Finding Community Voice in A Global World: Linking

Grassroots Projects

Center for Urban Research & LearningLoyola University of Chicago

Collaborative Research as an Collaborative Research as an opportunity to challenge the opportunity to challenge the “global trump card”“global trump card”

Increasingly decisions made beyond the local level government decisions corporate decisions

National and world events have impact at local level

But local events also have and can have an impact at regional, national, and international levels

Center for Urban Research & LearningLoyola University of Chicago

Collaborative Research as an Collaborative Research as an opportunity to challenge the “global opportunity to challenge the “global trump card;” it’s a matter of….trump card;” it’s a matter of….

not sitting back since “it’s all decided not sitting back since “it’s all decided somewhere else”somewhere else”

creating a grassroots voice at local, creating a grassroots voice at local, regional, national, and international levelsregional, national, and international levels

strengthening networks in the U.S., Europe, strengthening networks in the U.S., Europe, Australia, and other areasAustralia, and other areas

Center for Urban Research & LearningLoyola University of Chicago

Community voice is missing in national Community voice is missing in national and international policy-making processand international policy-making process

National policy developed by “inside-the-beltway” think tanks and elite universities

Difficulties in community-based organizations accessing national/international policy-making circles

We have the potential for We have the potential for creating “local-to-local” creating “local-to-local” international policy making international policy making networks by weaving together networks by weaving together university:community university:community collaboratives at the collaboratives at the community level.community level.

Loyola University of Chicago Center for Urban Research & Learning

Creating grassroots-anchored Creating grassroots-anchored international policy-making international policy-making networksnetworks

This is made possible by….improved access to sophisticated

communications systemsincreased sophistication of community-based

organization leadership, national/international connections more possible

increased access of faculty and students to resources to connect them to international networks

What are the implications for local-to-What are the implications for local-to-global networks?global networks?

For community organizations:For community organizations: regularizes communication with other organizations regularizes communication with other organizations

with possible different, but useful, problem-solving with possible different, but useful, problem-solving strategiesstrategies

provides information from other cities/countries that provides information from other cities/countries that increases political influence locallyincreases political influence locally

elevates the work of CBOs in eyes of potential elevates the work of CBOs in eyes of potential supporterssupporters

What are the implications for local-to-What are the implications for local-to-global networks?global networks?

For universities:For universities: provides comparative perspective/data which is at the provides comparative perspective/data which is at the

heart of most researchheart of most research allows researchers to counter the bias in academia allows researchers to counter the bias in academia

that sees community-based research as parochial and that sees community-based research as parochial and unimportantunimportant

creates opportunities for students and faculty to creates opportunities for students and faculty to increase knowledge baseincrease knowledge base

Loyola University of Chicago Center for Urban Research & Learning

Examples of growing Examples of growing linkages:Universitylinkages:University of Birmingham UK of Birmingham UK

Exchange visits of faculty, students and community leaders

Formal university exchangeAssociation House/Birmingham

Settlement House projectDeveloping housing, racial/ethnic

diversity projects

Loyola University of Chicago Center for Urban Research & Learning

Examples of growing linkages: Examples of growing linkages: University of Technology SydneyUniversity of Technology Sydney

UTS Shopfront similar approaches to community-

anchored research sharing project information parallel interests in racial/ethnic

diversity potential for interdisciplinary work:

social sciences to engineering Possible faculty, staff, community

leader, student exchanges

Loyola University of Chicago Center for Urban Research & Learning

Examples of Growing Linkages:Examples of Growing Linkages:LivingKnowledge NetworkLivingKnowledge Network

Science Shop NetworkEuropean Union

connectionsDifferences between

European & other approaches in U.S. and Australia