So, continual contact and research is underway. While doing the write-up for class on the CRAFT model, I was able to identify some informal and formal ways of making contact and conducting research. While hanging out in Mart and informally meeting people with Paula and other students, it was great to see how "research" can be done by just sitting and listening.
The action phase of CRAFT for us was probably making the design proposal for the library board. It will take some time for us to actually start the garden or artwork. A lot more needs to be done before that can happen like creating a feasibility and implementation plan. I think we have been getting feedback from community members (library board, high school students) about what kinds of changes they'd like to see in Mart and how involved they want to get. We were able to engage in some teaching (last phase of CRAFT) last Monday, when we presented a power point to the high school students regarding the Mart Community Project and how they could participate. This wasn't actually teaching skills we'd already learned from a completed project, but teaching at every and any phase of CRAFT is important, in my view. Plus, what community project is ever really complete?
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Third Mile & the CRAFT Model
Our third trip to Mart was a great success! Rising before the break of dawn, we made our way to Mart at 6:30 in the morning, getting there just in time for our presentation to the high-schoolers during their leadership period at 8:45. Unfortunately, Amy was sick and wasn't able to join us. So, there we were - me, Adrianne and Jen (a super cool doctoral student at UT interested in the Mart Community Project). Adrianne and I showed our power point and gave our schpeal about the exciting new things to look forward to in Mart, especially the creation of a community garden commons. We gave an example of the Peralta Community Garden in Berkeley, California. We also went into "volunteering, why it's cool?" and the various ways they can get involved in this garden project in the future. I think we had a total of about 10-12 high schoolers turn up. They seemed very open and excited to the idea. When asked what kind of changes they'd like to see in their community, they insightfully identified several things. One student said she'd like to see more cleanliness in Mart. A few others talked about the number of abandoned buildings downtown and how they'd like to see them restored. It seemed like these kids really cared about their community. During the high school lunch hour, we returned to the school and informally met with the students. We were delighted to find students approach us and ask what we were up to. We really had encouraging discourses with these young, bright and respectful kids. An interesting observation we made was that it was mostly black students who were outspoken and readily came up to us with questions and curiosity. We hope to be in Mart during homecoming on October 29th, with other students from the writing for non-profits class. It should be fun!
Around 10 am, we met up with Sue Ann, the hippest grandma and member of the library board. Sitting on metal chairs outside the Co-op and taking in the beautiful fall air, we discussed our project along with the happenings at Pie Lab, an initiative of Project M in Greensboro, Alabama. She voiced the other members' concern about budget and upkeep. Their main worry was that as soon as the conceptual plan would be approved, we'd go in there with our shovels, start digging, make a mess and then leave. We had to assure her (and through her the others) that we would not move forward without adequate research and an implementation plan. We'll find out by early November, hopefully, if the plan is approved.
Another highlight was driving around Mart and visiting the two separate cemeteries - the black one and the white. The disparity was vast and astonishing. The black cemetery, located in black folks town of course, was overgrown and poorly maintained. It seemed there just weren't enough resources and money to keep the place neat and respectable. Janet, Paula's adult niece and Mart resident, showed us an area hidden around a corner that had been basically turned into a dump site. Certain folks who didn't want to spend the money or the time to take their crap to a proper dump site had just dumped it there. It was ridiculous and offensive. The white cemetery, in contrast, was well kept and quite large in area. They had a proper tool shed with tools and a lawnmower. I couldn't believe that in this day and age, two separate race based cemeteries still existed!
In terms of the CRAFT model, I would say we are still in the contact and research phase. The next steps for us would be to do further research on resources for this project, mostly around funding and volunteering.
Around 10 am, we met up with Sue Ann, the hippest grandma and member of the library board. Sitting on metal chairs outside the Co-op and taking in the beautiful fall air, we discussed our project along with the happenings at Pie Lab, an initiative of Project M in Greensboro, Alabama. She voiced the other members' concern about budget and upkeep. Their main worry was that as soon as the conceptual plan would be approved, we'd go in there with our shovels, start digging, make a mess and then leave. We had to assure her (and through her the others) that we would not move forward without adequate research and an implementation plan. We'll find out by early November, hopefully, if the plan is approved.
