Key Purpose and Values of Community Development

norightturn.net works from a community development perspective and endorses the definition of the key purpose and values of Community Development Work as set out in the National Occupational Standards of Community Development. Download CD NOS 2009 here.

The Key Purpose of Community Development is as a long–term value based process which aims to address imbalances in power
and bring about change founded on social justice, equality and inclusion.

The process enables people to organise and work together to:
•     identify their own needs and aspirations
•     take action to exert influence on the decisions which affect their lives
•     improve the quality of their own lives, the communities(1) in which they live, and societies of which they are a part.

(1) Communities refer to those that can be defined geographically and/or those defined by interest.