SHS

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT,
SOLIDARITY AND CITIZENSHIP
Second Quarter – Module 2:
Empowerment and Advocacy of
Community Action Initiatives

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Community Engagement, Solidarity, and Citizenship – Grade 11
Quarter 2 – Module 2: Core Values and Principles of Community Action
Initiatives

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from their respective copyright owners. The publisher and authors do not represent
nor claim ownership over them.

Regional Director: Gilbert T. Sadsad

Assistant Regional Director: Jessie L. Amin

Development Team of the Module

Writer: Rona A. Despabiladeras

Evaluator: Elmer Valenzuela

Editor: Divina M. Diaz, Ph.D.

Ma. Theresa D. Gacosta

Illustrator:

Layout Artist: Edsel D. Doctama

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INTRODUCTION

In Module 8, you have already learned the

core values of community action initiatives such

as human rights, social equity, gender equality,

and participatory development. These values are

necessary for the success and sustainability of community initiatives and projects.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module, you are expected to:

• Analyze strategies of empowerment and

advocacy of a community action initiative;

• Explain the importance of commitment and

action in participatory development for community well-being.

• Develop a proposal of an advocacy about a particular community issue.

VOCABULARY LIST

To prepare you in your study with

this module, there are terms that you need

to be familiar with. Do the activity below to

guide you in unlocking these important

concepts.

WORD PUZZLE

Directions: Complete the word puzzle by writing the

term defined in each item.

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 2
1 4

3
5

HORIZONTAL

1. An activity by an individual or group that aims to influence decisions within political,

economic, or social institutions

3. A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in

common

6. A personal quality that shows willingness to get things done and take responsibility

7. The act or process of growing or causing something to grow, become larger or more

advanced

VERTICAL

2. The act of taking part or becoming involved in something

3. The attitude of someone who works very hard to do or support something

4. The process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling

one’s life and claiming one’s rights

5. The manner or method of doing something

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 PRE-TEST

Rearrange the jumbled letters to identify the concepts

shown in each illustration.

1. P E M M E E W N O R T 2. D O A AV Y CC

clipart.email.com
clipart.email.com

3. O C Y U M N T M I 4. C O T A N I

clipart-library.com clipart-library.com

5. A A CT I P P I O I T R N 6. E E E D N L P T M V O

clipart-library.com smallbizclub.com

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 Were you able to get the correct words?
These are just some of the concepts you will
learn in this module. To gain a better grasp of
community action initiatives, read the
succeeding discussions. Then answer the
different tasks prepared for you.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

EMPOWERMENT AND ADVOCACY IN A

COMMUNITY ACTION INITIATIVE

Community empowerment refers to the process of

enabling communities to increase control over their

lives. It refers to the process by which people gain control over the factors and

decisions that shape their lives. It is the process by which they increase their assets

and attributes and build capacities to gain access, partners, networks and voice, in

order to gain control. (www.who.int)

Community empowerment, therefore, is more than the involvement,

participation or engagement of communities. It implies community ownership and

action that explicitly aims at social and political change. Likewise, people can not be

empowered by others; they can only empower themselves by acquiring more of the

different forms of powers. People are their own assets, and the role of the external

agent is to catalyze, facilitate, or accompany the community in acquiring power.

On the other hand, advocacy is an activity by an individual or group that aims

to influence decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy

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includes activities and publications to influence public policy laws and budgets by

using facts, their relationships, the media, and messaging to educate government

officials and the public. (en.m.wikipedia.org)

Advocacy in all its forms seeks to ensure that people, particularly those who

are most vulnerable in society, are able to: have their voice heard on issues that are

important to them; defend and safeguard their rights; and have their views and wishes

genuinely considered when decisions are being made about their lives.

You now have a clear distinction between

empowerment and advocacy. But how do we

empower a community and advocate community

action initiatives?

Keep on reading!

STRATEGIES OF EMPOWERMENT AND ADVOCACY

While daunting at times, success in empowering a

communiy lies in the following guiding principles

(https://cele.sog.unc.edu):

1. Decide. The project team must analyze the merits and potential challenges and

decide early on whether or not to embark on this journey. Then the project team must

obtain strong leadership support to implement.

2. Implement. While there are a variety of techniques that can be used to empower

the public, hands-on approaches are most effective at engaging the entire community.

Oftentimes, empowerment model fails because the entire community is not fully

engaged, rather just a handful of members.