Another highlight was driving around Mart and visiting the two separate cemeteries - the black one and the white. The disparity was vast and astonishing. The black cemetery, located in black folks town of course, was overgrown and poorly maintained. It seemed there just weren't enough resources and money to keep the place neat and respectable. Janet, Paula's adult niece and Mart resident, showed us an area hidden around a corner that had been basically turned into a dump site. Certain folks who didn't want to spend the money or the time to take their crap to a proper dump site had just dumped it there. It was ridiculous and offensive. The white cemetery, in contrast, was well kept and quite large in area. They had a proper tool shed with tools and a lawnmower. I couldn't believe that in this day and age, two separate race based cemeteries still existed!
In terms of the CRAFT model, I would say we are still in the contact and research phase. The next steps for us would be to do further research on resources for this project, mostly around funding and volunteering.
Friday, October 15, 2010
CRAFT model: Contact
The first step in the CRAFT model is Contact: cultivating trust, mutual understanding and commitment as a foundation for creative partnership.
I think our community garden/commons group have been continuing to establish communication and mutual understanding with everyone involved in our project. So far, we have met with some members of the library board and others (like Jack Holder, master gardener) twice. We are trying to keep the communication line open through emails in between meetings. Last week, we also met with principals of both the high school and middle school at Mart. We will be trying to join with the high school students on Monday and cultivate contact with them for our project. We are very excited to do this! Will keep you posted on future developments!
The Journey Continues (Second Mile)
On October 4th, a group of us (community gardens/commons group and the co-op group) made our second trip to Mart. We left at around 8am and just barely made it to our 10am meeting at the co-op with individuals invested in both our projects. During the meeting, Adrianne, Amy and I presented our first draft of the garden/commons design to a few members of the board and Jack Holder, the master gardener. Personally, I have mixed feelings about the meeting and the expectations of the board members. All in all, I think it went well. We received some feedback about our draft and the changes they'd like to see. Jack was the most vocal and his input was highly appreciated. The two board members seemed to be focused on the maintenance aspect of the garden. In my head, I was thinking, "One thing at a time. Let's pace ourselves." The most pressing matter at this point is getting the board members to vote and pass the proposal to create a garden/commons space at the library. We also want to generate community excitement about this space and try to get folks of all ages involved in this project. For this reason, we met with the principals of both the high school and middle school last Monday. During this meeting, I got the sense that the schools were interested in getting their kids involved, although they seemed to have a lot on their plate at this point, with sports and other events to prepare for. The principal of the high school, LouAnn Wolf, allowed us a time to meet with the high schoolers this coming Monday to create some awareness about this project. We are looking forward to connecting with the students there and possibly getting their support.
This past week, we were able to create a revised draft of the garden design. Also, we created a flyer that we sent to the high school. I thought maybe you guys would like to take a look. NOTE: Since I couldn't upload pdf file images to this page, I posted the revised draft and the the flyer as new posts through scribd.
Cheers!
This past week, we were able to create a revised draft of the garden design. Also, we created a flyer that we sent to the high school. I thought maybe you guys would like to take a look. NOTE: Since I couldn't upload pdf file images to this page, I posted the revised draft and the the flyer as new posts through scribd.
Cheers!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
A Journey through Mart (first mile)
1. The first article highlights four main reasons for the decline of rural settlements in Lithuania - poverty, unemployment, emigration and aging of the population. When there is a loss of human resources due to a degradation of the economy, cultural life suffers. The writers propose that restoring historical sights will not only help preserve cultural and heritage, but will also serve to stimulate the economy through employment, cultural/historical tourism, and migration of people from more urban areas. During our Mart visit, it was clear that this town was suffering economically, which was in turn affecting the aesthetic and cultural quality of the place. There were abandoned run-down buildings left and right. These buildings, which were no doubt cultural and economic centers in the past, now serve no purpose. Where did all those businesses go? Where did all those people go? What happened to all those community centers? What happened to the community?
