“Community Empowerment—Lessons from Peace Building and Urban Environment Initiatives in Poor Communities”

This chapter demonstrates the next basic lesson of development assistance, addressing the whole person. The Chapter introduces the reader into village and city life communities first in building education and peace in the post-conflict zones of Mindanao, the Philippines, then in Banjarsari, a low income previously polluted urban community of Jakarta, Indonesia, where UNESCO environmental initiatives finally led to it being declared the official ecotourism destination of Jakarta. What worked in Mindanao Peace Building was first to pay attention to upgrading poor literacy rates in particular amongst village women, then to build community radio for communication but with participation in management and broadcast themes by a community steering group that brought previously antagonistic Islamic and Christian communities together. Success had a downside however. It intruded on the influence and recruitment strategies of the terrorist organization, “Abu Sayyaf” which sent a hit squad towards Jakarta to assassinate Stephen. He escaped. The Banjarsari environment assistance program developed out of earlier UNESCO interventions building environment awareness and action across Jakarta more generally. Banjarsari developed as a whole community committed to environment conservation—very visible to any visitor. Both initiatives engaged the whole person, not just specific actions.