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3. Listen. In community engagement, it is important to listen, especially in

implementing an empowerment model of outreach. Often, communities are hesitant

or even wary or becoming involved in a public process. If they take the step to become

involved, it is critical that public participatio practitioners reciprocate by using active

listening skills.

4. Follow Up. Following up with communities is equally important to maintain trust and

friendship. By consistently and transparently providing updates on the implementation

process, the community is more likely to actively participate in curent and subsequent

public participation efforts.

Meanwhile, here are some strategies for community advocacy campaigns

(www.the campaignworkshop.com):

1. Understand the change that you want.

2. Don’t wait. Find out why the problem exists and keep pushing for the real change

you need.

3. Be genuine. Use language that connects with your audience.

4. Be creative. Posters, social media, videos and letters can all be effective ways to

capture people’s attention.

5. Do not take no for an answer. Do not let the inconvenience or indifference of others

discourage you.

6. Invest for the long haul. Change won’t be instant and you have to stick with it.

7. Build a coalition. Find other folks who feel the way you do and want the change that

you want.

8. Use social pressure. Explain to people how others have done similar things in the

past to effect change.

9. Hold people accountable until the change you want is made in the way you want.

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 PRACTICE TASK 1

Direction: Write TRUE if the statement is correct

and FALSE if it is incorrect.

__________ 1. Empowerment enables people in the community to be controlled and

manipulated by external agents.

__________ 2. People can not be empowered by others; they can only empower

themselves.

__________ 3. Advocacy ensures that the voices of the most vulnerable ones in the

society could be heard.

__________ 4. Advocacies aim to influence decisions within political,

economic, or social institutions.

__________ 5. Advocacies cater to the needs of the marginalized people in the

society.

PRACTICE TASK 2

Complete the graphic organizers below by writing the correct word/s.

STRATEGIES OF
EMPOWERMENT

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 STRATEGIES OF
ADVOCACY

You have already understood the

concepts of empowerment and advocacy. It’s
time for you to learn the importance of
commitment and action in participatory
development.

Keep moving!

IMPORTANCE OF COMMITMENT AND ACTION IN

PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT

The idea of participatory development is that

communities gain a sense of ownership over the project

instead of seeing it as an external intervention.

Participatory development puts local knowledge on the same level as expert

knowledge and brings people together as equals, making it a sustainable, beneficial,

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and bottom-up tool to address challenges and empower people to be active agents of

social change. (www.developmentinaction.org)

Commitment and action are necessary in participatory development.

Commitment means dedication to an organization, cause or belief, and a willingness

to get involved. People who are committed to an organization or effort truly believe

that it is important, and they show up, follow through, and stick with it.

(https://cdb.ku.edu)

Commitment is important in participatory development for several reasons.

First, the more committed people there are, the more effective they are in influencing

others. If the whole group acts with determination and commitment, great numbers of

people will really pay attention. Second, people who are committed do not take

discouragement seriously and do not give up easily. Third, people cooperate at a

higher level when they share commitment. It fosters camaraderie, trust, and caring.

Fourth, if people are committed to an effort for a period of time, they will learn what

they need to know to be more effective. (https://cdb.ku.edu)

The success or failure of participatory development efforts is closely related to

the commitment and actions of the people involved. Committed people are motivated

to do things and get things done. Thus, a community committed to developmental

goals will take actions towards the realization of such goals.

PRACTICE TASK 3

Complete the chart by writing the importance of commitment in participatory

development.

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 IMPORTANCE OF COMMITMENT TO
PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT

You now have a firm grasp of the concepts of

empowerment and advocacy strategies. You have

also understood the importance of commitment in

participatory development. Knowing these concepts

will greatly help you in initiating projects and

programs in your community.

POST TEST
Direction: Read each item carefully and choose the

letter of the best answer. Write it in your answer sheet.

______ 1. Which statement best defines community empowerment?

A. It refers to increased control and manipulation by external agents.

B. It refers to giving up one’s powers and being subdued by others.

C. It means trusting others to make important decisions for the community life.

D. It means enabling communities to gain control over decisions that shape

their lives.

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______ 2. Which statement about empowerment is true?

