Hippocratic Oath for Community Workers

[정보원]

"First, do no harm.”

I’m suggesting that it be adopted by community workers as the basis for our own code of conduct.

We need to acknowledge the ways in which we often inadvertently harm the very communities we are trying to help.

Here is an outline of principles I would like to see included in a Hippocratic Oath for community workers.

Do No Harm

Don’t usurp the community’s power

“Never do for people what they can do for themselves.” That’s the iron rule of community organizing.

Don’t make the community dependent

A related principle is to refrain from making the community dependent on you, funding or other external resources.

Don’t define people by their needs

We make people dependent when we focus exclusively on their needs. We emphasize people’s deficiencies when we label them as disabled, at-risk, non-English speaking, poor, homeless, etc. 

Everyone has needs, but everyone also has gifts. When we focus on people’s needs, they are clients in a service system. When we focus on people’s gifts, they are citizens in a community.

Don’t fragment the community

The main reason I love neighborhoods is because they provide the context for building inclusive community. It’s in our neighborhoods that people with diverse identities and interests reside. Unfortunately, many so-called community workers contribute to keeping people divided.

Don’t treat non-profit organizations as the surrogate for community

Oftentimes, it is the staff of non-profit organizations who are called on the represent the community.

Do Some Good

Get out of your cubicle and into the community

You can’t be effective if you aren’t in the neighborhood. You need to see the neighborhood, its opportunities and challenges, with your own eyes. You need to make personal contact with people.

Listen and learn from the community

A good community worker brings new knowledge and perspectives to the community, but the best community worker values the knowledge and perspectives of the residents.

Help the community to discover its resources and power

The most valuable perspective that the community worker can bring is to shine light on the strengths of the people and their neighborhood. That’s the basis for community empowerment.

http://blog.neighborpower.org/uncategorized/hippocratic-oath-for-community-workers-2/

[정보원]

http://blog.neighborpower.org/uncategorized/hippocratic-oath-for-community-workers-2/
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