The Mart Community Project is an attempt to restore cultural, historical and economic life of this small town. I think this is fantastic and very much parallel to the theme of the article. By restoring buildings and creating space for businesses and local entrepreneurship, Mart will not only experience growth in commerce and aesthetics, but will also see development and cohesion as a community. The Mart Co-op project and restoration of the Masonic Hall can be a good examples of this.
2. In a historically segregated community like Mart, community gardens could play a key role in interracial interaction and dialogue. The case study of community garden projects in St. Louis showed that community gardens helped bring blacks and whites together. The contact theory argues that face-to-face interactions in leisure setting can increase positive interracial attitudes and relationships. This makes sense. During my semester abroad in the Middle East (as an undergraduate), I had a first-hand glimpse into how the WALL was creating a divide between the Palestinians and Israelis. The lack of contact and relationships only led to dehumanization and hostility.
Adrienne, Amy and I are going to be working on the Mart community garden project. When we were meeting with community members at the library to discuss the project, I noticed that older white folks overrepresented the community. There were two African American ladies present, but we did not get to hear much from them. Reading through the article, I became curious to know what the Black community has to say about the proposed project. I'd like to get their point of view and ideas. What kind of garden would they like to have in their community? Their was a consensus among the white folks that the garden should be strictly aesthetic (as in, not a vegetable garden) and somewhat "conservative." Do others in the community feel the same? I realize that we are in the beginning stages of community development. We are establishing CONTACT and are doing some RESEARCH. Perhaps, it would be helpful to have a community event in Mart to discuss the topic with diverse community members. It could be a great opportunity to build further relationships and "get their story".
It is my hope that when the garden is established, it can be utilized by all members of the Mart community. It would be wonderful to see the young and old, black and white, the poor and rich to come together in a place of beauty and growth to learn, grow and live together.
3. Unfortunately, I did not get an opportunity to meet with young African American girls during my visit to Mart. In fact, I did not meet any young people. However, I'm going to make an assumption that young girls of Mart probably experience societal pressures to be thin and "barbie-like", not unlike most other young girls, whether black or white or brown. The Girls Empowerment Project in Mart will be a great way of reaching out to the youth and having an open dialogue about body image, self-esteem and the media.
The article discussed the traditional image of femininity in the Nigerian culture. Traditionally, femininity represented intelligence, strength, and beauty, among other qualities. Their idea of beauty contrasted the kind that barbie represents. This brings us to question what ideas of beauty do the youth of Mart hold and how it compares to the more traditional ideas held by the African American culture.
4. The success of Fjaerland, Norway to become a creative and positive community, attracting outsiders through their Book Town project can be an inspiration for us and other community builders in Mart. The community members of Fjaerland took the image of books - an image so universal and flexible - that it could be easily identified with and could pertain to diverse individuals. The Art Co-op in Mart has attempted to use art as a central image that most individuals can be a part of or support. I think this is incredible. From quilt-work to handmade mocassins, an array of art work and artists in Mart can be showcased at the Co-op. I believe that art is a great medium to build optimism and a sense of community. Mart residents don't need to be artists to be involved, they can be mere appreciators of art. The art theme will also extend to the Community Garden Project and hopefully other places in the community through restoration. I'm sure that the image of Mart as an art town will attract many tourists, visitors and potential residents, especially considering it's close proximity to Austin.
5. Participation is central to success and sustainability of rural development projects. In the article, the government run program used a model that was more "comprehensive, process oriented, focused on institutional building, based on local sociocultural values and economic structure, having exit strategy and applicable in nearly any socio-cultural setting" (p. 182). This model led to more participation. I think a key aspect of the strategy was it's emphasis on the process along with sociocultural values. Community residents should be involved in deciding what changes they want to see in their communities and taking steps to do so with the guidance of organizers. In Mart, without the decision making power and hands on involvement of community members, our projects will have to long-term effects or sustainability.
