Part 2: Dynamic Partnerships and the Role of Art in Revitalization

While Pittsfield Storefront Artist project was not intentionally designed to promote economic development, the natural outpouring of their efforts was attracting businesses.  It seems as if beautification of the space gave people motivation to return downtown.  This is an example of how artists can become social entrepreneurs: those who create opportunities in their neighborhood while earning a living (SIAP, Cultivating “Natural” Cultural Districts).  

Keynote speaker, Megan Wilden shared that one challenge of partnership with artists/an arts organization is to encourage without destroying the purity of the art.  In other words, when involving art with community development, the focus must always be creating art.  The partnership between the City of Pittsfield and artists seemed to reach an appropriate balance, because artists were cultivated to continue creating art, not attracting businesses.   Around this premise, the partnership provided fertile soil, because in addition to the presence of art, a sense of community was created among artists.  I think this sense of community was an added attraction for residents and businesses. 

University of Pennsylvania’s Social Impact of the Arts Project (SIAP) promotes a model of development integrating neighborhood residents with regional economy and civil society through aiding a transition from creative economy to creative society (Seifert and Stern, Culture and Urban Revitalization).  One way to achieve this is to create opportunities for artists, amateurs, and residents to collide; artists’ centers are an effective opportunity for this collision to occur.  Artists’ centers provide the community open access to the arts, classes, opportunities to mingle with artists and art lovers, mentoring, and useful networks for resource sharing (SIAP, Culture and Urban Revitalization).  Artists' centers make it more about relationships than transactions; thus creative society rather than economy.

Practically, how do artist’s centers revitalize communities?  Artists’ centers are so are embedded in the lives of community members that it provides: youth development through classes and mentoring, increased neighborhood safety through heavier foot traffic in the community, and improves local economy, as more foot traffic leads revenue for local businesses (Seifert and Stern, Culture and Urban Revitalization).  Moreover, stronger community relationships always generates greater community security among residents.

Cultivating the arts through partnerships in local communities is very effective as the arts continue to become more open and accessible to the general population.  The arts are powerful expressions of culture and experience, so it only seems natural that community revitalization engages art to empower community members and tell the neighborhood story.  Increased access has also uncovered the presence of organic art in low-income communities through anything from graffiti, to rap and spoken word, to resident gardens.  As stories are told, these organic artists are empowered to embrace their talent and use it towards personal, community and maybe even professional transformation.  

Resources:
Seifert, Susan, and Mark Stern. "Culture and Urban Revitalization: A Harvest Document." Social Impact of the Arts Project (January 2007). Web. 14 Sept. 2011. <http://www.sp2.upenn.edu/SIAP>.
Seifert, Susan, and Mark Stern. "Cultivating “Natural” Cultural Districts." Creativity and Change (September 2007). Web. 14 Sept. 2011. <http://www.trfund.com/resource/downloads/creativity/NaturalCulturalDistricts.pdf>.

Peaceful Resistance and Community Organizing

Anna Hazare is a name that has been hyped through world news broadcasts for the last couple of months.  Said to be working from a Gandhian influence, Hazare has been using similar protest tactics (such as peaceful resistance) to ensure government action against corruption.  In terms of government action, Hazare’s movement to demand the institution of anti-corruption laws and now the creation of an anti-corruption agency.  He has even instituted fasts-to-the-death.  

When reading articles about Hazare, I was forced to question his comparison to Gandhi.  Were they using peaceful resistance in the same way?   I did not feel at peace about comparison of Hazare to Gandhi, especially his use of fasts-to-the-death.  Hazare’s first was instituted with a condition that he would not eat until the government passed an anti-corruption bill.  Primarily, Gandhi campaigned for India’s independence because of the injustices being committed against its citizens.  He fought against injustices such as “untouchability,” alcoholism, ignorance and poverty.  His fasts were motivated to fight these injustices and bring unity, never to demand independence from the government (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110621/jsp/opinion/story_14136304.jsp).  Hazare’s specific demands upon the government through fasting does not reflect Gandhi in that it lends to violence, and some have argued is violent in and of itself.  

When I read about Hazare’s fast-to-the-death, I was first struck with the potential this had to initiate violent retaliation.  The public has indeed been energized by Hazare to stand up against government corruption, and he is now a national symbol.  The fact that he is such a valued symbol to the people of India, makes me questions his tactics.  What if he dies because the government does not meet his demands?  I imagine it would cause chaos. Unlike Gandhi, Hazare has a very tangible opponent on which the people can reflect their anger, which amplifies the potential for violence.    

All in all, my point is that protest and peaceful resistance must be used carefully, as it can easily be distorted into riot.  Consider the London Riots over an unprovoked police shooting.  While citizens were impassioned for the right reasons, (the injustice of this incident) the result was destructive rioting.  It seems the human psyche can easily cross the line to violence, when passion is evoked, so even if the intent is peaceful, the result can be violent. 

How does this relate to the urban context?  I have begun to think about peaceful resistance in the context of urban communities and its effectiveness in community organizing.   Can peaceful resistance be used to bring awareness to injustices in our current climate?  It was very effective in the 1960s with the Civil Rights movement, and a whole generation of African Americans were empowered to speak out against injustice and helped to change significant legislation.  Could this work today?  