A. People can empower themselves.

B. People always need others to empower them.

C. Community empowerment is limited to involvement and participation.

D. Empowerment lessens the control of people over their lives.

______ 3. Which statement best defines advocacy?

A. It is an activity that aims to influence public policy laws and budgets.

B. It is an activity that oppresses the vulnerable ones in the community.

C. It is an activity designed to silence the marginalized sectors.

D. It is an activity intended only to the wealthy sectors.

______ 4. What is the main purpose of community advocacy?

A. to help the vulnerable ones in the community

B. to lessen support for the marginalized sectors

C. to support the wealthy members of the community

D. to ignore the needs of the marginalized sectors

______ 5. What is the importance of hands-on approaches in community

empowerment?

A. It makes the community hesitant in becoming involved.

B. It encourages the entire community to be fully engaged.

C. It makes the community less engaged in the programs.

D. It makes the community withdraw their support in the programs.

______ 6. Which of the following can be done to make community advocacy

campaigns more effective?

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 A. Do everything alone without asking help from others.

B. Focus on the verbal and emotional barriers that people create.

C. Be discouraged when people become indifferent.

D. Use posters and social media for information dissemination.

______ 7. Which statement best defines commitment?

A. It refers to avoiding responsibilities in an organization.

B. It refers to dedication to an organization and willingness to get involved.

C. It refers to decline in determination as time passes by.

D. It refers to being discouraged by indifference of others.

______ 8. Why is commitment important in participatory development?

A. People who are committed get discouraged easily.

B. People who are committed lose their interest over time.

C. People cooperate at a higher level when they share commitment.

D. People who are committed do not know how to deal with frustrations.

Assume that there will be an assembly of the

residents in your community next month to address the
different issues/problems in your community. As a youth
leader, you are tasked to make a proposal of an
advocacy about a particular issue in your community.

Write an explanation of the rationale of your

advocacy. Be guided by the rubrics below.

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 Criteria Description Points

The advocacy should focus on an issue

Relevance to the Topic or problem experienced by the 20
community.
The rationale of the advocacy should be
Quality of Explanation clearly explained and supported by data 20
from the community.
Rules of grammar and syntax are
Correct Use of Language 10
observed in writing the rationale.

Total Points 50

Congratulations for finishing this learning module! I

am sure you had a wonderful time knowing about
community action initiative. Continue your learning journey.

There’s a lot more to learn ahead. Keep moving!

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WORD PUZZLE

2P

1A D V O C A C Y 4E

R M
3C O M M U N I T Y P
O I 5A O
M C C W
M 6I N I T I A T I V E
I P I R
T A O M
M T N E
E I N
N 7D E V E L O P M E N T
T N

PRE-TEST

1. EMPOWERMENT
2. ADVOCACY
3. COMMUNITY
4. ACTION
5. PARTICIPATION
6. DEVELOPMENT

PRACTICE TASK 1

1. False 3. True
2. True 4. True
5. True

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PRACTICE TASK 2

Decide

STRATEGIES OF
Follow Up EMPOWERMENT Implement

Listen

Understand the
change you want. Don't wait.

Hold people
accountable. Be genuine.

STRATEGIES OF
ADVOCACY
Use social
pressure. Be creative.

Invest for the long Do not take no for

Build a coalition.
haul. an answer.

PRACTICE TASK 3

IMPORTANCE OF COMMITMENT TO
PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT

Committed people Committed people Committed people

do not take Committed people
are more effective learn what they
discouragement cooperate at a
in influencing need to be more
seriously. higher level.
others. effective.

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POST TEST

1. D
2. A
3. A
4. A
5. B
6. D
7. B
8. C

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Fuld, J. (2018). Community Advocacy Basics: A Beginner’s Guide to Advocacy.
Retrieved on June 27, 2020 from www.thecampaignworkshop.com

Trotter, J. (2016). The Power of Empowerment. Retrieved on June 25, 2020 from
https://cele.sog.unc.edu

Wadud, E. (n.d.). Section 5: Building and Sustaining Commitment. Retrieved on June 26,
2020 from https://ctb.ku.edu

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Advocacy. Retrieved on June 25, 2020 from en.m. wikipedia.org

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Community Empowerment. Retrieved on June 25, 2020
from www.who.int

Zhelyazkova, R. (2017). How to (not) do participatory development. Retrieved on June 25,

2020 from www.developmentinaction.org

https://www.hiclipart.com/free-transparent-background-png-clipart-jiytq

https://smallbizclub.com

clipart.email.com

clipart-library.com

Cover photo credit: Melody D. Legaspi (Rizal Integrated National School, Sorsogon City)

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