arnhem Land |
Aboriginal communities have a constant stream of visitors from a range of organisations. Each has its own agendas. At any one time, the community will have any number of plans, projects, decisions, problems and ideas on the go. A survey done during 1987 in the Pitjantjatjara homelands found that in one community there were 142 separate meetings during a three month period (UPK video, Nganampa Health Council 1987). It is safe to assume that this situation is the same today for most larger communities.
Aboriginal people may feel pressured with so many people all wanting something. The time and energy that community residents will have for health projects will vary. Working together with other agencies can reduce the number of visits to a community and improve the quality of thvisit.
The following figure shows the many NT and Federal Government departments and non-government agencies that regularly visit remote communities to deliver services and programs and provide resources.
Figure 2 : Stuart Phillpot 1990:53
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