The Mart Community Project is an attempt to restore cultural, historical and economic life of this small town. I think this is fantastic and very much parallel to the theme of the article. By restoring buildings and creating space for businesses and local entrepreneurship, Mart will not only experience growth in commerce and aesthetics, but will also see development and cohesion as a community. The Mart Co-op project and restoration of the Masonic Hall can be a good examples of this.
2. In a historically segregated community like Mart, community gardens could play a key role in interracial interaction and dialogue. The case study of community garden projects in St. Louis showed that community gardens helped bring blacks and whites together. The contact theory argues that face-to-face interactions in leisure setting can increase positive interracial attitudes and relationships. This makes sense. During my semester abroad in the Middle East (as an undergraduate), I had a first-hand glimpse into how the WALL was creating a divide between the Palestinians and Israelis. The lack of contact and relationships only led to dehumanization and hostility.
Adrienne, Amy and I are going to be working on the Mart community garden project. When we were meeting with community members at the library to discuss the project, I noticed that older white folks overrepresented the community. There were two African American ladies present, but we did not get to hear much from them. Reading through the article, I became curious to know what the Black community has to say about the proposed project. I'd like to get their point of view and ideas. What kind of garden would they like to have in their community? Their was a consensus among the white folks that the garden should be strictly aesthetic (as in, not a vegetable garden) and somewhat "conservative." Do others in the community feel the same? I realize that we are in the beginning stages of community development. We are establishing CONTACT and are doing some RESEARCH. Perhaps, it would be helpful to have a community event in Mart to discuss the topic with diverse community members. It could be a great opportunity to build further relationships and "get their story".
It is my hope that when the garden is established, it can be utilized by all members of the Mart community. It would be wonderful to see the young and old, black and white, the poor and rich to come together in a place of beauty and growth to learn, grow and live together.
3. Unfortunately, I did not get an opportunity to meet with young African American girls during my visit to Mart. In fact, I did not meet any young people. However, I'm going to make an assumption that young girls of Mart probably experience societal pressures to be thin and "barbie-like", not unlike most other young girls, whether black or white or brown. The Girls Empowerment Project in Mart will be a great way of reaching out to the youth and having an open dialogue about body image, self-esteem and the media.
The article discussed the traditional image of femininity in the Nigerian culture. Traditionally, femininity represented intelligence, strength, and beauty, among other qualities. Their idea of beauty contrasted the kind that barbie represents. This brings us to question what ideas of beauty do the youth of Mart hold and how it compares to the more traditional ideas held by the African American culture.
4. The success of Fjaerland, Norway to become a creative and positive community, attracting outsiders through their Book Town project can be an inspiration for us and other community builders in Mart. The community members of Fjaerland took the image of books - an image so universal and flexible - that it could be easily identified with and could pertain to diverse individuals. The Art Co-op in Mart has attempted to use art as a central image that most individuals can be a part of or support. I think this is incredible. From quilt-work to handmade mocassins, an array of art work and artists in Mart can be showcased at the Co-op. I believe that art is a great medium to build optimism and a sense of community. Mart residents don't need to be artists to be involved, they can be mere appreciators of art. The art theme will also extend to the Community Garden Project and hopefully other places in the community through restoration. I'm sure that the image of Mart as an art town will attract many tourists, visitors and potential residents, especially considering it's close proximity to Austin.
5. Participation is central to success and sustainability of rural development projects. In the article, the government run program used a model that was more "comprehensive, process oriented, focused on institutional building, based on local sociocultural values and economic structure, having exit strategy and applicable in nearly any socio-cultural setting" (p. 182). This model led to more participation. I think a key aspect of the strategy was it's emphasis on the process along with sociocultural values. Community residents should be involved in deciding what changes they want to see in their communities and taking steps to do so with the guidance of organizers. In Mart, without the decision making power and hands on involvement of community members, our projects will have to long-term effects or sustainability.
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