Community Planning Advice Note Published

The new advice note on engaging Children and Young People in Community Planning is out, and I must say it is a whole lot more comprehensive that the old one – welcome though that was. It’s available online at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/11/09140609/0

It’s a big document, for this kind of thing, but that’s to the good, because as well as the usual stuff about methods of engagement it contains a lot of less well discussed pointers about effective management of engagement with Children & Young People. There's a useful interpretation of the national standards for community engagement in this context too.

Community Engagement - Timberland Boots Style

On the subject of community engagement, the community development profession (which does have some claim to ownership of the notion of community engagement) has a long history of grief over the perceived co-option and subversion of their language by more prosaic and functional interests. The whole private sector swallowing of the work ‘empowerment’ (a word I never liked any way) in the 90’s come to mind.

This use of the term ‘Community Engagement’ by a Timberland boots advertising campaign is a great example of how ‘our’ terms are used differently elsewhere. Check this snippet out...

“‘The leather billboard campaign Arnold created really harnesses the power of self-expression and community engagement,’ said Gene McCarthy, president of Timberland's Authentic Youth division, in a statement.”

Go HERE for the full article.

Now, I wonder what the ‘Authentic Youth division’ do?