As mentioned above, I think that it can be a very powerful tool, but it has to be used delicately.  In the wake of flash mobs, not only in Philadelphia but in cities like Chicago and Germantown (MD), teens have been motivated to demonstrate their frustrations.  While I am not sure the exact nature of their frustrations, I can imagine they might about: the educational system, police brutality, gun violence in their communities, parents having to work multiple jobs, blatant acts of racism, etc.   In the absence of guidance, these youth started a movement to action that quickly turned violent, but if mobilized by someone with a vision, things could be different.  

I believe that figures like Gandhi or groups of people like community development organizations can be necessary in guiding in peaceful resistance, but things can become dangerous when the focus is too concentrated upon the figure or group.  There has to be a point where that figure or group can step away.  This point must be when the community members are empowered to organize themselves.  Along with empowerment, there must be a sense of unity binding the community together.  Like Gandhi, I believe the point of resistance is point out a structural injustice and unify people towards finding a solution.     

I can picture protest and peaceful resistance being effective is many urban injustices.  Thinking back to the spring, students in the Philadelphia school district I think formulated a very successful act of peaceful resistance with walk-outs at Audenried and West Philadelphia High Schools (http://articles.philly.com/2011-02-16/news/28538690_1_33d-and-tasker-streets-audenried-high-school-students-renaissance-schools-initiative/2).  Student leaders mobilized students to come together at the School District building to show their resistance to the schools becoming Promise Academies.  While officials and some parents were upset by it, I think that it was great example of peaceful resistance and students dealing with their frustrations in the productive way. 

• What do you think about peaceful resistance?   
• Do you have examples of it being used in the urban context?

The "What now?" of Relocation

John Perkins is a name that many involved in the Christian community development movement.  His of his great contributions includes the Three R’s of Community Development:  relocation, reconciliation and redistribution.  There has long been a divide in practice for urban ministry and service in regards to the question of relocation.   Some believe that ministry and service can be provided in a "commuter context" or when the service provider is from a community other than the one they serve.   On the other hand, those who adhere to Perkins and the Christian Community Development Association’s principles believe that relocation is vital to providing effective ministry and service.  

During a short-term mission trip, my ministry team provided a children’s bible camp in Brooklyn.  For years I interpreted my experience there in a negative way, but now, through the lens of relocation, I understand.   When my team, a group of white teens and young adults, tramped through a Brooklyn neighborhood towards the park where we would provide the camp, people in the street started to yell at us, “Go back home.”  Originally, I felt angry that this community did not want our help, but now I realize that this was a community wounded by many experiences of short term service projects, there to help for a little while and then to leave.  They were tired of being abandoned. 

I see what I will call “commuter services” in the same light as my experience; people coming to a community they don’t know, providing their services without fully committing to the community.  There are many flaws in this practice, starting with the idea that an outsider can determine the needs of a community without ever entering the community.   

Relocation is a scary word for anyone like me who is terrified of adapting to a new place.   I’ve lived in a variety of places throughout the last six years in rural, suburban and urban areas.  With every move, I have experienced the anxiety of “now what?”  “How do I truly become a part of the community?”  It was at these times that I was most grateful for my understanding of the field of Urban Studies and its use of Anthropology. 

Judith Lingenfelter wrote a helpful article entitle, Getting to Know your New City, which highlights many insights that have helped me with relocation and to really become “a part” of the community.  It is also helpful in properly introducing your new ministry or service to a community.   Starting with the time you enter the community, here are some things to keep in mind: maintain a Learner-centered focus, recognizing the community member as your teacher, and participant observation (Lingenfelter).  All of these tips are aspects of Anthropology’s ethnographic method.

When entering a community, assumptions are dangerous: assumptions about the people, community dynamics, and community problems.  When we engage communities within the context of our own assumptions, we are acting from a framework of ethnocentricity or seeing the world from just our own cultural context.  If you are serious about effectively serving your community, you need to remove this mindset.  According to the ethnographic method, you are an observer and learner in the community the only ideas you should develop are that established through observation and interactions.  Your neighbors are the experts of the community.

When my husband and I first moved into our current community, we took the role of silent observer.  We watched the neighbors interact, saw where the kids hung out in the community, saw who were people of authority in the community, and learned where community members would meet together.  This is participant observation: watching to identify the community routines and structure.  Lingenfelter considers identifying important meeting places in the community a vital first step.   After you identify meeting places, you can start to place yourself in situations to meet community members.  In my community, we soon found that the most important meeting place in the community was the street. 

 After living in the community for 3 months, the first snow storm came, and this is when my husband and I broke the silence.  We got to meet many of our neighbors in the street shoveling out our cars.  We moved into a new phase that I feel we are still meandering around, almost a year and half later: Interviewing or what I consider engaging the stories of the community. 

Our community is made of a strong native presence, as many neighbors are older and have been in the community their entire lives.  It did not take us long to figure out that these were key community members, so we engaged them about the community’s history, patterns, and changes.  Identifying a community’s key players is important to establish your legitimacy and identifying community needs.  Your position in the community will not be recognized without legitimacy, and your ministry or service will not been as necessary or authentic if certain important players are not supportive.  The support of these members give you legitimacy.  In turn, you will be introduced to other community members, which will ultimately help you create an accurate picture of community dynamics and needs.  Once you have accomplished these steps, you will be on your way to positive presence in the community.

What do you think about relocation? Are “commuter services” ever effective?  What are some additional tips you would give someone getting to know a new community?