A community project is a term applied to any
community-based project. This covers a wide variety of different areas within a community or a group of
networking entities. Projects can cover almost anything, including the most obvious section of concern to any community, the
welfare element. Welfare community projects would for example be, a locally run and locally funded orphanage; a Christmas dinner kitchen for the homeless. Another important sector of importance to the community would be
charity. Charitable projects in the community can include, but are not limited to,
ecological charities concerned with either the maintenance of
green spaces, or in some cases, the prevention of the reduction/removal of green spaces. An old
clothes collection
Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natural ...
service would also be a community-based charity project. One important subdivision of community projects, and at times overlooked, is those of an economic nature such as
LETS
A local exchange trading system (also local employment and trading system or local energy transfer system; abbreviated LETS) is a locally initiated, democratically organised, not-for-profit community enterprise that provides a community infor ...
. The highlight of economic community projects is what is known as
Transition Towns
The terms transition town, transition initiative and transition model refer to grassroot community projects that aim to increase self-sufficiency to reduce the potential effects of peak oil, climate destruction, and economic instabilitythrough re ...
. Most economic community projects are designed at creating some sort of economic
autonomy
In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one's ...
.
It begins when a small collection of motivated individuals within a community come together with a shared concern: ''how can our community respond to the challenges, and opportunities, of
peak oil and
climate change?''
Scope and size
All community projects are different in some way; the size and scope of these projects is determined firstly by the community they cater to.
According to the definition of a community,
a community could be the entire
human race or parts of it anywhere on the planet. However, because of phenomena like
distance decay or
demographic
Demography () is the statistical study of populations, especially human beings.
Demographic analysis examines and measures the dimensions and dynamics of populations; it can cover whole societies or groups defined by criteria such as edu ...
factors such as age group, gender and income that determine
social identity
Identity is the qualities, beliefs, personality traits, appearance, and/or expressions that characterize a person or group.Compare ''Collins Dictionary of Sociology'', quoted in
In sociology, emphasis is placed on collective identity, in which ...
of
groups
A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
Groups of people
* Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity
* Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
, the extent of community-based projects is usually much more limited.
See also
*
Community service
References
Community organizing
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